curl\_easy\_init(3) Library Functions Manual curl\_easy\_init(3)

# [NAME](#NAME)

curl\_easy\_init - create an easy handle

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURL *curl_easy_init();
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#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)*](/man/os/curl/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)*](/man/os/curl/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)*](/man/os/curl/curl_global_init.3) before calling this function, [*curl\_easy\_init(3)*](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_init.3) does it automatically. This can be lethal in multi-threaded cases for platforms where [*curl\_global\_init(3)*](/man/os/curl/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)*](/man/os/curl/curl_global_init.3) yourself properly. See the description in [*libcurl(3)*](/man/os/curl/libcurl.3) of global environment requirements for details of how to use this function.

# [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");


    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);


    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);


  }
}
```

# [AVAILABILITY](#AVAILABILITY)

Added in curl 7.1

# [RETURN VALUE](#RETURN_VALUE)

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

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**curl\_easy\_cleanup**(3)](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_cleanup.3), [**curl\_easy\_duphandle**(3)](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_duphandle.3), [**curl\_easy\_perform**(3)](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_perform.3), [**curl\_easy\_reset**(3)](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_reset.3), [**curl\_global\_init**(3)](/man/os/curl/curl_global_init.3), [**curl\_multi\_init**(3)](/man/os/curl/curl_multi_init.3)

2026-10-19 libcurl

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Document: curl_easy_init(3) from curl 8.23.0-r1 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/curl/curl.git