CURLINFO\_PRIVATE(3) Library Functions Manual CURLINFO\_PRIVATE(3)

# [NAME](#NAME)

CURLINFO\_PRIVATE - private pointer

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLcode curl_easy_getinfo(CURL *handle, CURLINFO_PRIVATE, char **private);
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Pass a pointer to a char pointer to receive the pointer to the private data associated with the curl handle (set with the [*CURLOPT\_PRIVATE(3)*](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_PRIVATE.3)). Please note that for internal reasons, the value is returned as a char pointer, although effectively being a 'void \*'.

# [PROTOCOLS](#PROTOCOLS)

This functionality affects all supported protocols

# [EXAMPLE](#EXAMPLE)

```
int main(void)
{


  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();


  if(curl) {


    CURLcode result;


    void *pointer = (void *)0x2345454;


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


    /* set the private pointer */


    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_PRIVATE, pointer);


    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);


    /* extract the private pointer again */


    result = curl_easy_getinfo(curl, CURLINFO_PRIVATE, &pointer);


    if(result != CURLE_OK)


      printf("error: %s\n", curl_easy_strerror(result));


    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);


  }
}
```

# [AVAILABILITY](#AVAILABILITY)

Added in curl 7.10.3

# [RETURN VALUE](#RETURN_VALUE)

[*curl\_easy\_getinfo(3)*](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_getinfo.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\_PRIVATE**(3)](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_PRIVATE.3), [**curl\_easy\_getinfo**(3)](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_getinfo.3), [**curl\_easy\_setopt**(3)](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_setopt.3)

2026-10-22 libcurl

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Document: CURLINFO_PRIVATE(3) from curl 8.23.0-r2 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/curl/curl.git