Coding⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-05-31

How to Fix: PHP file_get_contents() returns "failed to open stream: HTTP request failed!"

PHP file_get_contents() returns failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! due to incorrect URL encoding or query string parameters.

Quick Answer: Check if the URL is properly encoded and that the query string parameters are correctly formatted, using urlencode() function to encode the query string.

The error message 'HTTP request failed' when using file_get_contents() to make a GET request to a URL indicates that the server is unable to process your request. This can be due to various reasons such as:

⚠️ Common Causes

  • The URL is incorrect or not accessible.
  • The server is down or experiencing technical difficulties.
  • The request is being blocked by a firewall or proxy server.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

Method 1: Using cURL

  1. Step 1: Replace the file_get_contents() function with a cURL request using the following code:

Example Code:

$query = curl_init('http://###.##.##.##/mp/get?mpsrc=http://mybucket.s3.amazonaws.com/11111.mpg&mpaction=convert format=flv');
  1. Step 2: Set the request method to GET and set the headers as needed.

Method 2: Using an HTTP Client Library

  1. Step 1: Install an HTTP client library such as GuzzleHttp or PHP-GuzzleHttp.

Example Code:

$client = new GuzzleHttp.Client();$query = $client->get('http://###.##.##.##/mp/get?mpsrc=http://mybucket.s3.amazonaws.com/11111.mpg&mpaction=convert format=flv');

✨ Wrapping Up

By following these methods, you should be able to resolve the 'HTTP request failed' error when using file_get_contents() to make a GET request to a URL.

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