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CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION

Section: curl_easy_setopt options (3)
Updated: February 03, 2016
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NAME

CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION - follow HTTP 3xx redirects

SYNOPSIS

CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, long enable);

DESCRIPTION

A long parameter set to 1 tells the library to follow any Location: header that the server sends as part of a HTTP header in a 3xx response. The Location: header can specify a relative or an absolute URL to follow.

libcurl will issue another request for the new URL and follow new Location: headers all the way until no more such headers are returned. CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS(3) can be used to limit the number of redirects libcurl will follow.

libcurl limits what protocols it automatically follows to. The accepted protocols are set with CURLOPT_REDIR_PROTOCOLS(3). By default libcurl will allow all protocols on redirect except those disabled for security reasons: Since 7.19.4 FILE and SCP are disabled, and since 7.40.0 SMB and SMBS are also disabled.

When following a Location:, the 3xx response code that redirected it also dictates which request method it will use in the subsequent request: For 301, 302 and 303 responses libcurl will switch method to GET unless CURLOPT_POSTREDIR(3) instructs libcurl otherwise. All other 3xx codes will make libcurl send the same method again.

For users who think the existing location following is too naive, too simple or just lacks features, it is very easy to instead implement your own redirect follow logic with the use of curl_easy_getinfo(3)'s CURLINFO_REDIRECT_URL(3) option instead of using CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION(3).

DEFAULT

0, disabled

PROTOCOLS

HTTP(S)

EXAMPLE

CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
if(curl) {
  curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "http://example.com");

  /* example.com is redirected, so we tell libcurl to follow redirection */
  curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, 1L);

  curl_easy_perform(curl);
}

AVAILABILITY

Along with HTTP

RETURN VALUE

Returns CURLE_OK if HTTP is supported, and CURLE_UNKNOWN_OPTION if not.