---
name: "CURLOPT_STDERR"
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_STDERR"
---

# CURLOPT\_STDERR(3)

redirect stderr to another stream

## NAME

CURLOPT\_STDERR - redirect stderr to another stream

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_STDERR, FILE *stream);
```

## DESCRIPTION

Pass a FILE \* as parameter. Tell libcurl to use this *stream* instead of stderr when showing the progress meter and displaying *[CURLOPT\_VERBOSE(3)](/CURLOPT_VERBOSE/3.md)* data.

If you are using libcurl as a Windows DLL, this option causes an exception and a crash in the library since it cannot access a FILE \* passed on from the application. A workaround is to instead use *[CURLOPT\_DEBUGFUNCTION(3)](/CURLOPT_DEBUGFUNCTION/3.md)*.

## DEFAULT

stderr

## PROTOCOLS

This functionality affects all supported protocols

## EXAMPLE

```
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl;
  FILE *filep = fopen("dump", "wb");
  if(!filep)
    return 1;
  curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode result;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com");
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_STDERR, filep);
    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
  fclose(filep);
}
```

## AVAILABILITY

Added in curl 7.1

## 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

[**CURLOPT\_DEBUGFUNCTION**(3)](/CURLOPT_DEBUGFUNCTION/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_NOPROGRESS**(3)](/CURLOPT_NOPROGRESS/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_VERBOSE**(3)](/CURLOPT_VERBOSE/3.md)