What -k does
-k or --insecure tells cURL not to verify the server certificate. It can unblock local testing but weakens protection against impersonation.
Example
cURL SSL Ignore and Certificate Examples
Understand cURL SSL certificate errors, what -k or --insecure changes, and how generated code represents TLS verification behavior.
Try SSL cURL ConversionSafer fixes
For real systems, prefer fixing the certificate chain, hostname, trust store, or CA bundle instead of permanently disabling verification.
Conversion behavior
The parser exposes verify_ssl: false in JSON output and maps that setting into generated languages that support TLS verification control.
SSL ignore cURL input
curl -k -L -H 'Accept: application/json' https://self-signed.badssl.example/api/statusFAQ
Is curl -k safe?
It is acceptable for controlled local testing, but it should not be the default for production API traffic.
What causes cURL certificate verification failures?
Expired certificates, missing intermediates, hostname mismatches, private CAs, old trust stores, and intercepting proxies are common causes.