The cURL MCP Server enables LLMs to execute HTTP requests through a safe, structured interface with comprehensive control over requests and responses.
Core HTTP Capabilities:
Execute HTTP requests using all standard methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS)
Send data in multiple formats including JSON bodies and multipart form data
Authenticate using Basic auth, Bearer tokens, or custom headers
Define custom HTTP headers and User-Agent strings
Request Control:
Manage redirects (follow/disable, up to 50 max)
Configure timeouts (1-300 seconds)
Control SSL verification and compression
Customize response output with headers, verbose details, or JSON metadata (exit codes, success status)
Built-in Resources:
Access documentation via
curl://docs/apiMCP resourceUse pre-built prompts for API testing and discovery
Support for stdio transport (Claude Desktop/Code) and HTTP transport
Security Features:
Structured parameter validation preventing arbitrary command execution
Shell injection prevention
SSL verification enabled by default
Automatic response size limits (1MB) and timeout constraints
Enables execution of HTTP requests through a structured interface with support for multiple authentication methods, custom headers, form data, request body data, and response control options like redirects and compression.
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@cURL MCP Serverfetch the latest posts from the Reddit API with a custom user agent"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
cURL MCP Server
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables LLMs to execute cURL commands for making HTTP requests.
Features
Structured HTTP Requests: Use
curl_executewith typed parameters for safe, validated HTTP callsMultiple Auth Methods: Basic auth, Bearer tokens, and custom headers
Response Control: Follow redirects, include headers, compressed responses
Error Handling: Clear error messages with exit codes and metadata
Built-in Documentation: MCP resources and prompts for discoverability
Dual Transport: Supports both stdio (for Claude Desktop/Code) and HTTP transports
Installation
Usage
With Claude Code
The easiest way is to install directly from GitHub using npx:
Or with a local clone:
With Claude Desktop
Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Standalone Usage
Stdio Transport (Default):
HTTP Transport:
Tools
curl_execute
Execute HTTP requests with structured parameters. This is the only tool available, providing a safe, validated interface for HTTP requests.
Parameters:
Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| string | Yes | - | The URL to request |
| string | No | GET | HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS) |
| object | No | - | HTTP headers as key-value pairs |
| string | No | - | Request body data |
| object | No | - | Form data as key-value pairs |
| boolean | No | true | Follow HTTP redirects |
| number | No | - | Maximum redirects to follow (0-50) |
| boolean | No | false | Skip SSL certificate verification |
| number | No | 30 | Request timeout in seconds (1-300) |
| string | No | - | Custom User-Agent header |
| string | No | - | Basic auth as "username:password" |
| string | No | - | Bearer token for Authorization |
| boolean | No | false | Include verbose output |
| boolean | No | false | Include response headers |
| boolean | No | true | Request compressed response |
| boolean | No | false | Wrap response in JSON metadata |
Examples:
MCP Resources
The server exposes documentation as an MCP resource:
curl://docs/api- API documentation with parameter reference and examples
MCP Prompts
Two prompts are available for common use cases:
api-test - Test an API endpoint and analyze the response
api-discovery - Explore a REST API to discover available endpoints
Security Considerations
Only structured
curl_executeis available (no arbitrary command execution)All parameters are validated using Zod schemas
Commands are executed without shell interpretation to prevent injection
Maximum response size: 1MB (stdout and stderr)
Default timeout: 30 seconds
SSL verification is enabled by default (use
insecure: trueonly when necessary)
License
MIT