All Modules / Module 10 / Lesson 5 of 6

Research helpers

4 minute read

Download Anything with curl

curl downloads files from the internet. No browser needed.

Download a File

1

Download and save with original name:

curl -O https://example.com/file.pdf

-O (capital O) saves with the original filename from the URL.

2

Download and rename:

curl -o myfile.pdf https://example.com/file.pdf

-o (lowercase o) lets you specify your own filename.

Why Use curl Over a Browser?

  • Download multiple files in a loop
  • Resume interrupted downloads
  • Script automated downloads
  • No clicking through "Save As" dialogs

Key Takeaway

curl -O url downloads files. It's faster and more flexible than a browser for bulk downloads.