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---
title: Call your gRPC endpoints with the simplicity of buf · Buf
description: Buf has released buf curl, a new CLI tool bundled in Buf CLI v1.12.0 that lets developers call gRPC, gRPC-Web, and Connect endpoints with curl-like simplicity....
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og:description: Buf has released buf curl, a new CLI tool bundled in Buf CLI v1.12.0 that lets developers call gRPC, gRPC-Web, and Connect endpoints with curl-like simplicity....
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# Call your gRPC endpoints with the simplicity of buf · Buf

**[Buf Blog](https://daily.dev/sources/buf)** · 5 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

Buf has released buf curl, a new CLI tool bundled in Buf CLI v1.12.0 that lets developers call gRPC, gRPC-Web, and Connect endpoints with curl-like simplicity. Built by the original author of grpcurl, it removes the need for server reflection or manually managing proto/import-path arguments by integrating with the Buf Schema Registry or local Protobuf sources. It converts JSON requests to Protobuf binary and back, supports three RPC protocols, and mirrors familiar curl flags for easy adoption by teams already using Buf.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://buf.build/blog/buf-curl>

## Questions this post answers

### What is buf curl and how do I use it to call a gRPC endpoint?

Buf curl is a command added in Buf CLI v1.12.0 that lets you invoke gRPC, gRPC-Web, and Connect endpoints with curl-like syntax and flags. It resolves Protobuf schemas automatically via server reflection, a compiled descriptor set, or a module from the Buf Schema Registry, then converts JSON requests to Protobuf binary and responses back to JSON.

_Developers wiring up gRPC debugging workflows can track new Buf CLI capabilities like this on daily.dev._

### How does buf curl differ from grpcurl?

Buf curl, built by grpcurl's original author, removes the need for server reflection or manually specifying -proto and -import-path arguments that grpcurl requires. Instead it integrates directly with the Buf Schema Registry, so schemas can be pulled without server-side reflection support or a local Protobuf build setup, making it simpler for teams already using Buf.

_Teams weighing grpcurl against newer alternatives can follow tooling comparisons like this on daily.dev._

### Which RPC protocols does buf curl support and why would I choose one over gRPC?

Buf curl supports Connect, gRPC, and gRPC-Web, selectable via command-line option. gRPC requires end-to-end HTTP/2 support, so if load balancers or proxies in an environment don't support HTTP/2, Connect or gRPC-Web are better choices since both work over HTTP/1.1.

_Engineers picking an RPC protocol for their infrastructure can dig into tradeoffs like these on daily.dev._

## Similar posts on daily.dev

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---

Tags: [#testing](https://daily.dev/tags/testing), [#backend](https://daily.dev/tags/backend), [#grpc](https://daily.dev/tags/grpc)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/call-your-grpc-endpoints-with-the-simplicity-of-buf-buf-hewemk5x8)

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