---
name: "CURLOPT_FILETIME"
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_FILETIME"
---

# CURLOPT\_FILETIME(3)

get the modification time of the remote resource

## NAME

CURLOPT\_FILETIME - get the modification time of the remote resource

## SYNOPSIS

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

## DESCRIPTION

Pass a long. If it is 1, libcurl attempts to get the modification time of the remote document in this operation. This requires that the remote server sends the time or replies to a time querying command. The *[curl\_easy\_getinfo(3)](/curl_easy_getinfo/3.md)* function with the *[CURLINFO\_FILETIME(3)](/CURLINFO_FILETIME/3.md)* argument can be used after a transfer to extract the received time (if any).

## DEFAULT

0

## PROTOCOLS

This functionality affects file, ftp, http and sftp

## EXAMPLE

```
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode result;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com/path.html");
    /* Ask for filetime */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_FILETIME, 1L);
    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    if(result == CURLE_OK) {
      long filetime;
      result = curl_easy_getinfo(curl, CURLINFO_FILETIME, &filetime);
      if((result == CURLE_OK) && (filetime >= 0)) {
        time_t file_time = (time_t)filetime;
        printf("filetime: %s", ctime(&file_time));
      }
    }
    /* always cleanup */
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
```

## AVAILABILITY

Added in curl 7.5

## 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\_FILETIME**(3)](/CURLINFO_FILETIME/3.md), [**curl\_easy\_getinfo**(3)](/curl_easy_getinfo/3.md)