---
name: "CURLOPT_NOBODY"
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_NOBODY"
---

# CURLOPT\_NOBODY(3)

do the download request without getting the body

## NAME

CURLOPT\_NOBODY - do the download request without getting the body

## SYNOPSIS

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

## DESCRIPTION

A long parameter set to 1 tells libcurl to not include the body-part in the output when doing what would otherwise be a download. For HTTP(S), this makes libcurl do a HEAD request. For most other protocols it means not asking to transfer the body data.

For HTTP operations when *[CURLOPT\_NOBODY(3)](/CURLOPT_NOBODY/3.md)* has been set, disabling this option (with 0) makes it a GET again - only if the method is still set to be HEAD. The proper way to get back to a GET request is to set *[CURLOPT\_HTTPGET(3)](/CURLOPT_HTTPGET/3.md)* and for other methods, use the POST or UPLOAD options.

Enabling *[CURLOPT\_NOBODY(3)](/CURLOPT_NOBODY/3.md)* means asking for a download without a body.

If you do a transfer with HTTP that involves a method other than HEAD, you get a body (unless the resource and server sends a zero byte body for the specific URL you request).

## DEFAULT

0, the body is transferred

## 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");
    /* get us the resource without a body - use HEAD */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_NOBODY, 1L);
    /* Perform the request */
    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
```

## AVAILABILITY

Added in curl 7.1

## 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\_HTTPGET**(3)](/CURLOPT_HTTPGET/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_MIMEPOST**(3)](/CURLOPT_MIMEPOST/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_POSTFIELDS**(3)](/CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_REQUEST\_TARGET**(3)](/CURLOPT_REQUEST_TARGET/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_UPLOAD**(3)](/CURLOPT_UPLOAD/3.md)