CURLOPT\_MAXLIFETIME\_CONN(3) Library Functions Manual CURLOPT\_MAXLIFETIME\_CONN(3)

# [NAME](#NAME)

CURLOPT\_MAXLIFETIME\_CONN - max lifetime (since creation) allowed for reusing a connection

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_MAXLIFETIME_CONN,


                          long maxlifetime);
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Pass a long as parameter containing *maxlifetime* - the maximum time in seconds, since the creation of the connection, that you allow an existing connection to have to be considered for reuse for this request.

libcurl features a connection cache that holds previously used connections. When a new request is to be done, libcurl considers any connection that matches for reuse. The [*CURLOPT\_MAXLIFETIME\_CONN(3)*](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_MAXLIFETIME_CONN.3) limit prevents libcurl from trying too old connections for reuse. This can be used for client-side load balancing. If a connection is found in the cache that is older than this set *maxlifetime*, it is instead marked for closure.

If set to 0, this behavior is disabled: all connections are eligible for reuse.

# [DEFAULT](#DEFAULT)

24 hours (since 8.17.0). Before that, the default was 0 seconds (i.e., disabled)

# [PROTOCOLS](#PROTOCOLS)

This functionality affects all supported protocols

# [EXAMPLE](#EXAMPLE)

```
int main(void)
{


  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();


  if(curl) {


    CURLcode result;


    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com");


    /* only allow each connection to be reused for 30 seconds */


    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_MAXLIFETIME_CONN, 30L);


    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);


    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);


  }
}
```

# [AVAILABILITY](#AVAILABILITY)

Added in curl 7.80.0

# [RETURN VALUE](#RETURN_VALUE)

[*curl\_easy\_setopt(3)*](/man/os/curl/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)*](/man/os/curl/libcurl-errors.3).

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**CURLOPT\_FORBID\_REUSE**(3)](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_FORBID_REUSE.3), [**CURLOPT\_FRESH\_CONNECT**(3)](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_FRESH_CONNECT.3), [**CURLOPT\_MAXAGE\_CONN**(3)](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_MAXAGE_CONN.3), [**CURLOPT\_TIMEOUT**(3)](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_TIMEOUT.3)

2026-10-01 libcurl

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Document: CURLOPT_MAXLIFETIME_CONN(3) from curl 8.22.0-r4 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/curl/curl.git