---
c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
Title: curl_easy_init
Section: 3
Source: libcurl
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)
Protocol:
  - All
Added-in: 7.1
---

# NAME

curl_easy_init - create an easy handle

# SYNOPSIS

~~~c
#include <curl/curl.h>

CURL *curl_easy_init();
~~~

# DESCRIPTION

This function allocates and returns a CURL 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%

# EXAMPLE

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

# %AVAILABILITY%

# RETURN VALUE

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