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For a single cURL request, pass the proxy with --proxy (or -x): curl --proxy http://proxy.example:8080 https://example.com/. For GNU Wget, set http_proxy and https_proxy in the process environment, then run Wget. Use NO_PROXY/no_proxy for exceptions, client-specific options for authentication, and verbose output to diagnose routing.
The examples below use the reserved hostname proxy.example; replace it with the host, port, scheme and credentials supplied by your proxy administrator.
Choose the proxy form before writing a command
A proxy URL normally includes a scheme, host and port, for example http://proxy.example:8080. Confirm which of these the operator means:
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- HTTPS-to-proxy: the connection from your client to the proxy itself is protected with TLS. This is a different endpoint scheme and must be explicitly supported by the proxy and client build.
- SOCKS: a separate protocol family. cURL documents several SOCKS schemes; the GNU Wget proxy chapter cited here documents HTTP and FTP proxy settings, not cURL-style SOCKS syntax.
The destination protocol and the proxy protocol are therefore not necessarily the same. An https:// destination can legitimately use an http:// proxy URL.
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Use a proxy with cURL for one request
Explicit HTTP proxy
curl --proxy http://proxy.example:8080 https://example.com/The short spelling is:
curl -x http://proxy.example:8080 https://example.com/If you omit the scheme in a cURL proxy argument, cURL treats it as HTTP. The explicit --proxy option takes precedence over proxy environment variables for that invocation, which makes it useful for testing or for a one-off destination.
Send a different request through the same proxy
curl --proxy http://proxy.example:8080
--get 'https://example.com/search'
--data-urlencode 'q=proxy test'Proxying changes how cURL reaches the server; it does not change the destination URL. Keep normal TLS verification enabled unless your organization’s documented trust configuration requires something else.
Set cURL proxy environment variables
Environment variables are convenient when several commands in one process should use the same proxy:
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export https_proxy="http://proxy.example:8080"
curl https://example.com/cURL has an important case rule: http_proxy must be lowercase. The other protocol-specific variables may be uppercase, and cURL also recognizes ALL_PROXY as a fallback. A protocol-specific setting takes precedence over ALL_PROXY. Do not replace http_proxy with uppercase HTTP_PROXY; cURL avoids that name because CGI servers can construct it from an incoming HTTP_ header, allowing a request-derived value to control outbound traffic.
For a single POSIX-shell command, assign the variable immediately before the command:
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https_proxy="http://proxy.example:8080" curl https://example.com/This assignment syntax is for POSIX-style shells. Windows PowerShell, Windows Command Prompt and service managers have different environment-setting syntax.
Configure Wget with environment variables
GNU Wget’s usual setup is environment-based. Set the variable matching the destination protocol:
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export http_proxy="http://proxy.example:8080"
export https_proxy="http://proxy.example:8080"
wget https://example.com/A one-command POSIX example is:
https_proxy="http://proxy.example:8080" wget https://example.com/Wget also documents ftp_proxy for FTP retrievals. The proxy URL can still be HTTP when the requested destination is HTTPS; the proxy must support the required tunnel behavior.
Persist Wget settings in .wgetrc
GNU Wget supports startup-file entries such as:
http_proxy = http://proxy.example:8080
https_proxy = http://proxy.example:8080
ftp_proxy = http://proxy.example:8080
no_proxy = localhost,127.0.0.1,.internal.exampleStore this file only where its permissions and contents are appropriate for your system. A startup file containing credentials can expose them to other users or backup systems.
Bypass the proxy for selected hosts
cURL exclusions
For one request, use --noproxy:
curl --noproxy example.com https://example.com/For a reusable list, set comma-separated entries in NO_PROXY:
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export NO_PROXY="localhost,127.0.0.1,.internal.example"
curl https://public.example/A leading dot can match a domain and its subdomains. Exact hostnames can be listed, and * matches all hosts. cURL documents CIDR network exclusions in versions since 7.86.0; check your installed version before relying on that behavior.
Wget exclusions
Wget uses lowercase no_proxy:
export no_proxy="localhost,127.0.0.1,.internal.example"
wget https://public.example/For a single invocation, Wget provides --no-proxy. If a request unexpectedly avoids the proxy, inspect both the inherited bypass list and any per-command option before changing the proxy URL.
Authenticate to a proxy safely
cURL proxy credentials
cURL keeps proxy authentication separate from destination-server authentication. Use --proxy-user (short form -U):
curl --proxy http://proxy.example:8080
--proxy-user 'username:password'
https://example.com/The command is syntax only; do not paste a real secret into shared history or documentation. cURL supports proxy-specific authentication choices documented by the installed build, including Basic, Digest, Negotiate and NTLM options. Credentials placed directly on a command line can briefly be visible through process listings. Prefer a protected file, secret manager or organization-approved prompt mechanism.
Wget proxy credentials
Wget documents --proxy-user and --proxy-password, plus corresponding .wgetrc settings. Its documented proxy authorization implements Basic authentication. Whether an enterprise proxy instead requires integrated authentication depends on the proxy and the Wget build, so confirm the accepted method with the operator rather than assuming that a username and password in the URL will work.
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Use SOCKS with cURL
cURL supports SOCKS URL schemes including socks4://, socks4a://, socks5:// and socks5h://. You can also use an option such as:
curl --socks5 socks.example:1080 https://example.com/With --socks5, cURL resolves the destination hostname locally. Choose the hostname-resolving SOCKS variant when DNS resolution must occur at the proxy, for example with a socks5h:// URL where supported. Exact behavior and available schemes depend on the installed cURL version and build.
cURL also documents --preproxy for placing a SOCKS proxy before an HTTP or HTTPS proxy. That chained arrangement is specialized; use a single proxy unless your network design specifically requires chaining. The Wget proxy documentation used for this guide does not establish equivalent SOCKS syntax, so do not copy cURL SOCKS flags into Wget commands.
Understand precedence when settings conflict
| Client | Proxy settings | Bypass | Practical rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| cURL | http_proxy, protocol-specific proxy variables, ALL_PROXY, or --proxy |
NO_PROXY or --noproxy |
--proxy overrides environment proxy settings; protocol-specific variables take precedence over ALL_PROXY. |
| GNU Wget | http_proxy, https_proxy, ftp_proxy, environment or .wgetrc |
no_proxy or --no-proxy |
Use lowercase names as documented and check whether a startup file is supplying another value. |
When debugging, inspect the environment in the same shell, container, service unit or CI step that launches the client. A variable set in your interactive terminal is not automatically present in a separately started service.
Troubleshoot a failed proxied request
- Verify endpoint details. Confirm the proxy hostname, port, scheme and whether it expects HTTP proxying, TLS to the proxy or SOCKS. A correct destination URL cannot compensate for a wrong proxy protocol.
- Check variable spelling and case. cURL requires lowercase
http_proxy; Wget’s documented names are lowercase. Print the relevant variable without revealing embedded passwords. - Find overrides. Look for cURL’s
--proxy, Wget’s--no-proxy, cURL’s--noproxy, andNO_PROXY/no_proxyentries that match the destination. - Validate authentication. Ask which scheme the proxy accepts. cURL and Wget do not expose identical authentication controls, and Wget’s documented proxy authorization is Basic.
- Inspect cURL traffic. Add
-vto see connection and proxy-request details:curl -v --proxy http://proxy.example:8080 https://example.com/Review verbose output before sharing it; URLs, headers or authentication data may be sensitive.
- Check versions and builds. The online cURL manual can describe options absent from an older binary or unavailable with a particular TLS backend. Check
curl --versionand the installed Wget manual when a specialized option fails. - Separate proxy errors from destination errors. A refused proxy connection, an authentication challenge, a DNS failure, a TLS certificate problem and an HTTP error from the destination are different failure stages. Record the stage and the exact client message for the proxy operator.
Performance, reliability and security considerations
- Latency: every request may add a connection hop. Reusing one process and its connections can be faster than starting a new process for each URL, but the proxy’s capacity and policy remain the limiting factors.
- Timeouts: a slow proxy, blocked destination or stalled tunnel can look like a hung download. Set client-appropriate timeouts in automation and distinguish a timeout from a successful empty response.
- DNS location: HTTP proxying and SOCKS variants differ in where names are resolved. This affects split-horizon DNS, internal hostnames and privacy expectations.
- TLS trust: HTTPS to the destination is still authenticated by cURL or Wget according to their CA configuration. Do not disable certificate verification merely because a proxy is involved.
- Secrets: avoid proxy passwords in URLs, shell history, process arguments, CI logs and world-readable
.wgetrcfiles. Use the secret-storage method required by your platform. - Logging: proxy administrators may see destination hostnames and request metadata. Treat a proxy as a network intermediary, not as a guarantee of anonymity.
Or skip the browser setup
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open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
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Which client should you use?
| Need | Better fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| One controlled request | cURL | --proxy makes routing explicit and easy to override. |
| Repeated downloads in a shell or scheduled job | Wget | Environment variables and .wgetrc provide reusable defaults. |
| SOCKS or advanced proxy authentication | cURL | Its documented SOCKS schemes and proxy-specific authentication options are broader than the Wget proxy chapter cited here. |
| Simple HTTP/HTTPS proxy retrieval | Either | Choose based on the surrounding script, credential policy and installed version. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a proxy URL have to use https when the destination URL uses https?
No. An HTTPS destination commonly uses an HTTP proxy that creates a tunnel. The proxy operator must confirm the endpoint scheme and port.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhy does cURL ignore my HTTP_PROXY variable?
cURL intentionally requires the http_proxy variable in lowercase to avoid treating CGI-derived HTTP_PROXY values as trusted configuration.
Can I assume Wget supports the same SOCKS options as cURL?
No. The GNU Wget proxy documentation cited here covers HTTP and FTP proxy settings; verify SOCKS support in the manual for your installed Wget build.
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