To make a remote request in PHP, initialize a cURL handle, configure it, execute it with curl_exec(), and then check both whether the transfer succeeded and what HTTP status the server returned. PHP’s cURL extension is an interface to libcurl, which supports HTTP, HTTPS, and other protocols. PHP cURL manual
How a PHP cURL request works
A cURL handle represents a transfer. The usual lifecycle is to initialize the handle, set its options, execute the transfer, inspect the result, and close the handle. curl_init() returns false if initialization fails. Since PHP 8.0.0, a successful call returns a CurlHandle object; older PHP versions returned a resource. PHP curl_init() documentation
Make a GET request and capture its response
This example requests a URL, captures the response body, applies a finite timeout, and checks transport and HTTP outcomes independently:
<?php
$url = 'https://example.com/';
$handle = curl_init($url);
if ($handle === false) {
throw new RuntimeException('Could not initialize cURL');
}
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT, 15);
$response = curl_exec($handle);
if ($response === false) {
$error = curl_error($handle);
$errorNumber = curl_errno($handle);
curl_close($handle);
throw new RuntimeException("cURL transfer failed ($errorNumber): $error");
}
$status = curl_getinfo($handle, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($handle);
if ($status < 200 || $status >= 300) {
throw new RuntimeException("Unexpected HTTP status: $status");
}
echo $response;Replace the example URL and choose a timeout suitable for the endpoint and your application. CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER makes curl_exec() return the response body on success. Without it, successful response output is sent directly to standard output and curl_exec() returns true. PHP curl_exec() documentation
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Transport failures are not HTTP errors
Compare the result to false with ===. A loose truthiness check can misclassify a valid false-like response body. If execution returns false, inspect curl_error() or curl_errno() for transport diagnostics.
A completed transfer can still receive an HTTP error response. For example, a 404 response does not by itself make curl_exec() fail. Read the status with curl_getinfo() and apply the handling your application needs; the example treats any status outside 200–299 as unexpected. PHP curl_exec() documentation
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Send a POST request with the right body encoding
The body you pass to CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS determines its encoding. Match that encoding to what the receiving endpoint expects.
| Body you pass | Encoding and typical use |
|---|---|
| A URL-encoded string | application/x-www-form-urlencoded; use for conventional form fields. |
| An array | multipart/form-data; use for multipart submissions, including file uploads. |
| A JSON string | JSON; encode the data and send an application/json content type. |
PHP documents the distinction between arrays and URL-encoded strings, and its examples demonstrate JSON encoding with a matching header. PHP curl_setopt() documentation PHP basic cURL examples
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URL-encoded form data
<?php
$handle = curl_init('https://example.com/submit');
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query([
'name' => 'Ada Lovelace',
'subscribe' => 'yes',
]));
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT, 15);
$response = curl_exec($handle);
if ($response === false) {
$error = curl_error($handle);
curl_close($handle);
throw new RuntimeException("cURL transfer failed: $error");
}
$status = curl_getinfo($handle, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($handle);http_build_query() creates the URL-encoded string. The endpoint’s requirements determine how to interpret $response and which status codes count as successful.
Multipart form data
Passing an array directly as CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS makes cURL send multipart form data:
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curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, [
'description' => 'A sample upload',
'file' => new CURLFile('/path/to/file'),
]);Use this form when the server expects multipart data, such as a file submission. Do not use an array when the endpoint expects a URL-encoded form body.
JSON
<?php
$payload = [
'name' => 'Ada Lovelace',
'active' => true,
];
$json = json_encode($payload);
if ($json === false) {
throw new RuntimeException('Could not encode JSON');
}
$handle = curl_init('https://example.com/api');
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $json);
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
'Content-Type: application/json',
]);
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($handle, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT, 15);
$response = curl_exec($handle);
if ($response === false) {
$error = curl_error($handle);
curl_close($handle);
throw new RuntimeException("cURL transfer failed: $error");
}
$status = curl_getinfo($handle, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($handle);The explicit content type tells the server that the request body contains JSON. Follow the API’s contract for authentication, additional headers, response parsing, and accepted status codes.
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Set timeouts and decide how to handle redirects
CURLOPT_TIMEOUT sets the maximum number of seconds allowed for cURL functions to execute; its default is zero, which means no timeout. Set a finite value so a slow or unresponsive endpoint cannot leave the transfer waiting indefinitely. CURLOPT_TIMEOUT_MS provides millisecond granularity, subject to the PHP manual’s documented system resolver caveat. PHP cURL predefined constants
Redirect behavior is a separate choice: configure whether to follow redirects based on your application’s requirements instead of assuming that they are followed automatically. Also decide whether an HTTP status such as 3xx, 4xx, or 5xx is acceptable for the operation; successful transport alone does not answer that question.
Check cURL support and option availability
Confirm that the PHP build running your application has the cURL extension enabled. Before relying on a particular option, check that it is available for the PHP and libcurl versions deployed: the manual documents version-specific availability and changes. PHP cURL manual PHP cURL predefined constants
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