curl_easy_strerror(3)

💖 curl_easy_strerror(3) 💖

okay so bestie, welcome to the curl_easy_strerror page — it's a Library Functions Manual situation, and honestly it's giving "small function, huge main character energy" ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

curl_easy_strerror — hand you back a string that describes an error code, bestie. that's it, that's the whole job 💅

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <curl/curl.h>

const char *curl_easy_strerror(CURLcode errornum);

🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

so the curl_easy_strerror(3) function returns a string describing the CURLcode error code that you pass in through the argument errornum. that's the whole vibe check — you give it a code, it gives you words 🫶

okay and lowkey, most applications also appreciate CURLOPT_ERRORBUFFER(3), because that one gives you more specific error descriptions that get generated at runtime. so like, this function is the general read, and CURLOPT_ERRORBUFFER(3) is the detailed tea ☕

🌈 PROTOCOLS 🌈

this functionality affects all supported protocols. every single one. no cap 💀

🍓 EXAMPLE 🍓

int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode result;
    /* set options */
    /* Perform the entire transfer */
    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    /* Check for errors */
    if(result != CURLE_OK)
      fprintf(stderr, "curl_easy_perform() failed: %s\n",
              curl_easy_strerror(result));
  }
}

see how it just drops straight into that %s? iconic behavior honestly 🔥

⭐ AVAILABILITY ⭐

added in curl 7.12.0 — she's been on the scene for a minute, a true veteran 👑

💜 RETURN VALUE 💜

a pointer to a null-terminated string. simple. clean. slay ✨

🧚 SEE ALSO 🧚

• curl_multi_strerror(3)
• curl_share_strerror(3)
• curl_url_strerror(3)
• libcurl-errors(3)

---

ngl bestie, there's no scary warning here — just remember the return value is a pointer to a null-terminated string, and that CURLOPT_ERRORBUFFER(3) is the one with the extra runtime detail 💅

okay that's the whole page, ily, go forth and stringify your errors 🌸🦋💖

— libcurl, dated 2026-10-12, signing off like the icon she is 🎀👑