Using cURL with AEM using-curl-with-aem
Administrators often need to automate or simplify common tasks within any system. In AEM for example, managing users, installing packages, and managing OSGi bundles are tasks that must be commonly done.
Because of the RESTful nature of the Sling framework upon which AEM is built, most tasks can be done with a URL call. cURL can be used to execute such URL calls and can be a useful tool for AEM administrators.
What is cURL what-is-curl
cURL is an open-source command-line tool used to perform URL manipulations. It supports a wide range of internet protocols including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, TFTP, LDAP, DAP, DICT, TELNET, FILE, IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and RTSP.
cURL is a well-established and widely-used tool for getting or sending data using the URL syntax and was originally released in 1997. The name cURL originally meant “see URL.”
Because of the RESTful nature of the Sling framework upon which AEM is built, most tasks can be reduced to a URL call, which can be executed with cURL. Content manipulation tasks such as activating pages, and starting workflows and operational tasks such as package management and managing users can be automated using cURL. In addition you can create your own cURL commands for most tasks in AEM.
Downloading cURL downloading-curl
cURL is a standard part of macOS and some Linux distros. However it is avaialble for most every operating system. The latest downloads can be found at https://curl.haxx.se/download.html.
cURL’s source repository can be found on GitHub as well.
Building a cURL-Ready AEM Command building-a-curl-ready-aem-command
cURL commands can be built for most operations in AEM such as triggering workflows, checking OSGi configurations, triggering JMX commands, creating replication agents, and much more.
To find the exact command you need for your particular operation, you need to use the developer tools in your browser to capture the POST call to the server when you execute the AEM command.
The following steps describe how to do this using the creation of a new page within the Chrome browser as an example.
-
Prepare the action you wish to invoke within AEM. In this case, we have proceded to the end of the Create Page wizard, but have not yet clicked Create.
-
Start the developer tools and select the Network tab. Click the Preserve log option before clearing the console.
-
Click Create in the Create Page wizard to actually create the workflow.
-
Right-click the resulting POST action and select Copy > Copy as cURL.
-
Copy the cURL command to a text editor and remove all headers from the command, which start with
-H(highligted in blue in the image below) and add the proper authentication parameter such as-u <user>:<password>.
-
Execute the cURL command via the command line and view the response.
Common Operational AEM cURL Commands common-operational-aem-curl-commands
Here is a list of AEM cURL commands for common administrative and operational tasks.
localhost on port 4502 and uses the user admin with password admin. Additional command placeholders are set in angle brackets.Package Management package-management
List All Installed Packages
curl -u <user>:<password> http://<host>:<port>/crx/packmgr/service.jsp?cmd=ls
Create a Package create-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/.json/etc/packages/mycontent.zip?cmd=create -d packageName=<name> -d groupName=<name>
Preview a Package preview-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/.json/etc/packages/mycontent.zip?cmd=preview
List Package Content list-package-content
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/console.html/etc/packages/mycontent.zip?cmd=contents
Build a Package build-a-package
curl -X POST http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/.json/etc/packages/mycontent.zip?cmd=build
Rewrap a Package rewrap-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/.json/etc/packages/mycontent.zip?cmd=rewrap
Rename a Package rename-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST -Fname=<New Name> http://localhost:4502/etc/packages/<Group Name>/<Package Name>.zip/jcr:content/vlt:definition
Upload a Package upload-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> -F cmd=upload -F force=true -F package=@test.zip http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/.json
Install a Package install-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> -F cmd=install http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/.json/etc/packages/my_packages/test.zip
Uninstall a Package uninstall-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> -F cmd=uninstall http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/.json/etc/packages/my_packages/test.zip
Delete a Package delete-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> -F cmd=delete http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/.json/etc/packages/my_packages/test.zip
Download a Package download-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> http://localhost:4502/etc/packages/my_packages/test.zip
Replicate a Package replicate-a-package
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST http://localhost:4502/crx/packmgr/service/.json/etc/packages/my_packages/test.zip?cmd=replicate
User Management user-management
Create a New User create-a-new-user
curl -u <user>:<password> -FcreateUser= -FauthorizableId=hashim -Frep:password=hashim http://localhost:4502/libs/granite/security/post/authorizables
Create a New Group create-a-new-group
curl -u <user>:<password> -FcreateGroup=group1 -FauthorizableId=testGroup1 http://localhost:4502/libs/granite/security/post/authorizables
Add a Property to an Existing User add-a-property-to-an-existing-user
curl -u <user>:<password> -Fprofile/age=25 http://localhost:4502/home/users/h/hashim.rw.html
Create a User with a Profile create-a-user-with-a-profile
curl -u <user>:<password> -FcreateUser=testuser -FauthorizableId=hashimkhan -Frep:password=hashimkhan -Fprofile/gender=male http://localhost:4502/libs/granite/security/post/authorizables
Create a New User as a Member of a Group create-a-new-user-as-a-member-of-a-group
curl -u <user>:<password> -FcreateUser=testuser -FauthorizableId=testuser -Frep:password=abc123 -Fmembership=contributor http://localhost:4502/libs/granite/security/post/authorizables
Add a User to a Group add-a-user-to-a-group
curl -u <user>:<password> -FaddMembers=testuser1 http://localhost:4502/home/groups/t/testGroup.rw.html
Remove a User from a Group remove-a-user-from-a-group
curl -u <user>:<password> -FremoveMembers=testuser1 http://localhost:4502/home/groups/t/testGroup.rw.html
Set a User’s Group Membership set-a-user-s-group-membership
curl -u <user>:<password> -Fmembership=contributor -Fmembership=testgroup http://localhost:4502/home/users/t/testuser.rw.html
Delete a User delete-a-user
curl -u <user>:<password> -FdeleteAuthorizable= http://localhost:4502/home/users/t/testuser
Delete a Group delete-a-group
curl -u <user>:<password> -FdeleteAuthorizable= http://localhost:4502/home/groups/t/testGroup
Backup backup
See Backup and Restore for details.
OSGi osgi
Starting a Bundle starting-a-bundle
curl -u <user>:<password> -Faction=start http://localhost:4502/system/console/bundles/<bundle-name>
Stopping a Bundle stopping-a-bundle
curl -u <user>:<password> -Faction=stop http://localhost:4502/system/console/bundles/<bundle-name>
Dispatcher dispatcher
Invalidate the Cache invalidate-the-cache
curl -H "CQ-Action: Activate" -H "CQ-Handle: /content/test-site/" -H "CQ-Path: /content/test-site/" -H "Content-Length: 0" -H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" http://localhost:4502/dispatcher/invalidate.cache
Evict the Cache evict-the-cache
curl -H "CQ-Action: Deactivate" -H "CQ-Handle: /content/test-site/" -H "CQ-Path: /content/test-site/" -H "Content-Length: 0" -H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" http://localhost:4502/dispatcher/invalidate.cache
Replication Agent replication-agent
Check the Status of an Agent check-the-status-of-an-agent
curl -u <user>:<password> "http://localhost:4502/etc/replication/agents.author/publish/jcr:content.queue.json?agent=publish"
http://localhost:4502/etc/replication/agents.author/publish/jcr:content.queue.json?agent=publish
Delete an Agent delete-an-agent
curl -X DELETE http://localhost:4502/etc/replication/agents.author/replication99 -u <user>:<password>
Create an Agent create-an-agent
curl -u <user>:<password> -F "jcr:primaryType=cq:Page" -F "jcr:content/jcr:title=new-replication" -F "jcr:content/sling:resourceType=/libs/cq/replication/components/agent" -F "jcr:content/template=/libs/cq/replication/templates/agent" -F "jcr:content/transportUri=http://localhost:4503/bin/receive?sling:authRequestLogin=1" -F "jcr:content/transportUser=admin" -F "jcr:content/transportPassword={DES}8aadb625ced91ac483390ebc10640cdf"http://localhost:4502/etc/replication/agents.author/replication99
Pause an Agent pause-an-agent
curl -u <user>:<password> -F "cmd=pause" -F "name=publish" http://localhost:4502/etc/replication/agents.author/publish/jcr:content.queue.json
Clear an Agent Queue clear-an-agent-queue
curl -u <user>:<password> -F "cmd=clear" -F "name=publish" http://localhost:4502/etc/replication/agents.author/publish/jcr:content.queue.json
Communities communities
Assign and Revoke Badges assign-and-revoke-badges
See Communities Scoring and Badges for details.
See Scoring and Badges Essentials for details.
MSRP Reindexing msrp-reindexing
See MSRP - MongoDB Storage Resource Provider for details.
Security security
Enabling and Disabling CRX DE Lite enabling-and-disabling-crx-de-lite
See Enabling CRXDE Lite in AEM for details.
Data Store Garbage Collection data-store-garbage-collection
See Data Store Garbage Collection for details.
Analytics and Target Integration analytics-and-target-integration
See Opting Into Adobe Analytics and Adobe Target for details.
Single Sign On single-sign-on
Send Test Header send-test-header
See Single Sign On for details.
Common Content Manipulation AEM cURL Commands common-content-manipulation-aem-curl-commands
Here is a list of AEM cURL commands for content manipulation.
localhost on port 4502 and uses the user admin with password admin. Additional command placeholders are set in angle brackets.Page Management page-management
Page Activation page-activation
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST -F path="/content/path/to/page" -F cmd="activate" http://localhost:4502/bin/replicate.json
Page Deactivation page-deactivation
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST -F path="/content/path/to/page" -F cmd="deactivate" http://localhost:4502/bin/replicate.json
Tree Activation tree-activation
curl -u <user>:<password> -F cmd=activate -F ignoredeactivated=true -F onlymodified=true -F path=/content/geometrixx http://localhost:4502/etc/replication/treeactivation.html
Lock Page lock-page
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST -F cmd="lockPage" -F path="/content/path/to/page" -F "_charset_"="utf-8" http://localhost:4502/bin/wcmcommand
Unlock Page unlock-page
curl -u <user>:<password> -X POST -F cmd="unlockPage" -F path="/content/path/to/page" -F "_charset_"="utf-8" http://localhost:4502/bin/wcmcommand
Copy Page copy-page
curl -u <user>:<password> -F cmd=copyPage -F destParentPath=/path/to/destination/parent -F srcPath=/path/to/source/location http://localhost:4502/bin/wcmcommand
Workflows workflows
See Interacting with Workflows Programmatically for details.
Sling Content sling-content
Create a Folder create-a-folder
curl -u <user>:<password> -F jcr:primaryType=sling:Folder http://localhost:4502/etc/test
Delete a Node delete-a-node
curl -u <user>:<password> -F :operation=delete http://localhost:4502/etc/test/test.properties
Move a Node move-a-node
curl -u <user>:<password> -F":operation=move" -F":applyTo=/sourceurl" -F":dest=/target/parenturl/" https://localhost:4502/content
Copy a Node copy-a-node
curl -u <user>:<password> -F":operation=copy" -F":applyTo=/sourceurl" -F":dest=/target/parenturl/" https://localhost:4502/content
Upload Files Using Sling PostServlet upload-files-using-sling-postservlet
curl -u <user>:<password> -F"*=@test.properties" http://localhost:4502/etc/test
Upload Files Using Sling PostServlet and Specifying Node Name upload-files-using-sling-postservlet-and-specifying-node-name
curl -u <user>:<password> -F"test2.properties=@test.properties" http://localhost:4502/etc/test
Upload Files Specifying a Content Type upload-files-specifying-a-content-type
curl -u <user>:<password> -F "*=@test.properties;type=text/plain" http://localhost:4502/etc/test
Asset Manipulation asset-manipulation
See Assets HTTP API for details.