When you use curl to download files, the default behavior is to output the file content directly to your terminal window. To save the file to your hard drive while preserving the original filename from the server, you need to use specific flags.
Sometimes, a URL doesn't end with a filename (e.g., https://example.com ). In these cases, the server often sends a Content-Disposition header that tells the browser what the filename should be. curl download file keep name
If a large download gets interrupted, add -C - to pick up where it left off: curl -C - -LOJ URL Quick Troubleshooting File outputted to terminal You forgot the -O or -o flag. Filename is "download?id=123" Use the -J flag to get the header name. Download is only 1KB Add -L to follow redirects. Permission Denied When you use curl to download files, the
💡 Always wrap your URL in double quotes ( " " ) if it contains special characters like ? or & to prevent the shell from misinterpreting the command. To help you get the exact command you need, let me know: Are you running this in a script or a one-off command ? Does the URL contain query parameters (like ?id=123 )? In these cases, the server often sends a
Many download links are actually redirects. If you run curl -O on a redirect link, you might end up downloading a small HTML file instead of the actual payload. Always include -L (or --location ) to follow redirects to the final file. curl -LOJ https://example.com Critical Tips for Success