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cpp-httplib/docs-src/pages/en/cookbook/s16-disconnect.md
2026-04-10 18:47:42 -04:00

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---
title: "S16. Detect When the Client Has Disconnected"
order: 35
status: "draft"
---
During a long-running response, the client might close the connection. There's no point continuing to do work no one's waiting for. In cpp-httplib, check `req.is_connection_closed()`.
## Basic usage
```cpp
svr.Get("/long-task", [](const httplib::Request &req, httplib::Response &res) {
for (int i = 0; i < 1000; ++i) {
if (req.is_connection_closed()) {
std::cout << "client disconnected" << std::endl;
return;
}
do_heavy_work(i);
}
res.set_content("done", "text/plain");
});
```
`is_connection_closed` is a `std::function<bool()>`, so call it with `()`. It returns `true` when the client is gone.
## With a streaming response
The same check works inside `set_chunked_content_provider()`. Capture the request by reference.
```cpp
svr.Get("/events", [](const httplib::Request &req, httplib::Response &res) {
res.set_chunked_content_provider(
"text/event-stream",
[&req](size_t offset, httplib::DataSink &sink) {
if (req.is_connection_closed()) {
sink.done();
return true;
}
auto event = generate_next_event();
sink.write(event.data(), event.size());
return true;
});
});
```
When you detect a disconnect, call `sink.done()` to stop the provider from being called again.
## How often should you check?
The call itself is cheap, but calling it in a tight inner loop doesn't add much value. Check at **boundaries where interrupting is safe** — after producing a chunk, after a database query, etc.
> **Warning:** `is_connection_closed()` is not guaranteed to reflect reality instantly. Because of how TCP works, sometimes you only notice the disconnect when you try to send. Don't expect pixel-perfect real-time detection — think of it as "we'll notice eventually."