curl_easy_init(3) Introduction to Library Functions curl_easy_init(3)

NAME

curl_easy_init - create an easy handle

SYNOPSIS

#include <curl/curl.h>

CURL *curl_easy_init();

DESCRIPTION

This function allocates and returns an easy handle. Such a handle is
used as input to other functions in the easy interface. This call
must have a corresponding call to curl_easy_cleanup(3) when the
operation is complete.

The easy handle is used to hold and control a single network
transfer. It is encouraged to reuse easy handles for repeated
transfers.

An alternative way to get a new easy handle is to duplicate an
already existing one with curl_easy_duphandle(3), which has the
upside that it gets all the options that were set in the source
handle set in the new copy as well.

If you did not already call curl_global_init(3) before calling this
function, curl_easy_init(3) does it automatically. This can be lethal
in multi-threaded cases for platforms where curl_global_init(3) is
not thread-safe, and it may then result in resource problems because
there is no corresponding cleanup.

You are strongly advised to not allow this automatic behavior, by
calling curl_global_init(3) yourself properly. See the description in
libcurl(3) of global environment requirements for details of how to
use this function.

PROTOCOLS

This functionality affects all supported protocols

EXAMPLE

int main(void)
{
CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
if(curl) {
CURLcode result;
curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com");
result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
}
}

AVAILABILITY

Added in curl 7.1

RETURN VALUE

If this function returns NULL, something went wrong and you cannot
use the other curl functions.

SEE ALSO

curl_easy_cleanup(3), curl_easy_duphandle(3), curl_easy_perform(3),
curl_easy_reset(3), curl_global_init(3), curl_multi_init(3)

libcurl 2026-01-08 curl_easy_init(3)