## TL;DR
Sqlmap never reached the target at all, so the problem is network or URL, not injection. Curl the exact URL from the same box, fix scheme/host/port typos, check proxy env vars, and confirm the engagement VPN is up.

```text
unable to connect to target URL
```

## Use this when
- Sqlmap errors `unable to connect to target URL` immediately.
- No requests from sqlmap appear in the target's logs.
- The engagement is authorized and the target should be reachable.

## Not for this skill when
- The connection drops mid-scan. That is a timeout or WAF problem, not this.
- The target responds but sqlmap mis-parses it. Check the URL and parameters instead.
- The target is out of scope. Do not troubleshoot access to it.

## Steps
1. Curl the exact URL from the tester box: `curl -sI "YOUR_TARGET_HOST/page?id=1" | head -3`. Verify: you get any HTTP status line back.
2. Compare the URL character by character: scheme (http vs https), host spelling, port. Verify: the corrected URL works in curl.
3. Check proxy env vars: `env | grep -i proxy`. Sqlmap inherits them silently. Unset them or pass `--proxy` explicitly. Verify: sqlmap is no longer routing through a dead proxy.
4. If the target is internal, confirm the engagement VPN or tunnel is connected. Verify: the host resolves and a TCP connection opens.
5. Rerun sqlmap with the verified URL. Verify: the first request succeeds and testing begins.

## Variant phrasings
### sqlmap unable to connect to target
Shorter phrasing.
### sqlmap connection failed target URL
Alternate wording.
### sqlmap cannot reach target
Symptom-level search.

Compatibility: sqlmap 1.x on any platform. Proxy handling is identical on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

## Why it happens
"Unable to connect" fires before any HTTP logic, so it is always below the application layer: DNS failure, wrong port, TLS mismatch, a proxy env var pointing at nothing, or a VPN that dropped. Sqlmap reports it plainly because there is nothing else it can say.

## Edge cases / pitfalls
- A stale `https_proxy` from a previous engagement is the classic cause. Check env before touching the target config.
- Some labs require a specific egress IP. Confirm yours is allowlisted before assuming the URL is wrong.
- Copy-paste from reports often mangles URLs (smart quotes, trailing spaces). Retype the URL by hand once.
- If curl works but sqlmap does not, diff their proxy and TLS settings; that gap is the whole bug.

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_eV6SvxaT--wW7j1R-ImSHA