---
name: "CURLOPT_MAXAGE_CONN"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "curl"
version: "8.23.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/CURLOPT_MAXAGE_CONN"
---

# CURLOPT\_MAXAGE\_CONN(3)

max idle time allowed for reusing a connection

## NAME

CURLOPT\_MAXAGE\_CONN - max idle time allowed for reusing a connection

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_MAXAGE_CONN, long age);
```

## DESCRIPTION

Pass a long as parameter containing *age* - the maximum time in seconds allowed for an existing connection to have been idle to be considered for reuse for this request.

The "connection cache" holds previously used connections. When a new request is to be done, libcurl considers any connection that matches for reuse. The *[CURLOPT\_MAXAGE\_CONN(3)](/CURLOPT_MAXAGE_CONN/3.md)* limit prevents libcurl from trying too old connections for reuse, since old connections have a higher risk of not working and thus trying them is a performance loss and sometimes service loss due to the difficulties to figure out the situation. If a connection is found in the cache that is older than this set *age*, it is closed instead.

## DEFAULT

118 seconds

## PROTOCOLS

This functionality affects all supported protocols

## EXAMPLE

```
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode result;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com");
    /* only allow 30 seconds idle time */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_MAXAGE_CONN, 30L);
    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
```

## AVAILABILITY

Added in curl 7.65.0

## RETURN VALUE

*[curl\_easy\_setopt(3)](/curl_easy_setopt/3.md)* returns a CURLcode indicating success or error.

CURLE\_OK (0) means everything was OK, non-zero means an error occurred, see *[libcurl-errors(3)](/libcurl-errors/3.md)*.

## SEE ALSO

[**CURLOPT\_FORBID\_REUSE**(3)](/CURLOPT_FORBID_REUSE/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_FRESH\_CONNECT**(3)](/CURLOPT_FRESH_CONNECT/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_MAXLIFETIME\_CONN**(3)](/CURLOPT_MAXLIFETIME_CONN/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_TIMEOUT**(3)](/CURLOPT_TIMEOUT/3.md)