---
c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
Title: CURLOPT_COPYPOSTFIELDS
Section: 3
Source: libcurl
See-also:
  - CURLOPT_MIMEPOST (3)
  - CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS (3)
  - CURLOPT_POSTFIELDSIZE (3)
  - CURLOPT_UPLOAD (3)
Protocol:
  - HTTP
  - MQTT
  - RTSP
Added-in: 7.17.1
---

# NAME

CURLOPT_COPYPOSTFIELDS - have libcurl copy data to POST

# SYNOPSIS

~~~c
#include <curl/curl.h>

CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_COPYPOSTFIELDS, char *data);
~~~

# DESCRIPTION

Pass a char pointer as parameter, which should be the full *data* to post in a
HTTP POST operation. It behaves as the CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS(3) option, but the
original data is instead copied by the library, allowing the application to
overwrite the original data after setting this option.

Because data is copied, care must be taken when using this option in
conjunction with CURLOPT_POSTFIELDSIZE(3) or CURLOPT_POSTFIELDSIZE_LARGE(3).
If the size has not been set prior to CURLOPT_COPYPOSTFIELDS(3), the data is
assumed to be a null-terminated string; else the stored size informs the
library about the byte count to copy. In any case, the size must not be
changed after CURLOPT_COPYPOSTFIELDS(3), unless another CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS(3)
or CURLOPT_COPYPOSTFIELDS(3) option is set.

The application does not have to keep the string around after setting this
option.

Using this option multiple times makes the last set string override the
previous ones. Set it to NULL to disable its use again.

# DEFAULT

NULL

# %PROTOCOLS%

# EXAMPLE

~~~c
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode result;
    char local_buffer[1024] = "data to send";
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com");

    /* size of the data to copy from the buffer and send in the request */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDSIZE, 12L);

    /* send data from the local stack */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_COPYPOSTFIELDS, local_buffer);

    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
~~~

# %AVAILABILITY%

# 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).
