Does `curl -v` show the complete HTTP request including the body?

Question

I thought user=user&password=password will be in the body of the request, but I can't find it. Where is it? Does -v show the complete request including the body? Thanks.

$ curl --data "user=user&password=password" -v http://google.com/
*   Trying 172.217.3.110...
* TCP_NODELAY set
* Connected to google.com (172.217.3.110) port 80 (#0)
> POST / HTTP/1.1
> Host: google.com
> User-Agent: curl/7.58.0
> Accept: */*
> Content-Length: 27
> Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
> 
* upload completely sent off: 27 out of 27 bytes
< HTTP/1.1 405 Method Not Allowed
< Allow: GET, HEAD
< Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2019 14:01:40 GMT
< Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
< Server: gws
< Content-Length: 1589
< X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block
< X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
< 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang=en>
  <meta charset=utf-8>
  <meta name=viewport content="initial-scale=1, minimum-scale=1, width=device-width">
  <title>Error 405 (Method Not Allowed)!!1</title>
  <style>
    *{margin:0;padding:0}html,code{font:15px/22px arial,sans-serif}html{background:#fff;color:#222;padding:15px}body{margin:7% auto 0;max-width:390px;min-height:180px;padding:30px 0 15px}* > body{background:url(//www.google.com/images/errors/robot.png) 100% 5px no-repeat;padding-right:205px}p{margin:11px 0 22px;overflow:hidden}ins{color:#777;text-decoration:none}a img{border:0}@media screen and (max-width:772px){body{background:none;margin-top:0;max-width:none;padding-right:0}}#logo{background:url(//www.google.com/images/branding/googlelogo/1x/googlelogo_color_150x54dp.png) no-repeat;margin-left:-5px}@media only screen and (min-resolution:192dpi){#logo{background:url(//www.google.com/images/branding/googlelogo/2x/googlelogo_color_150x54dp.png) no-repeat 0% 0%/100% 100%;-moz-border-image:url(//www.google.com/images/branding/googlelogo/2x/googlelogo_color_150x54dp.png) 0}}@media only screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio:2){#logo{background:url(//www.google.com/images/branding/googlelogo/2x/googlelogo_color_150x54dp.png) no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:100% 100%}}#logo{display:inline-block;height:54px;width:150px}
  </style>
  <a href=//www.google.com/><span id=logo aria-label=Google></span></a>
  <p><b>405.</b> <ins>That’s an error.</ins>
  <p>The request method <code>POST</code> is inappropriate for the URL <code>/</code>.  <ins>That’s all we know.</ins>
* Connection #0 to host google.com left intact

Stephen Kitt · Accepted Answer · 2019-01-30 17:53:16Z

42

The description of curl’s -v option says

-v, --verbose

Makes curl verbose during the operation. Useful for debugging and seeing what's going on "under the hood". A line starting with '>' means "header data" sent by curl, '<' means "header data" received by curl that is hidden in normal cases, and a line starting with '*' means additional info provided by curl.

If you only want HTTP headers in the output, -i, --include might be the option you're looking for.

If you think this option still doesn't give you enough details, consider using --trace or --trace-ascii instead.

So -v shows headers (in addition to the response body, which curl shows anyway), and you need --trace to see the bodies:

curl --data "user=user&password=password" --trace google.log http://google.com/

will output detailed logs in google.log.

edited Jan 30, 2019 at 17:53

answered Jan 30, 2019 at 14:12

Stephen Kitt

450k58 gold badges1.2k silver badges1.3k bronze badges

Thanks. When using curl --trace, what method(s) does the HTTP request created use? TRACE method?
– Tim
Commented Jan 30, 2019 at 17:50
--trace doesn’t change the HTTP method used, it causes curl to dump all outgoing and incoming data to a file.
– Stephen Kitt
Commented Jan 30, 2019 at 17:53
Does TRACE method do the same thing as curl --trace?
– Tim
Commented Jan 30, 2019 at 18:03
1

No, the TRACE HTTP method affects the server’s behaviour, not the client’s (curl’s). See the RFC for details. How much do you know about HTTP methods?
– Stephen Kitt
Commented Jan 30, 2019 at 18:12

Add a comment |

Nicolas Guérinet · Accepted Answer · 2022-11-16 11:12:05Z

I think you should add the following parameter to curl:

--trace-ascii -

The full CURL request would be:

curl 'https://identitytoolkit.googleapis.com/v1/accounts:signInWithCustomToken?key=fgfgkg' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' --data-binary '{"token":"[CUSTOM_TOKEN]","returnSecureToken":true}' --trace-ascii -

After the SSL handshake, this will return all the HTTP headers and the HTTP body of the request that was forged by CURL.

Thus, you can see what is really sent in the body of a POST request. At the bottom of the example below, you can see the JSON object that was sent in the HTTP body of the request. Usually, it does not appear after running a regular curl command.

0000: {"token":"[CUSTOM_TOKEN]","returnSecureToken":true}

the "-" helps to print out to the screen rather than a file. The following example below was trimmed. I didn't paste the full response to make it shorter.

    jojo@royan:~$ curl 'https://identitytoolkit.googleapis.com/v1/accounts:signInWithCustomToken?key=fgfgkg' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' --data-binary '{"token":"[CUSTOM_TOKEN]","returnSecureToken":true}' --trace-ascii -
== Info:   Trying 142.250.178.170:443...
== Info: Connected to identitytoolkit.googleapis.com (142.250.178.170) port 443 (#0)
== Info: ALPN, offering h2
== Info: ALPN, offering http/1.1
== Info: successfully set certificate verify locations:
== Info:  CAfile: /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
== Info:  CApath: /etc/ssl/certs
=> Send SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: .....
== Info: TLSv1.3 (OUT), TLS handshake, Client hello (1):
=> Send SSL data, 512 bytes (0x200)
0000: .......`7.=..F pJ}.`..<:.YD...\.1_v... .q.q2;c..nt...'T1}.A.P.+.
0040: Px..T...>.......,.0.........+./...$.(.k.#.'.g.....9.....3.....=.
0080: <.5./.....u...#.!...identitytoolkit.googleapis.com..............
00c0: ..........3t.........h2.http/1.1.........1.....*.(..............
0100: ...........................+........-.....3.&.$... .j....C7AO...
0140: .I....G...:....J^?R.............................................
0180: ................................................................
01c0: ................................................................
<= Recv SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: ....z
== Info: TLSv1.3 (IN), TLS handshake, Server hello (2):
<= Recv SSL data, 122 bytes (0x7a)
0000: ...v.....H........x.g3..$.mE.3%m...... .q.q2;c..nt...'T1}.A.P.+.
0040: Px..T........3.$... ..n4X.......1....J......1r,.5n}\.+....
<= Recv SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: .....
<= Recv SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: .....
<= Recv SSL data, 1 bytes (0x1)
0000: .
== Info: TLSv1.3 (IN), TLS handshake, Encrypted Extensions (8):
<= Recv SSL data, 15 bytes (0xf)
0000: .............h2
== Info: TLSv1.3 (IN), TLS handshake, Certificate (11):
<= Recv SSL data, 4396 bytes (0x112c)
0000: ...(...$...0...0............i...f........6V0...*.H........0F1.0.
0040: ..U....US1"0 ..U....Google Trust Services LLC1.0...U....GTS CA 1
0080: C30...211018095256Z..220110095255Z0"1 0...U....upload.video.goog
00c0: le.com0Y0...*.H.=....*.H.=....B...D.1.U.aJ......z.{C.,f....:R*..
0100: .*.R..*........+.sq....`......y......0...0...U...........0...U.%
0140: ..0...+.......0...U.......0.0...U.......a..sP...q..3/_.8...0...U
0180: .#..0....t......=...F..q5.'0j..+........^0\0'..+.....0...http:/
01c0: /ocsp.pki.goog/gts1c301..+.....0..%http://pki.goog/repo/certs/gt
0200: s1c3.der0.....U......0.....upload.video.google.com..*.clients.go
0240: ogle.com..*.docs.google.com..*.drive.google.com..*.gdata.youtube
0280: .com..*.googleapis.com..*.photos.google.com..*.youtube-3rd-party
02c0: .com..upload.google.com..*.upload.google.com..upload.youtube.com
0300: ..*.upload.youtube.com..uploads.stage.gdata.youtube.com..bg-call
0340: -donation.goog..bg-call-donation-alpha.goog..bg-call-donation-ca
0380: nary.goog..bg-call-donation-dev.goog0!..U. ..0.0...g.....0...+..
03c0: ...y...0<..U...50301./.-.+http://crls.pki.goog/gts1c3/QqFxbi9M48
0400: c.crl0.....+.....y............v.F.U.u.. 0...i..}.,At..I.....p.mG
0440: ...|..{......G0E. Qd..V.3QE...O...^.Z.h3OW...q.MAp.!....T..iY>..
0480: ...$.Q.3...n .....Ptv.u.A...."FJ...:.B.^N1.....K.h..b......|..|.
04c0: .....F0D. |.....ye..t..M..t..F.L<......... R&..M...9Y.8It..s..J
0500: ...#[-.....r0...*.H...............-.....*...?..dh ...7/;ZP..x...
0540: .-........T.O...j.d.AL.:.Cj........Q9..n.Pr9..3.....5O......C..7
0580: S.......7.yI{.lS..T..DC..q?..j~R...g3..+e!.......x......b...t.)
05c0: ... x.+a.....<+..e-...!..?e$...Y...^u.x9A......~0.....n......|.3
0600: Kh....M...I....2...............h.....0...0..~..........SYk4....P
0640: f0...*.H........0G1.0...U....US1"0 ..U....Google Trust Services
0680: LLC1.0...U....GTS Root R10...200813000042Z..270930000042Z0F1.0..
06c0: .U....US1"0 ..U....Google Trust Services LLC1.0...U....GTS CA 1C
0700: 30.."0...*.H.............0............b..7.7B.l...e.%...k..m.Z#
0740: .........|....B.^V$.z3....i..t.WLfh.w7US.9.M.4._%w7;...<......C.
0780: ..G..D.c..A..A0H......E.!..B...+eV4.&....}....H|7M?.....u..yW\.W
07c0: n.........%..,...*....c.<PI...._.+Y.....Q..w....O.pI.\m .......
0800: w.-...k....+........'....Q.................0..|0...U...........0
0840: ...U.%..0...+.........+.......0...U.......0.......0...U.......t
0880: ......=...F..q5.'0...U.#..0.....+&q.+H'./Rf,....q>0h..+........\
08c0: 0Z0&..+.....0...http://ocsp.pki.goog/gtsr100..+.....0..$http://p
0900: ki.goog/repo/certs/gtsr1.der04..U...-0+0).'.%.#http://crl.pki.go
0940: og/gtsr1/gtsr1.crl0W..U. .P0N08..+.....y...0*0(..+.........https
0980: ://pki.goog/repository/0...g.....0...g.....0...*.H..............
09c0: }. \.<[email protected]...$..Pq"...n..jo......_.l.......
0a00: b....[.f.........i>z.FI_F.A...Me4...?O.lI..SA..!.....D[*P..M.S6
0a40: .B..T..wS.d8'...X..|9-[..........S$....y.&.a.SR.B..f+?..........
0a80: .q.5($.....-.H.=Y.Q.t..|...[..4..........."....q....s$.7S...?..\
0ac0: .6..;.)...:b;lc...Yq.c'.L....s..*....l2.3...Qq.4...].QX......Y.q
0b00: ..M(..m......F...k.w.....#.........D..u#.4.. ..^...RF.....!pQ...
0b40: ..U.+.3w.KB..w..s.....7?..*f.s.2.2l2....#.[}Mep.+.=...m.2.....c.
0b80: ..]...q^*..."..e:...e.....[.Y.G.-.$:...&....7..o....Q......Q...
0bc0: ...f0..b0..J.......w..l.6...!...X..0...*.H........0W1.0...U....B
0c00: E1.0...U....GlobalSign nv-sa1.0...U....Root CA1.0...U....GlobalS
0c40: ign Root CA0...200619000042Z..280128000042Z0G1.0...U....US1"0 ..
0c80: U....Google Trust Services LLC1.0...U....GTS Root R10.."0...*.H.
0cc0: ............0...............w.;...>...@<....}2..q.......j.....K
0d00: .+...................^..R..#'....c...~..^.h...ZG.M.3.N.....lK...
0d40: ...d)%#....=.`.......H.M..z.....Y........1.......ml....~&.E.=.y.
0d80: .(..&......<h.S..:.+.....z..u....Vd..Oh.=......@..\....5l..P..
0dc0: L... .3.R..2.).%*.H.r..d...........8f..c...x.{\w.v......y.W..&..
0e00: ............U.....K)...2%N*.eD.....I...|..@{.C..l..}...L......K.
0e40: ....E.v..@+.S....;......1..w.o{>...".....2..c.Qr.]....)h3.:f...&
0e80: ...Wex'.^I......!............lH<@.~.Z.V<.....K.9K..?.U.n$..q...
0ec0: .......A...=:..z.7...........80..40...U...........0...U.......0.
0f00: ...0...U........+&q.+H'./Rf,....q>0...U.#..0...`{f.E....P/}..4..
0f40: ..K0`..+........T0R0%..+.....0...http://ocsp.pki.goog/gsr10)..+.
0f80: ....0...http://pki.goog/gsr1/gsr1.crt02..U...+0)0'.%.#.!http://c
0fc0: rl.pki.goog/gsr1/gsr1.crl0;..U. .4020...g.....0...g.....0...+...
1000: ..y....0...+.....y....0...*.H.............4...(...v..1z!..R>..t.
1040: A..=5......\_...|......W.&o[..Fh.7okz...7.%Q..h...I.Z...#...+...
1080: ..Ij.u.......XHW.5.....o..o.......*..Ni..-.h..+s....".7..f.I..U.
10c0: g.2..&.p.=.gm=|.4..2..n.jo.....K.;..7..D.~.l..F.....!.f...Ul.)..
1100: .f[.wIH(....3rS..5.b..$...9..~*A.R.......?..
== Info: TLSv1.3 (IN), TLS handshake, CERT verify (15):
<= Recv SSL data, 79 bytes (0x4f)
0000: ...K...G0E.!........IIE.[......j .......2q.... {F=.0...........)
0040: ..n(.x.......&.
== Info: TLSv1.3 (IN), TLS handshake, Finished (20):
<= Recv SSL data, 52 bytes (0x34)
0000: ...0...Z.....n.Z;...Q.PZ}%-N.Kn.....X....Wt....L...
=> Send SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: .....
== Info: TLSv1.3 (OUT), TLS change cipher, Change cipher spec (1):
=> Send SSL data, 1 bytes (0x1)
0000: .
=> Send SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: ....E
=> Send SSL data, 1 bytes (0x1)
0000: .
== Info: TLSv1.3 (OUT), TLS handshake, Finished (20):
=> Send SSL data, 52 bytes (0x34)
0000: ...0Io#r...a......i6....d'..K.Br=.....B.k.B.......@.
== Info: SSL connection using TLSv1.3 / TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384
== Info: ALPN, server accepted to use h2
== Info: Server certificate:
== Info:  subject: CN=upload.video.google.com
== Info:  start date: Oct 18 09:52:56 2021 GMT
== Info:  expire date: Jan 10 09:52:55 2022 GMT
== Info:  subjectAltName: host "identitytoolkit.googleapis.com" matched cert's "*.googleapis.com"
== Info:  issuer: C=US; O=Google Trust Services LLC; CN=GTS CA 1C3
== Info:  SSL certificate verify ok.
== Info: Using HTTP2, server supports multi-use
== Info: Connection state changed (HTTP/2 confirmed)
== Info: Copying HTTP/2 data in stream buffer to connection buffer after upgrade: len=0
=> Send SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: ....)
=> Send SSL data, 1 bytes (0x1)
0000: .
=> Send SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: ....,
=> Send SSL data, 1 bytes (0x1)
0000: .
=> Send SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: .....
=> Send SSL data, 1 bytes (0x1)
0000: .
== Info: Using Stream ID: 1 (easy handle 0x7fffd59e9560)
=> Send SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: ....x
=> Send SSL data, 1 bytes (0x1)
0000: .
=> Send header, 189 bytes (0xbd)
0000: POST /v1/accounts:signInWithCustomToken?key=fgfgkg HTTP/2
003b: Host: identitytoolkit.googleapis.com
0061: user-agent: curl/7.74.0
007a: accept: */*
0087: content-type: application/json
00a7: content-length: 51
00bb:
=> Send SSL data, 5 bytes (0x5)
0000: ....M
=> Send SSL data, 1 bytes (0x1)
0000: .
=> Send data, 51 bytes (0x33)
0000: {"token":"[CUSTOM_TOKEN]","returnSecureToken":true}
== Info: We are completely uploaded and fine

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