CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION(3) Library Functions Manual CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION(3)
NAME
CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION - follow HTTP 3xx redirects
SYNOPSIS
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, long mode);
DESCRIPTION
This option tells the library to follow Location: header redirects that
an HTTP server sends in a 30x response. The Location: header can specify
a relative or an absolute URL to follow. The long parameter mode in-
structs how libcurl should act on subsequent requests.
mode only had a single value (1L) for a long time that enables redirect
following. Since 8.13.0, two additional modes are also supported. See
below.
When following redirects, libcurl issues another request for the new URL
and follows subsequent new Location: redirects all the way until no more
such headers are returned or the maximum limit is reached. CUR-
LOPT_MAXREDIRS(3) is used to limit the number of redirects libcurl fol-
lows.
libcurl restricts what protocols it automatically follow redirects to.
The accepted target protocols are set with CURLOPT_REDIR_PROTO-
COLS_STR(3). By default libcurl allows HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and FTPS on
redirects.
When following a redirect, the specific 30x response code also dictates
which request method libcurl uses in the subsequent request: For 301,
302 and 303 responses libcurl switches method from POST to GET unless
CURLOPT_POSTREDIR(3) instructs libcurl otherwise. All other redirect re-
sponse codes make libcurl use the same method again.
When libcurl switches method to GET, it then uses that method without
sending any request body. If it does not change the method, it sends the
subsequent request the same way as the previous one; including the re-
quest body if one was provided.
For users who think the existing location following is too naive, too
simple or just lacks features, it is 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_FOLLOWLOCA-
TION(3).
By default, libcurl only sends Authentication: or explicitly set Cookie:
headers to the initial host given in the original URL, to avoid leaking
username + password to other sites. CURLOPT_UNRESTRICTED_AUTH(3) is pro-
vided to change that behavior.
Due to the way HTTP works, almost any header can be made to contain data
a client may not want to pass on to other servers than the initially in-
tended host and for all other headers than the two mentioned above,
there is no protection from this happening when libcurl is told to fol-
low redirects.
Pick one of the following modes:
CURLFOLLOW_ALL (1)
Before 8.13.0 this bit had no name and 1L was just the value to
enable this option. This makes a set custom method be used in all
HTTP requests, even after redirects.
CURLFOLLOW_OBEYCODE (2)
When there is a custom request method set with CURLOPT_CUSTOMRE-
QUEST(3), that set method replaces what libcurl would otherwise
use. If a 301/302/303 response code is returned to signal a redi-
rect, the method is changed from POST to GET. For 307/308, the
custom method remains set and used.
Note that only POST (or a custom post) is changed to GET on
301/302, its not change PUT etc - and therefore also not when
libcurl issues a custom PUT. A 303 response makes it switch to
GET independently of the original method (except for HEAD).
To control for which of the 301/302/303 status codes libcurl
should not switch back to GET for when doing a custom POST, and
instead keep the custom method, use CURLOPT_POSTREDIR(3).
If you prefer a custom POST method to be reset to exactly the
method POST, use CURLFOLLOW_FIRSTONLY instead.
CURLFOLLOW_FIRSTONLY (3)
When there is a custom request method set with CURLOPT_CUSTOMRE-
QUEST(3), that set method replaces what libcurl would otherwise
use in the first outgoing request only. The second request is
then done according to the redirect response code.
If you prefer your custom method to remain in use after a 307/308
redirect, use CURLFOLLOW_OBEYCODE instead.
NOTE
Since libcurl changes method or not based on the specific HTTP response
code, setting CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST(3) while following redirects may
change what libcurl would otherwise do and if not that carefully may
even make it misbehave since CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST(3) overrides the
method libcurl would otherwise select internally.
Setting the CURLFOLLOW_OBEYCODE bit makes libcurl not use the custom set
method after redirects for 301, 302 and 303 responses. Unless the CUR-
LOPT_POSTREDIR(3) bits are set for those status codes.
DEFAULT
0, disabled
PROTOCOLS
This functionality affects http only
EXAMPLE
int main(void)
{
CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
if(curl) {
curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://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
Added in curl 7.1
RETURN VALUE
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).
SEE ALSO
CURLINFO_REDIRECT_COUNT(3), CURLINFO_REDIRECT_URL(3), CUR-
LOPT_POSTREDIR(3), CURLOPT_PROTOCOLS_STR(3), CURLOPT_REDIR_PROTO-
COLS_STR(3), CURLOPT_UNRESTRICTED_AUTH(3)
libcurl 2026-07-12 CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION(3)
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