jclfocused curl API Requests
Overview
Guidelines for making curl requests that work reliably in Claude Code's shell environment.
Critical Rules
NEVER use backslash line continuations (\) - They don't work reliably in this environment.
ALWAYS write single-line commands or use shell variables for complex requests.
Patterns
Simple GET
curl -s https://api.example.com/endpoint | jq
GET with Auth Header
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" https://api.example.com/endpoint | jq
POST with Form Data
Use multiple -d flags on a single line:
curl -s -X POST https://api.example.com/endpoint -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "name=value" -d "other=data" | jq
POST with JSON Body
curl -s -X POST https://api.example.com/endpoint -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"key":"value"}' | jq
Using Variables for Readability
When commands get long, use variables:
TOKEN="your_api_key_here"
BASE="https://api.example.com"
# Then use them
curl -s -X POST "$BASE/products" -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "name=Test" | jq
Chaining Requests
Store IDs from responses:
TOKEN="your_key"
# Create and capture ID
PRODUCT_ID=$(curl -s -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/products -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "name=My Product" | jq -r '.id')
echo "Created: $PRODUCT_ID"
# Use ID in next request
curl -s -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/prices -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "product=$PRODUCT_ID" -d "unit_amount=999" -d "currency=usd" | jq
Common Headers
| Purpose | Flag |
|---|---|
| Bearer Auth | -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" |
| Basic Auth | -u "user:pass" or -u "$KEY:" (colon for password-less) |
| JSON Content | -H "Content-Type: application/json" |
| Accept JSON | -H "Accept: application/json" |
Useful Flags
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|---|
-s |
Silent mode (no progress) |
-X POST |
HTTP method |
-d "k=v" |
Form data (multiple allowed) |
-H "..." |
Header (multiple allowed) |
-o file |
Output to file |
-w '%{http_code}' |
Print status code |
Anti-Patterns (Don't Do This)
# BAD - Line continuations break
curl -s \
-X POST \
-H "Auth: Bearer $TOKEN" \
https://api.example.com
# GOOD - Single line
curl -s -X POST -H "Auth: Bearer $TOKEN" https://api.example.com
Stripe API Example
SK="sk_test_your_key"
# Create product
PROD=$(curl -s -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/products -H "Authorization: Bearer $SK" -d "name=My Product" -d "description=A great product" | jq -r '.id')
# Create price for product
PRICE=$(curl -s -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/prices -H "Authorization: Bearer $SK" -d "product=$PROD" -d "unit_amount=999" -d "currency=eur" -d "recurring[interval]=month" | jq -r '.id')
echo "Product: $PROD, Price: $PRICE"