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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchUse curl --user 'username:password' https://example.com/ to send HTTP Basic Authentication. Prefer HTTPS, omit the password for an interactive prompt, and use a protected secret mechanism in automation. Basic Auth is an HTTP challenge-and-response scheme—not encryption—so credentials must never travel over plain HTTP.
Send Basic Auth with cURL
The standard command is:
curl --user 'username:password' https://example.com/The short alias is equivalent:
curl -u 'username:password' https://example.com/--user (or -u) supplies the username and password for the remote HTTP server. cURL splits the value at the first colon, so this form cannot represent a username containing a colon. If your password contains shell-special characters, quote the complete argument with single quotes where possible, or use a safer file or prompt-based method.
Let cURL prompt for the password
Leave the password out to avoid placing it in shell history or a visible process argument:
curl --user username https://example.com/cURL prompts for the password interactively. The prompt is not echoed to the terminal. This is usually the safest approach for a one-off manual request.
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Select Basic explicitly
curl --basic --user 'username:password' https://example.com/HTTP Basic is cURL’s default authentication method when no other method is selected, so --basic is normally unnecessary. It is useful when you want the command to document or force the scheme.
What Basic Authentication actually protects
Basic Auth encodes a username and password and sends them in an HTTP Authorization header. Encoding is not encryption. The curl project describes Basic credentials as “plain text based,” meaning they are only slightly obfuscated and remain readable to anyone sniffing an unprotected connection. Use an https:// URL so TLS encrypts the request in transit.
HTTPS protects the connection between cURL and the server; it does not make a weak password strong, prevent the server from logging credentials accidentally, or turn a browser’s HTML login form into HTTP Basic. Many consumer websites display a login form, establish a session cookie, and never accept an Authorization: Basic header. Confirm the API or endpoint documentation before choosing this method.
Credentials without leaking them
Interactive use
Use the username-only form when working at a terminal:
curl -u username https://api.example.com/privateThis avoids putting the password in the command line. Shell history, terminal recording, CI logs, and process-list tools can otherwise expose a literal username:password argument.
Protected cURL configuration
For repeatable scripts, place credentials in a permissions-restricted cURL config file rather than in a command that is copied into tickets or logged by a runner. A minimal file is:
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user = "username:password"Invoke it with:
curl --config ~/.config/curl/private.conf https://api.example.com/privateProtect the file so only the intended account can read it (for example, with restrictive operating-system permissions), and keep it out of source control and backups that are not approved for secrets. cURL’s FAQ discusses command-line visibility and using protected configuration or standard-input mechanisms for secrets: curl FAQ.
Environment and secret-manager patterns
In automation, obtain the secret from the CI platform or operating-system secret manager and inject it only for the process that needs it. Avoid printing the variable, expanding it into a command recorded by the runner, or writing it to a world-readable temporary file. The exact syntax depends on your shell and CI system; the security requirement is the same: keep the password out of logs, history, process listings, and repositories.
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Inspect a request without exposing the password
Use headers and verbose output to diagnose authentication, but remember that verbose traces can contain sensitive data and should not be pasted into public logs:
curl --user username -v https://api.example.com/privateLook for the server’s WWW-Authenticate response header. A challenge such as WWW-Authenticate: Basic realm="…" indicates that the endpoint offers Basic. A 401 Unauthorized response can instead mean that the credentials are wrong, the account lacks permission, or the endpoint expects a different authentication scheme.
To show only response headers while keeping the body out of the terminal:
curl --user username -sS -D - -o /dev/null https://api.example.com/privateUse -sS for quiet output plus errors, -D - to write headers to standard output, and -o /dev/null to discard the response body.
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When the authentication method is unknown
If documentation does not identify the server’s scheme, let cURL negotiate after inspecting the server response:
curl --anyauth --user username https://api.example.com/private--anyauth can require an additional request/response round trip while cURL discovers a method the server supports. It is a discovery option, not a replacement for reading the API documentation. Once you know the scheme, select it explicitly. cURL also supports methods such as Digest, NTLM, and Negotiate, although availability depends on how your cURL build was compiled; consult the installed version’s man page.
Redirects and credential boundaries
Following redirects is common for APIs and downloads:
curl --location --user username https://example.com/startWith --location, cURL sends supplied credentials to the initial host by default. It does not automatically forward them to a different host. This boundary helps prevent a redirect from disclosing credentials to an unrelated destination.
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--location-trusted changes that behavior and permits credentials to be sent to other hosts:
curl --location-trusted --user username https://example.com/startUse this only when every possible redirect target is under your control and intended to receive the credentials. The cURL man page warns that routine use can create a security breach. Before enabling it, inspect redirects with headers or a controlled test and verify the final host.
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Server authentication versus proxy authentication
--user authenticates to the destination server. A proxy has a separate credential option:
curl --proxy-user proxyname https://example.com/The short form is -U. To explicitly select Basic for the proxy, add --proxy-basic:
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curl --proxy-user proxyname --user apiname https://api.example.com/privateKeep the two identities separate. A proxy challenge does not prove that the origin accepts Basic, and an origin credential will not satisfy a proxy.
Practical request examples
JSON API response
curl --user username
-H 'Accept: application/json'
https://api.example.com/v1/accountAuthenticated POST
curl --user username
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
--data '{"enabled":true}'
https://api.example.com/v1/account/settingsSave a protected download
curl --user username -o report.pdf https://api.example.com/reports/latest.pdfIn each example, cURL prompts for the password because only the username is supplied.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting Basic Auth failures
401 Unauthorized
- Verify the URL and account against the API documentation.
- Check the
WWW-Authenticateheader to see whether Basic is offered. - Confirm that the password was entered correctly and that shell quoting did not alter it.
- Check whether the account is authorized for that particular path; valid credentials can still lack permission.
403 Forbidden
The server understood the request but refused access. Check account roles, IP allowlists, required headers, and application-level authorization. Changing --basic will not fix a policy denial.
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It works in a browser but not in cURL
The browser may be using a form login, session cookie, CSRF token, JavaScript-generated request, or a single-sign-on flow. Reproduce the documented API authentication method instead of assuming the page’s login accepts Basic. If the service requires cookies, obtain them through its supported login flow and send them with cURL only according to its terms and security guidance.
Credentials disappear after a redirect
Check the redirect target. cURL intentionally limits credential forwarding across hosts. Keep --location and fix the endpoint or authorization setup where possible; do not switch to --location-trusted unless the cross-host transfer is explicitly required and trusted.
Proxy errors
Use --proxy-user for proxy credentials and --user for origin credentials. If the proxy advertises a different scheme, select the matching proxy option supported by your cURL build. Test the proxy independently before diagnosing the origin API.
Performance, reliability, and operational checks
- Round trips: Explicit Basic avoids authentication-method discovery.
--anyauthmay add a request/response exchange. - Connection security: Use HTTPS and keep certificate verification enabled; do not “solve” TLS errors by disabling verification in production.
- Retries: Retrying a request can repeat a state-changing operation. Add retries only when the endpoint’s operation is idempotent or the API provides an idempotency mechanism.
- Timeouts: Set an operation limit in automation, for example
--max-time 90, so a stuck connection does not consume a worker indefinitely. - Logging: Redact command lines, headers, config files, and verbose traces. Treat a captured Basic header as a usable password until it is revoked.
- Version differences: Options are documented for the installed cURL build. Check
curl --versionand the matching cURL man page before relying on a platform-specific feature.
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cURL:
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Reference links
- cURL man page for current option behavior, redirects, authentication, and proxy flags.
- The Art Of Scripting HTTP Requests Using curl for Basic Auth, HTTPS, prompts, and form-login distinctions.
- cURL tutorial for authentication defaults and proxy usage.
- cURL FAQ for protecting credentials from command-line exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a username contain a colon with cURL’s -u option?
No. cURL splits the supplied user-and-password string at the first colon, so this syntax cannot represent a colon in the username. Use an authentication method or client flow that supports that identity format.
Does Basic Auth log me into a normal website?
Usually not. Many websites use an HTML form, cookies, CSRF protection, or single sign-on rather than HTTP Basic. Use the site’s documented API or authentication flow.
Should I use –anyauth for every request?
No. Use it when the server’s scheme is unknown and accept the possible extra round trip. Once the scheme is documented, selecting it explicitly is more predictable.
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