CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL(3) Introduction to Library Functions
CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL - control alt-svc behavior
#include <curl/curl.h>
#define CURLALTSVC_READONLYFILE (1L << 2)
#define CURLALTSVC_H1 (1L << 3)
#define CURLALTSVC_H2 (1L << 4)
#define CURLALTSVC_H3 (1L << 5)
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL, long bitmask);
Populate the long bitmask with the correct set of features to
instruct libcurl how to handle Alt-Svc for the transfers using this
handle.
libcurl only accepts Alt-Svc headers over HTTPS. It also only
completes a request to an alternative origin if that origin is
properly hosted over HTTPS. These requirements are there to make
sure both the source and the destination are legitimate.
Alternative services are only used when setting up new connections.
If there exists an existing connection to the host in the connection
pool, then that is preferred.
If CURLOPT_ALTSVC(3) is set, CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL(3) gets a default
value corresponding to CURLALTSVC_H1 | CURLALTSVC_H2 | CURLALTSVC_H3
- the HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 bits are only set if libcurl was built with
support for those versions.
Setting any bit enables the alt-svc engine.
CURLALTSVC_READONLYFILE
Do not write the alt-svc cache back to the file specified with
CURLOPT_ALTSVC(3) even if it gets updated. By default a file
specified with that option is read and written to as deemed
necessary.
CURLALTSVC_H1
Accept alternative services offered over HTTP/1.1.
CURLALTSVC_H2
Accept alternative services offered over HTTP/2. This is only
used if libcurl was also built to actually support HTTP/2,
otherwise this bit is ignored.
CURLALTSVC_H3
Accept alternative services offered over HTTP/3. This is only
used if libcurl was also built to actually support HTTP/3,
otherwise this bit is ignored.
0 - Alt-Svc handling is disabled
This functionality affects http only
int main(void)
{
CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
if(curl) {
curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL, CURLALTSVC_H1);
curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_ALTSVC, "altsvc-cache.txt");
curl_easy_perform(curl);
}
}
CURLALTSVC_* macros became long types in 8.16.0, prior to this
version a long cast was necessary when passed to curl_easy_setopt(3).
Added in curl 7.64.1
curl_easy_setopt(3) returns a CURLcode indicating success or error.
CURLE_OK (0) means everything was OK, non-zero means an error
occurred, see libcurl-errors(3).
CURLOPT_ALTSVC(3), CURLOPT_CONNECT_TO(3), CURLOPT_RESOLVE(3)
libcurl 2026-01-08 CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL(3)
NAME
CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL - control alt-svc behavior
SYNOPSIS
#include <curl/curl.h>
#define CURLALTSVC_READONLYFILE (1L << 2)
#define CURLALTSVC_H1 (1L << 3)
#define CURLALTSVC_H2 (1L << 4)
#define CURLALTSVC_H3 (1L << 5)
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL, long bitmask);
DESCRIPTION
Populate the long bitmask with the correct set of features to
instruct libcurl how to handle Alt-Svc for the transfers using this
handle.
libcurl only accepts Alt-Svc headers over HTTPS. It also only
completes a request to an alternative origin if that origin is
properly hosted over HTTPS. These requirements are there to make
sure both the source and the destination are legitimate.
Alternative services are only used when setting up new connections.
If there exists an existing connection to the host in the connection
pool, then that is preferred.
If CURLOPT_ALTSVC(3) is set, CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL(3) gets a default
value corresponding to CURLALTSVC_H1 | CURLALTSVC_H2 | CURLALTSVC_H3
- the HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 bits are only set if libcurl was built with
support for those versions.
Setting any bit enables the alt-svc engine.
CURLALTSVC_READONLYFILE
Do not write the alt-svc cache back to the file specified with
CURLOPT_ALTSVC(3) even if it gets updated. By default a file
specified with that option is read and written to as deemed
necessary.
CURLALTSVC_H1
Accept alternative services offered over HTTP/1.1.
CURLALTSVC_H2
Accept alternative services offered over HTTP/2. This is only
used if libcurl was also built to actually support HTTP/2,
otherwise this bit is ignored.
CURLALTSVC_H3
Accept alternative services offered over HTTP/3. This is only
used if libcurl was also built to actually support HTTP/3,
otherwise this bit is ignored.
DEFAULT
0 - Alt-Svc handling is disabled
PROTOCOLS
This functionality affects http only
EXAMPLE
int main(void)
{
CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
if(curl) {
curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL, CURLALTSVC_H1);
curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_ALTSVC, "altsvc-cache.txt");
curl_easy_perform(curl);
}
}
HISTORY
CURLALTSVC_* macros became long types in 8.16.0, prior to this
version a long cast was necessary when passed to curl_easy_setopt(3).
AVAILABILITY
Added in curl 7.64.1
RETURN VALUE
curl_easy_setopt(3) returns a CURLcode indicating success or error.
CURLE_OK (0) means everything was OK, non-zero means an error
occurred, see libcurl-errors(3).
SEE ALSO
CURLOPT_ALTSVC(3), CURLOPT_CONNECT_TO(3), CURLOPT_RESOLVE(3)
libcurl 2026-01-08 CURLOPT_ALTSVC_CTRL(3)