---
name: "CURLOPT_QUOTE"
section: "3"
platform: "macos"
package: "curl"
version: "166.0.0.0.1"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/CURLOPT_QUOTE"
---

# CURLOPT\_QUOTE(3)

(S)FTP commands to run before transfer

## NAME

CURLOPT\_QUOTE - (S)FTP commands to run before transfer

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_QUOTE,
                          struct curl_slist *cmds);
```

## DESCRIPTION

Pass a pointer to a linked list of FTP or SFTP commands to pass to the server prior to your request. This is done before any other commands are issued (even before the CWD command for FTP). The linked list should be a fully valid list of 'struct curl\_slist' structs properly filled in with text strings. Use *[curl\_slist\_append(3)](/curl_slist_append/3.md)* to append strings (commands) to the list, and clear the entire list afterwards with *[curl\_slist\_free\_all(3)](/curl_slist_free_all/3.md)*.

Disable this operation again by setting a NULL to this option.

When speaking to an FTP server, prefix the command with an asterisk (\*) to make libcurl continue even if the command fails as by default libcurl stops at first failure.

The set of valid FTP commands depends on the server (see RFC 959 for a list of mandatory commands).

libcurl does not inspect, parse or "understand" the commands passed to the server using this option. If you change connection state, working directory or similar using quote commands, libcurl does not know about it.

The path arguments for FTP or SFTP can use single or double quotes to distinguish a space from being the parameter separator or being a part of the path. e.g. rename with sftp using a quote command like this:

```
"rename 'test/_upload.txt' 'test/Hello World.txt'"
```

## SFTP commands

- atime date file

  The atime command sets the last access time of the file named by the file operand. The \<date expression\> can be all sorts of date strings, see the *[curl\_getdate(3)](/curl_getdate/3.md)* man page for date expression details. (Added in 7.73.0)

- chgrp group file

  The chgrp command sets the group ID of the file named by the file operand to the group ID specified by the group operand. The group operand is a decimal integer group ID.

- chmod mode file

  The chmod command modifies the file mode bits of the specified file. The mode operand is an octal integer mode number.

- chown user file

  The chown command sets the owner of the file named by the file operand to the user ID specified by the user operand. The user operand is a decimal integer user ID.

- ln source\_file target\_file

  The **ln** and **symlink** commands create a symbolic link at the target\_file location pointing to the source\_file location.

- mkdir directory\_name

  The mkdir command creates the directory named by the directory\_name operand.

- mtime date file

  The mtime command sets the last modification time of the file named by the file operand. The \<date expression\> can be all sorts of date strings, see the *[curl\_getdate(3)](/curl_getdate/3.md)* man page for date expression details. (Added in 7.73.0)

- pwd

  The **pwd** command returns the absolute path of the current working directory.

- rename source target

  The rename command renames the file or directory named by the source operand to the destination path named by the target operand.

- rm file

  The rm command removes the file specified by the file operand.

- rmdir directory

  The rmdir command removes the directory entry specified by the directory operand, provided it is empty.

- statvfs file

  The statvfs command returns statistics on the file system in which specified file resides. (Added in 7.49.0)

- symlink source\_file target\_file

  See ln.

## DEFAULT

NULL

## PROTOCOLS

SFTP and FTP

## EXAMPLE

```
int main(void)
{
  struct curl_slist *cmdlist = NULL;
  cmdlist = curl_slist_append(cmdlist, "RNFR source-name");
  cmdlist = curl_slist_append(cmdlist, "RNTO new-name");
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode res;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "ftp://example.com/foo.bin");
    /* pass in the FTP commands to run before the transfer */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_QUOTE, cmdlist);
    res = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
```

## AVAILABILITY

SFTP support added in 7.16.3. \*-prefix for SFTP added in 7.24.0

## RETURN VALUE

Returns CURLE\_OK

## SEE ALSO

[**CURLOPT\_CUSTOMREQUEST**(3)](/CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_DIRLISTONLY**(3)](/CURLOPT_DIRLISTONLY/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_POSTQUOTE**(3)](/CURLOPT_POSTQUOTE/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_PREQUOTE**(3)](/CURLOPT_PREQUOTE/3.md)