Convert curl to Wget
curl2code converts curl commands to Wget syntax. The conversion runs in your browser via WebAssembly for complete privacy. For HTTPie, check our curl to HTTPie converter. For raw HTTP, see curl to HTTP. Below are practical Wget 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wget?
Wget is a non-interactive command-line tool for downloading files from the web. It supports HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP, with features for recursive downloading, mirroring websites, and resuming interrupted transfers. Pre-installed on most Linux/macOS systems. curl2code converts curl commands to the equivalent Wget syntax.
Wget vs curl — when to use which?
Wget excels at downloading: recursive site mirroring, resume support, and background transfers. curl is more versatile: supports more protocols (25+), has better API request capabilities, and is more scriptable. Use Wget for downloads/mirroring, curl for API work. See also curl to HTTPie for a modern alternative.
How does Wget handle authentication?
For Basic auth: wget --user=user --password=pass url. For Bearer tokens, use --header='Authorization: Bearer token'. Wget also supports .netrc file for storing credentials: machine host login user password pass. Use --ask-password for interactive password entry.
How to send POST data with Wget?
Use wget --post-data='key=value&key2=value2' url for form data or wget --post-file=data.json url for file content. Wget has limited multipart support compared to curl — for complex uploads, curl is recommended. curl2code converts -d flags to Wget's --post-data.
How to handle errors with Wget?
Check Wget's exit codes: 0 (success), 1 (generic error), 4 (network failure), 8 (server error). Use --tries=3 for automatic retries and --waitretry=5 for backoff between retries. Wget logs errors to stderr by default. Use -o logfile for detailed logging.
How to use Wget for recursive downloads?
Use wget -r -l 3 url to download recursively up to 3 levels deep. Add -np (no parent) to stay within the directory. -k converts links for local viewing, -p downloads all page assets. For site mirroring: wget --mirror -w 2 url. This is Wget's main advantage over curl.
How to set timeouts and retries in Wget?
Connection timeout: --connect-timeout=10. Read timeout: --read-timeout=30. DNS timeout: --dns-timeout=5. Retries: --tries=3 (default is 20). Wait between retries: --waitretry=5. Wget has more robust retry logic than curl with exponential backoff built-in.
How to use a proxy with Wget?
Set via environment: export http_proxy=http://proxy:8080. Or in ~/.wgetrc: http_proxy = http://proxy:8080. Command-line: wget -e use_proxy=yes -e http_proxy=proxy:8080 url. For no-proxy exceptions: no_proxy = localhost,.internal. curl2code converts -x flags to Wget proxy config.
How to represent a POST request with JSON body in Wget?
Use curl's -X POST -d '{"key":"value"}' -H "Content-Type: application/json" and curl2code will convert it to Wget format: wget --post-data='{'key':'value'}' --header='Content-Type: application/json' url. The JSON body and Content-Type header are preserved in the output. curl2code handles both inline JSON and @file.json references.
How to include Bearer token authorization in Wget?
When you convert curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" URL with curl2code, the Bearer token is preserved in the Wget output: wget --header='Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN' url. Both -H "Authorization: Bearer ..." and OAuth token flags are detected automatically.
How is Content-Type represented in Wget format?
When converting curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" URL, curl2code outputs the Content-Type in Wget as: wget --header='Content-Type: application/json' url. Common types include application/json, application/x-www-form-urlencoded, and multipart/form-data. curl2code preserves the exact Content-Type from the original curl command.