How to Convert cURL Commands to Python requests — Complete Guide with Code

cURL is the universal language of API documentation and network debugging. When you copy an API request from Chrome DevTools, Postman, or Swagger, it almost always comes formatted as a curl command.

However, when building automation scripts or backend services, you need to convert that command into clean, readable Python code using the standard requests library.

This guide provides a comprehensive mapping of all cURL parameters to Python requests.

1. Basic GET Request

cURL:

curl https://api.example.com/v1/users

Python:

import requests

response = requests.get('https://api.example.com/v1/users')

print(f"Status Code: {response.status_code}")
data = response.json()
print(data)

2. Query Parameters

Instead of manually constructing URL query strings, pass a dictionary to the params argument in Python.

cURL:

curl "https://api.example.com/v1/search?query=developer&limit=20&sort=desc"

Python:

import requests

params = {
    'query': 'developer',
    'limit': 20,
    'sort': 'desc'
}

response = requests.get('https://api.example.com/v1/search', params=params)
print(response.url)

3. POST Requests with JSON Payloads (-d / --data)

When sending JSON data in Python, use the json= parameter rather than data=:

import requests

payload = {
    'name': 'Saad',
    'role': 'engineer',
    'active': True
}

response = requests.post('https://api.example.com/v1/users', json=payload)
print(response.status_code)