> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.docketlayer.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# curl quickstart

> Query DocketLayer from the command line using curl and sandbox mode.

curl cannot handle the x402 payment flow automatically — it does not have an x402 client library. However, you can use **sandbox mode** to test DocketLayer's response structure from the command line without spending USDC.

## Check coverage (free, no payment)

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.docketlayer.ai/v2/status
```

Find the `court_code` for the court you want to query in the `courts` array.

## Query in sandbox mode

Sandbox mode returns fixture data with no payment required. Add `?test=1` to any endpoint.

```bash theme={null}
# Basic context — case header and primary parties
curl "https://api.docketlayer.ai/v2/case?test=1&case_id=1:24-cv-01234&court_code=nysd"

# With last_checked — includes delta block
curl "https://api.docketlayer.ai/v2/case?test=1&case_id=1:24-cv-01234&court_code=nysd&last_checked=2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"

# Full context
curl "https://api.docketlayer.ai/v2/case?test=1&case_id=1:24-cv-01234&court_code=nysd&context=full"

# Monitor endpoint
curl "https://api.docketlayer.ai/v2/monitor?test=1&case_id=1:24-cv-01234&court_code=nysd&last_checked=2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"
```

## Batch in sandbox mode

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST "https://api.docketlayer.ai/v2/cases/batch?test=1" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "queries": [
      {"case_id": "1:24-cv-01234", "court_code": "nysd"},
      {"case_id": "1:22-bk-11068", "court_code": "deb"}
    ]
  }'
```

## Paid queries

For live paid queries, use the Python or JavaScript x402 client library — they handle the 402 challenge, transaction signing, and retry automatically. curl cannot replicate this flow without manual construction of the `x402-payment` header.

See the [Python quickstart](/guides/quickstart-python) or [JavaScript quickstart](/guides/quickstart-js) for live query examples.

## Pretty-printing responses

Pipe responses through `jq` for readable output:

```bash theme={null}
curl -s "https://api.docketlayer.ai/v2/case?test=1&case_id=1:24-cv-01234&court_code=nysd" | jq .

# Extract specific fields
curl -s "https://api.docketlayer.ai/v2/status" | jq '.courts[] | {code: .court_code, name: .name, coverage: .coverage}'
```