How to send a GET request with PHP cURL

GET requests are the baseline PHP cURL call for reading an API resource without sending a request body. Build the URL with its query string, keep the response in PHP with CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, and check the HTTP status separately from transport errors before using the body.

curl_exec() reports whether the cURL transfer itself ran. An HTTP error response such as 404 or 500 is still a completed transfer, so use curl_getinfo() to read the response code after the request finishes.

A local PHP built-in server on 127.0.0.1 gives the request a disposable endpoint before the same pattern is pointed at a real API. Use an https:// API URL for production requests, keep certificate verification enabled, and add authentication headers only when the target endpoint requires them.

1. Confirm that the PHP cURL extension is loaded in the runtime that will run the script.

   $ php -r 'var_export(extension_loaded("curl")); echo PHP_EOL;'
   true

   Install or enable the platform cURL extension package, such as php-curl on Debian or Ubuntu systems, when this command prints false.

2. Create a local endpoint that returns the request method and query value as JSON.

   weather-api.php

   <?php
   header('Content-Type: application/json');
    
   $city = $_GET['city'] ?? 'unknown';
    
   echo json_encode([
       'method' => $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'],
       'city' => $city,
       'forecast' => 'rain expected',
   ], JSON_PRETTY_PRINT | JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES) . PHP_EOL;

3. Start the local endpoint in a second terminal while testing the client script.

   $ php -S 127.0.0.1:8080 weather-api.php

   Stop the built-in server with Ctrl+C after the request test is complete.

4. Create the PHP cURL GET client script.

   get-weather.php

   <?php
   $city = $argv[1] ?? 'Kuala Lumpur';
   $query = http_build_query(['city' => $city]);
   $url = 'http://127.0.0.1:8080/weather?' . $query;
    
   $curl = curl_init($url);
   if ($curl === false) {
       fwrite(STDERR, 'Could not initialize cURL' . PHP_EOL);
       exit(1);
   }
    
   curl_setopt_array($curl, [
       CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
       CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
           'Accept: application/json',
       ],
       CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10,
   ]);
    
   $response = curl_exec($curl);
   if ($response === false) {
       fwrite(STDERR, 'cURL error: ' . curl_error($curl) . PHP_EOL);
       exit(1);
   }
    
   $httpCode = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_RESPONSE_CODE);
    
   echo "HTTP status: {$httpCode}" . PHP_EOL;
   echo $response;
    
   if ($httpCode < 200 || $httpCode >= 300) {
       exit(1);
   }

   http_build_query() encodes the query string before it is appended to the URL. A new cURL handle sends a GET request when the URL is set and no request-body options such as CURLOPT_POST or CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS are enabled.

5. Run the client script and confirm the endpoint received a GET request.

   $ php get-weather.php
   HTTP status: 200
   {
       "method": "GET",
       "city": "Kuala Lumpur",
       "forecast": "rain expected"
   }

   A 2xx status plus the expected response body shows that PHP captured the response instead of printing it before the status check.

6. Replace the local URL with the target API endpoint after the local request works.

   Do not put secrets in a GET query string. Query strings can appear in browser history, web server logs, proxy logs, monitoring tools, and copied support transcripts.

   Related: How to configure SSL verification in PHP cURL
   Related: How to use basic authentication with PHP cURL
   Related: How to use a bearer token with PHP cURL