Convert curl to Perl

Q: What is Perl LWP?

LWP (Library for WWW in Perl) is the standard HTTP client library for Perl. The LWP::UserAgent module provides a full-featured client with cookie handling, redirects, proxy support, and SSL. Install with cpan LWP or apt install libwww-perl. curl2code uses LWP as the default for Perl conversions.

Q: LWP vs HTTP::Tiny vs Mojo::UserAgent — which to use?

LWP is feature-rich and the traditional choice. HTTP::Tiny is a core module (no install needed) — great for simple requests. Mojo::UserAgent is modern with async support and WebSocket. For quick scripts, use HTTP::Tiny. For full features, use LWP. For similar scripting languages, see curl to Python or curl to Ruby.

Q: How to handle authentication in Perl?

With LWP: $ua->default_header('Authorization' => 'Bearer token'). For Basic auth: $ua->credentials('host:port', 'realm', 'user', 'pass'). Or set headers per-request on the HTTP::Request object. curl2code converts -u and -H 'Authorization' flags to Perl syntax.

Q: How to send multipart form data in Perl?

Use HTTP::Request::Common: POST($url, Content_Type => 'form-data', Content => [file => ['path/file.pdf']]). LWP handles multipart boundaries automatically. For additional fields, add key-value pairs to the Content array. curl2code converts -F flags to this format.

Q: How to handle HTTP errors in Perl?

Check $response->is_success after each request. For error details: $response->status_line returns the status code and message. LWP returns a response object even on errors — check $response->code for the HTTP status. Use die or warn for error reporting.

Q: How to parse JSON in Perl?

Use the JSON module: my $data = decode_json($response->content). For encoding: my $json = encode_json($hashref). Install with cpan JSON. For Perl 5.14+, consider JSON::PP (core module, no install). For more JSON-centric tools, see curl to Go.

Q: How to set timeouts in Perl LWP?

Set on the UserAgent: my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new(timeout => 30). This sets the overall request timeout in seconds. For connection timeout specifically, use IO::Socket::SSL options. LWP retries are not built-in — implement manually or use LWP::UserAgent::Determined.

Q: How to use a proxy in Perl?

Set on the UserAgent: $ua->proxy(['http', 'https'], 'http://proxy:8080'). Or use environment variables: $ua->env_proxy reads HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY. For no-proxy exceptions: $ua->no_proxy('localhost', '.internal'). curl2code converts -x flags to LWP proxy calls.

Q: How to send a POST request with JSON body in Perl?

Convert a curl POST command like curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"key":"value"}' URL to Perl using curl2code. The generated code uses $ua->post($url, Content_Type => 'application/json', Content => encode_json($data)). curl2code automatically detects -d/--data flags with JSON content and sets the appropriate Content-Type header in the LWP::UserAgent code.

Q: How to add Bearer token authorization in Perl?

Pass curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" URL to curl2code and it generates LWP::UserAgent code with the auth header: $req->header('Authorization' => 'Bearer YOUR_TOKEN'). curl2code detects Bearer tokens from both -H "Authorization: Bearer ..." and --oauth2-bearer flags. For Basic auth, use -u user:pass.

Convert curl commands to Perl code using LWP::UserAgent. curl2code runs entirely in your browser via WebAssembly — your data stays private. For Python, try our curl to Python converter. For Ruby, see curl to Ruby. Below are ready-to-use Perl examples.

How to copy curl from your browser

1
Open DevTools
Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I to open your browser developer tools.
2
Go to the Network tab
Click the Network tab and perform the action that triggers the HTTP request.
3
Copy as cURL
Right-click the request → Copy → Copy as cURL. Then paste it above.

Perl Code Examples

1Simple GET Request

curl command

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

Perl · LWP

use LWP::Simple;
$content = get('https://api.example.com/users');

2POST with JSON Body

curl command

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/users \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"John","email":"john@example.com"}'

Perl · LWP

use LWP::UserAgent;

$ua = LWP::UserAgent->new();
$response = $ua->post(
    'https://api.example.com/users',
    'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
    Content => '{"name":"John","email":"john@example.com"}'
);

3Request with Bearer Token

curl command

curl https://api.example.com/me \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer token123"

Perl · LWP

use LWP::UserAgent;

$ua = LWP::UserAgent->new();
$response = $ua->get(
    'https://api.example.com/me',
    Authorization => 'Bearer token123'
);

4Multipart Form Upload

curl command

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/upload \
  -F "file=@document.pdf" \
  -F "description=My file"

Perl · LWP

use LWP::UserAgent;

$ua = LWP::UserAgent->new();
$response = $ua->post(
    'https://api.example.com/upload',
    Content_Type => 'form-data',
    Content => [
        file => ['document.pdf'],
        description => 'My file'
    ]
);

5Custom Headers

curl command

curl https://api.example.com/data \
  -H "X-API-Key: abc123" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -H "X-Request-ID: req-456"

Perl · LWP

use LWP::UserAgent;

$ua = LWP::UserAgent->new();
$response = $ua->get(
    'https://api.example.com/data',
    'X-API-Key' => 'abc123',
    Accept => 'application/json',
    'X-Request-ID' => 'req-456'
);

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Perl LWP?

LWP (Library for WWW in Perl) is the standard HTTP client library for Perl. The LWP::UserAgent module provides a full-featured client with cookie handling, redirects, proxy support, and SSL. Install with cpan LWP or apt install libwww-perl. curl2code uses LWP as the default for Perl conversions.

LWP vs HTTP::Tiny vs Mojo::UserAgent — which to use?

LWP is feature-rich and the traditional choice. HTTP::Tiny is a core module (no install needed) — great for simple requests. Mojo::UserAgent is modern with async support and WebSocket. For quick scripts, use HTTP::Tiny. For full features, use LWP. For similar scripting languages, see curl to Python or curl to Ruby.

How to handle authentication in Perl?

With LWP: $ua->default_header('Authorization' => 'Bearer token'). For Basic auth: $ua->credentials('host:port', 'realm', 'user', 'pass'). Or set headers per-request on the HTTP::Request object. curl2code converts -u and -H 'Authorization' flags to Perl syntax.

How to send multipart form data in Perl?

Use HTTP::Request::Common: POST($url, Content_Type => 'form-data', Content => [file => ['path/file.pdf']]). LWP handles multipart boundaries automatically. For additional fields, add key-value pairs to the Content array. curl2code converts -F flags to this format.

How to handle HTTP errors in Perl?

Check $response->is_success after each request. For error details: $response->status_line returns the status code and message. LWP returns a response object even on errors — check $response->code for the HTTP status. Use die or warn for error reporting.

How to parse JSON in Perl?

Use the JSON module: my $data = decode_json($response->content). For encoding: my $json = encode_json($hashref). Install with cpan JSON. For Perl 5.14+, consider JSON::PP (core module, no install). For more JSON-centric tools, see curl to Go.

How to set timeouts in Perl LWP?

Set on the UserAgent: my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new(timeout => 30). This sets the overall request timeout in seconds. For connection timeout specifically, use IO::Socket::SSL options. LWP retries are not built-in — implement manually or use LWP::UserAgent::Determined.

How to use a proxy in Perl?

Set on the UserAgent: $ua->proxy(['http', 'https'], 'http://proxy:8080'). Or use environment variables: $ua->env_proxy reads HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY. For no-proxy exceptions: $ua->no_proxy('localhost', '.internal'). curl2code converts -x flags to LWP proxy calls.

How to send a POST request with JSON body in Perl?

Convert a curl POST command like curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"key":"value"}' URL to Perl using curl2code. The generated code uses $ua->post($url, Content_Type => 'application/json', Content => encode_json($data)). curl2code automatically detects -d/--data flags with JSON content and sets the appropriate Content-Type header in the LWP::UserAgent code.

How to add Bearer token authorization in Perl?

Pass curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" URL to curl2code and it generates LWP::UserAgent code with the auth header: $req->header('Authorization' => 'Bearer YOUR_TOKEN'). curl2code detects Bearer tokens from both -H "Authorization: Bearer ..." and --oauth2-bearer flags. For Basic auth, use -u user:pass.

How to set Content-Type header in Perl?

curl2code converts curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" URL to LWP::UserAgent code with the proper header: $req->header('Content-Type' => 'application/json'). For -d data, curl defaults to application/x-www-form-urlencoded; for -F form uploads, it uses multipart/form-data. curl2code maps each to the correct LWP::UserAgent API.

Useful Links

LWP Documentation

metacpan.org

Standard Library Reference

metacpan.org

curl Man Page

curl.se

curl Guides

curl Error Codes

Look up any curl exit code — causes, fixes, and debugging tips.

Download Files with curl

Save files with -o, -O, follow redirects, resume downloads, and more.

SSL, TLS & Proxy

Configure certificates, TLS versions, HTTP/SOCKS proxies, and custom DNS.

How to copy curl from your browser

Perl Code Examples

1Simple GET Request

2POST with JSON Body

3Request with Bearer Token

4Multipart Form Upload

5Custom Headers

Frequently Asked Questions

Useful Links

curl Guides

Convert curl to Other Languages

Perl Code Examples

1Simple GET Request

2POST with JSON Body

3Request with Bearer Token

4Multipart Form Upload

5Custom Headers