How to fill a remote ColdFusion form using PHP?

Question

How to fill a remote ColdFusion form and submit it using PHP running on my server? I want to fill a search form on a remote website, which I don't have access to and which is written in ColdFusion, with the data given on my PHP website. I tried PHP cURL, but that didn't work. Don't know whether it is our problem or not.

www.arello.com I want to fill the form on right side of that website. What I get on my php website is users License number. So I want to submit that query to the form and arello.com which is on Coldfusion and submit it to verify the license details. Is there anyway, I can verify using that site with details from my site?

Answer 1

It does not really have anything to do with ColdFusion per se. Like a lot of sites, they restrict or prohibit automated access. Their terms of use state that:

"... [this site] uses robot exclusion methods that expressly allow and/or exclude specified automated programs from accessing certain portions of the Website".

One of the methods they are using is to inspect the http referrer value of incoming requests. If that header is missing or empty, they block access. Most likely that is why your cURL request fails. It is being blocked by design. You should contact them and ask about gaining programmatic access. Their home page says they offer a "License Verification Web Service":

"...This new service will allow organizations to connect to ARELLO's database and .. verify licenses in mass numbers. Contact ARELLO for more information ..."