> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.exchangeratesapi.com.au/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# cURL Examples

> Command-line examples and shell scripts for the Exchange Rates API using cURL

## Quick Examples

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Basic Request theme={null}
  curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here" \
       https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/latest
  ```

  ```bash With Headers theme={null}
  curl -v -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here" \
       -H "User-Agent: MyApp/1.0" \
       https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/latest
  ```

  ```bash Status Check theme={null}
  curl https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/status
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Warning>
  The official cURL SDK/wrapper is coming soon! For now, use the native cURL examples below or create your own shell scripts.
</Warning>

## Authentication

### Bearer Token

```bash theme={null}
# Set your API key as an environment variable
export EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY="buderim_your_api_key_here"

# Use in requests
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY" \
     https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/latest
```

### Response Format

```json theme={null}
{
  "success": true,
  "timestamp": 1725148800,
  "base": "AUD",
  "date": "2025-09-01",
  "rates": {
    "USD": 0.643512,
    "EUR": 0.582341,
    "GBP": 0.492847
  }
}
```

## Endpoints

### Latest Rates

```bash theme={null}
# All currencies
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY" \
     https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/latest

# Specific currency
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY" \
     https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/latest/USD
```

### Currency Conversion

```bash theme={null}
# Convert AUD to USD
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY" \
     "https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/convert?from=AUD&to=USD&amount=100"

# Historical conversion
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY" \
     "https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/convert?from=AUD&to=USD&amount=100&date=2024-01-01"
```

### Historical Rates

```bash theme={null}
# All currencies for specific date
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY" \
     https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/2024-01-01

# Specific currency for specific date
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY" \
     https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/2024-01-01/USD
```

### Time Series Data

```bash theme={null}
# All currencies over date range
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY" \
     "https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/timeseries?start_date=2024-01-01&end_date=2024-01-31"

# Specific currencies
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY" \
     "https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/timeseries?start_date=2024-01-01&end_date=2024-01-31&symbols=USD,EUR,GBP"
```

## Shell Scripts

### Rate Checker Script

```bash theme={null}
#!/bin/bash
# rate-checker.sh - Check current exchange rates

set -e

API_KEY="${EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY:-}"
BASE_URL="https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au"

if [ -z "$API_KEY" ]; then
    echo "Error: EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY environment variable not set"
    exit 1
fi

# Function to make API requests
make_request() {
    local endpoint="$1"
    curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
         -H "User-Agent: RateChecker/1.0" \
         "$BASE_URL$endpoint"
}

# Check API status
echo "Checking API status..."
status_response=$(make_request "/status")
echo "$status_response" | jq -r '.status // "unknown"'

# Get latest rates
echo -e "\nFetching latest rates..."
rates_response=$(make_request "/latest")

if echo "$rates_response" | jq -e '.success' > /dev/null; then
    echo "Base currency: $(echo "$rates_response" | jq -r '.base')"
    echo "Date: $(echo "$rates_response" | jq -r '.date')"
    echo -e "\nMajor currencies:"
    
    for currency in USD EUR GBP JPY; do
        rate=$(echo "$rates_response" | jq -r ".rates.$currency")
        printf "  %-3s: %s\n" "$currency" "$rate"
    done
else
    echo "Error: $(echo "$rates_response" | jq -r '.error.info')"
    exit 1
fi
```

### Currency Converter Script

```bash theme={null}
#!/bin/bash
# converter.sh - Convert between currencies

set -e

API_KEY="${EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY:-}"
BASE_URL="https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au"

if [ "$#" -ne 3 ]; then
    echo "Usage: $0 <from_currency> <to_currency> <amount>"
    echo "Example: $0 AUD USD 100"
    exit 1
fi

FROM_CURRENCY="$1"
TO_CURRENCY="$2"
AMOUNT="$3"

if [ -z "$API_KEY" ]; then
    echo "Error: EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY environment variable not set"
    exit 1
fi

# Validate amount is numeric
if ! [[ "$AMOUNT" =~ ^[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)?$ ]]; then
    echo "Error: Amount must be a number"
    exit 1
fi

# Make conversion request
response=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
               -H "User-Agent: CurrencyConverter/1.0" \
               "$BASE_URL/convert?from=$FROM_CURRENCY&to=$TO_CURRENCY&amount=$AMOUNT")

if echo "$response" | jq -e '.success' > /dev/null; then
    result=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.result')
    rate=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.info.rate')
    date=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.date')
    
    echo "Conversion Result:"
    echo "  $AMOUNT $FROM_CURRENCY = $result $TO_CURRENCY"
    echo "  Exchange Rate: $rate (as of $date)"
else
    error_info=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.error.info')
    echo "Error: $error_info"
    exit 1
fi
```

### Daily Rate Logger

```bash theme={null}
#!/bin/bash
# daily-logger.sh - Log daily exchange rates to CSV

set -e

API_KEY="${EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY:-}"
BASE_URL="https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au"
LOG_FILE="${1:-exchange_rates.csv}"

if [ -z "$API_KEY" ]; then
    echo "Error: EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY environment variable not set"
    exit 1
fi

# Create CSV header if file doesn't exist
if [ ! -f "$LOG_FILE" ]; then
    echo "Date,USD,EUR,GBP,JPY,CNY,Timestamp" > "$LOG_FILE"
fi

# Fetch latest rates
response=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
               -H "User-Agent: DailyLogger/1.0" \
               "$BASE_URL/latest")

if echo "$response" | jq -e '.success' > /dev/null; then
    date=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.date')
    timestamp=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.timestamp')
    usd=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.rates.USD')
    eur=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.rates.EUR')
    gbp=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.rates.GBP')
    jpy=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.rates.JPY')
    cny=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.rates.CNY')
    
    # Append to CSV
    echo "$date,$usd,$eur,$gbp,$jpy,$cny,$timestamp" >> "$LOG_FILE"
    echo "Logged rates for $date to $LOG_FILE"
else
    error_info=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.error.info')
    echo "Error: $error_info"
    exit 1
fi
```

## Error Handling

### Check Response Status

```bash theme={null}
# Function to check if response is successful
check_response() {
    local response="$1"
    
    if echo "$response" | jq -e '.success' > /dev/null; then
        return 0  # Success
    else
        local error_code=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.error.code // 0')
        local error_info=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.error.info // "Unknown error"')
        echo "API Error $error_code: $error_info" >&2
        return 1  # Failure
    fi
}

# Usage
response=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
               "$BASE_URL/latest")

if check_response "$response"; then
    echo "Request successful!"
    # Process response...
else
    echo "Request failed"
    exit 1
fi
```

### Rate Limit Headers

```bash theme={null}
# Check rate limit headers
check_rate_limits() {
    curl -i -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
         "$BASE_URL/latest" | head -20
}

# Extract specific headers
get_remaining_requests() {
    curl -s -I -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
         "$BASE_URL/latest" | \
    grep -i "x-ratelimit-remaining-daily" | \
    cut -d: -f2 | tr -d ' \r'
}

echo "Remaining requests today: $(get_remaining_requests)"
```

## Advanced Usage

### Batch Processing

```bash theme={null}
#!/bin/bash
# batch-historical.sh - Get historical rates for multiple dates

API_KEY="${EXCHANGE_RATES_API_KEY:-}"
BASE_URL="https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au"

# Array of dates to fetch
dates=(
    "2024-01-01"
    "2024-01-15"
    "2024-01-31"
)

currencies=("USD" "EUR" "GBP")

echo "Date,Currency,Rate"

for date in "${dates[@]}"; do
    response=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
                   "$BASE_URL/$date")
    
    if echo "$response" | jq -e '.success' > /dev/null; then
        for currency in "${currencies[@]}"; do
            rate=$(echo "$response" | jq -r ".rates.$currency")
            echo "$date,$currency,$rate"
        done
    else
        echo "Error fetching $date: $(echo "$response" | jq -r '.error.info')" >&2
    fi
    
    # Be nice to the API
    sleep 0.1
done
```

### JSON Processing

```bash theme={null}
# Pretty print JSON response
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
     https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/latest | jq '.'

# Extract specific values
USD_RATE=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
               https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/latest | \
           jq -r '.rates.USD')

echo "Current USD rate: $USD_RATE"

# Filter currencies
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
     https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/latest | \
jq '{date: .date, major_currencies: {USD: .rates.USD, EUR: .rates.EUR, GBP: .rates.GBP}}'
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Python SDK" icon="python" href="/sdks/python">
    Python examples and best practices
  </Card>

  <Card title="PHP SDK" icon="php" href="/sdks/php">
    PHP examples and Laravel integration
  </Card>

  <Card title="JavaScript SDK" icon="js" href="/sdks/javascript">
    JavaScript/Node.js examples and React hooks
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="book" href="/api-reference">
    Complete API documentation
  </Card>
</CardGroup>