How to send cURL request using HTTP Client in Laravel

When developing an application, you will at some point need to send cURL requests.

In Laravel, you can send a cURL request either using the default PHP way or using the Guzzle HTTP client package.

In this article, I show how you can easily send cURL request with less code using the HTTP client and read the return response in Laravel.

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Contents

1. Install Guzzle HTTP client
2. Create API
3. Send GET request
4. Send POST request
5. Send request with Header
6. Conclusion

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1. Install Guzzle HTTP client

Using composer to install the package –

composer require guzzlehttp/guzzle

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2. Create API

For example purpose, I have created api.php file to handle cURL request.

Returning JSON response based on GET or POST request –

• If $request == 1 means it is GET type then store name and city in $response Array and return in JSON format.
• If $request == 2 means it is POST type then read POST data and assign them to the $response Array and return in JSON format.

Completed Code

<?php

$request = 0;
if(isset($_GET['request'])){
    $request = $_GET['request'];
}

// GET request
if($request == 1){
    $response = array();

    $response['name'] = "Rohit singh";
    $response['city'] = "Indore";

    echo json_encode($response);
    die;
}

// POST request
if($request == 2){
    // Read POST data
    $data = json_decode(file_get_contents("php://input"));

    $name = $data->name;
    $city = $data->city;

    $response['name'] = $name;
    $response['city'] = $city;

    echo json_encode($response);
    die;
}

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3. Send GET request

Syntax –

$response = Http::get([ URL ]);

• Open a controller where you want to write cURL request.
• In the example, I am using PagesController.
• Include use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;.
• Creating getrequest() method.

Send request –

• Specify request URL in $apiURL.
• Pass $apiURL in Http::get() –

$response = Http::get($apiURL);

Read response –

• HTTP request returns instance of Response.
• Using the Response instance read status, ok, successful, failed, body, object, and json.
• I am reading response data in Object format and assign to the variables.

Completed Code

<?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;

class PagesController extends Controller {

    public function getrequest(){

       $apiURL = 'http://localhost/apis/request.php?request=1';

       $response = Http::get($apiURL);

       // Read response
       $data['status'] = $response->status();
       $data['ok'] = $response->ok();
       $data['successful'] = $response->successful();
       $data['failed'] = $response->failed();
       $data['body'] = $response->body();
       $data['object'] = $response->object();
       $data['json'] = $response->json();

       dd($data);

       // Read Object response
       if($response->ok()){
           $resdata = $response->object();

           $name = $resdata->name;
           $city = $resdata->city;
       }
    }

}

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Output –

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4. Send POST request

Syntax –

$response = Http::post([ URL ], [ 
              // Data
            ]);

• I am using the same PagesController to send POST cURL request.
• Include use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;.
• Create postrequest() method.

Send request –

• Pass $apiURL in Http::post() and sending name and city as data.

$response = Http::post($apiURL, [
     'name' => 'Yogesh singh',
     'city' => 'Bhopal'
]);

Read response –

• Reading step is the same as GET request response.
• I am reading the response in JSON instead of Object and assign to the variables.

Completed Code

<?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;

class PagesController extends Controller {

    public function postrequest(){ 

       $apiURL = 'http://localhost/apis/request.php?request=2';

       $response = Http::post($apiURL, [
          'name' => 'Yogesh singh',
          'city' => 'Bhopal'
       ]);

       // Read response
       $data['status'] = $response->status();
       $data['ok'] = $response->ok();
       $data['successful'] = $response->successful();
       $data['failed'] = $response->failed();
       $data['body'] = $response->body();
       $data['object'] = $response->object();
       $data['json'] = $response->json();

       dd($data);

       // Read JSON response
       if($response->ok()){
           $resdata = $response->json();

           $name = $resdata['name'];
           $city = $resdata['city'];
       }
    }
}

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Output –

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5. Send request with Header

Using the same POST request code and add header using withHeaders() method.

I have specified 2 headers – Content-Type and Accept.

Completed Code

public function postrequest(){ 

    $apiURL = 'http://localhost/apis/request.php?request=2';

    $response = Http::withHeaders([
        'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
        'Accept' => 'application/json'
    ])->post($apiURL, [
        'name' => 'Yogesh singh',
        'city' => 'Bhopal'
    ]);

    // Read response
    $data['status'] = $response->status();
    $data['ok'] = $response->ok();
    $data['successful'] = $response->successful();
    $data['failed'] = $response->failed();
    $data['body'] = $response->body();
    $data['object'] = $response->object();
    $data['json'] = $response->json();

    dd($data);

    // Read JSON response
    if($response->ok()){
        $resdata = $response->json();

        $name = $resdata['name'];
        $city = $resdata['city'];
    }
}

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6. Conclusion

I hope you now have an understanding of the Guzzle HTTP client package in Laravel and how you can use it to send cURL requests in your application.

If you are interested in learning more about HTTP Client, you can follow this link.

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