# PROTOCOLS curl supports numerous protocols, or put in URL terms: schemes. Your particular build may not support them all. ## DICT Lets you lookup words using online dictionaries. ## FILE Read or write local files. curl does not support accessing file:// URL remotely, but when running on Microsoft Windows using the native UNC approach works. ## FTP(S) curl supports the File Transfer Protocol with a lot of tweaks and levers. With or without using TLS. ## GOPHER(S) Retrieve files. ## HTTP(S) curl supports HTTP with numerous options and variations. It can speak HTTP version 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 2 and 3 depending on build options and the correct command line options. ## IMAP(S) Using the mail reading protocol, curl can download emails for you. With or without using TLS. ## LDAP(S) curl can do directory lookups for you, with or without TLS. ## MQTT curl supports MQTT version 3. Downloading over MQTT equals subscribe to a topic while uploading/posting equals publish on a topic. MQTT over TLS is not supported (yet). ## POP3(S) Downloading from a pop3 server means getting a mail. With or without using TLS. ## RTMP(S) The **Realtime Messaging Protocol** is primarily used to serve streaming media and curl can download it. ## RTSP curl supports RTSP 1.0 downloads. ## SCP curl supports SSH version 2 scp transfers. ## SFTP curl supports SFTP (draft 5) done over SSH version 2. ## SMB(S) curl supports SMB version 1 for upload and download. ## SMTP(S) Uploading contents to an SMTP server means sending an email. With or without TLS. ## TELNET Telling curl to fetch a telnet URL starts an interactive session where it sends what it reads on stdin and outputs what the server sends it. ## TFTP curl can do TFTP downloads and uploads.