Accessing URLs and APIs with PowerShell

Retrieving data from a URL or calling a web API is one of the most common PowerShell tasks. Whether you want to check a website’s status, download a file, or interact with a REST API, PowerShell provides built-in commands for this purpose.

1. Using Invoke-WebRequest

Invoke-WebRequest is used to fetch web pages or files.
Example:

$response = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://example.com"
$response.Content

This command returns the full HTTP response, including status code, headers, and body content.

To download a file:

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://example.com/file.zip" -OutFile "C:\Temp\file.zip"

2. Calling APIs with Invoke-RestMethod

For APIs that return JSON or XML, Invoke-RestMethod is the better choice. It automatically converts the response into PowerShell objects:

$data = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.github.com"
$data.current_user_url

You can also send POST requests:

Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.example.com/data" -Method POST -Body '{"name":"John"}' -ContentType "application/json"

3. Running PowerShell from the Command Line

PowerShell commands can be executed directly from the traditional Windows Command Prompt:

powershell -Command "Invoke-WebRequest -Uri 'https://example.com'"

Or, if available, using curl:

curl https://example.com

Summary

With just a few commands, PowerShell becomes a versatile tool for web requests and API communication — ideal for automation, system monitoring, or accessing online data sources.