# cURL: POST JSON Data Correctly

> Fix a 415 Unsupported Media Type error by setting the Content-Type application/json header explicitly when sending JSON data with cURL

**URL:** https://sentry.io/answers/post-json-data-using-curl/

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## The Problem

How do I send a POST request containing JSON data using [cURL](https://curl.se/)?

I have tried the following request:

```sh
curl -X POST \
  -d '{"user_id": 1, "verified": true}' \
  https://example.com/api/method
```

However, this returns an HTTP [`415 Unsupported Media Type`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Status/415) error.

## The Solution

Most web endpoints that accept JSON data will expect to receive requests with the `Content-Type: application/json` header. By default, cURL adds the header `Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded` when data is provided with a request. Therefore, we need to manually specify this header in our cURL request using the `-H/--header` flag:

```sh
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"user_id": 1, "verified": true}' \
  https://example.com/api/method
```

More information about cURL can be found by perusing its manual page, which is accessible on [the cURL website](https://curl.se/docs/manpage.html) or through the command `man curl`.

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*Source: [sentry.io/answers/post-json-data-using-curl/](https://sentry.io/answers/post-json-data-using-curl/)*