---
name: "CURLOPT_PRIVATE"
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_PRIVATE"
---

# CURLOPT\_PRIVATE(3)

store a private pointer

## NAME

CURLOPT\_PRIVATE - store a private pointer

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_PRIVATE, void *pointer);
```

## DESCRIPTION

Pass a void \* as parameter, pointing to data that should be associated with this curl handle. The pointer can subsequently be retrieved using *[curl\_easy\_getinfo(3)](/curl_easy_getinfo/3.md)* with the *[CURLINFO\_PRIVATE(3)](/CURLINFO_PRIVATE/3.md)* option. libcurl itself never does anything with this data.

## DEFAULT

NULL

## PROTOCOLS

This functionality affects all supported protocols

## EXAMPLE

```
struct private_data {
  void *custom;
};
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  struct private_data secrets;
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode result;
    struct private_data *extracted;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com");
    /* store a pointer to our private_data struct */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_PRIVATE, &secrets);
    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    /* we can extract the private_data pointer again too */
    curl_easy_getinfo(curl, CURLINFO_PRIVATE, &extracted);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
```

## AVAILABILITY

Added in curl 7.10.3

## 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

[**CURLINFO\_PRIVATE**(3)](/CURLINFO_PRIVATE/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_STDERR**(3)](/CURLOPT_STDERR/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_VERBOSE**(3)](/CURLOPT_VERBOSE/3.md)