---
name: "CURLOPT_TIMECONDITION"
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_TIMECONDITION"
---

# CURLOPT\_TIMECONDITION(3)

select condition for a time request

## NAME

CURLOPT\_TIMECONDITION - select condition for a time request

## SYNOPSIS

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

## DESCRIPTION

Pass a long as parameter. This defines how the *[CURLOPT\_TIMEVALUE(3)](/CURLOPT_TIMEVALUE/3.md)* time value is treated. You can set this parameter to *CURL\_TIMECOND\_IFMODSINCE* or *CURL\_TIMECOND\_IFUNMODSINCE*.

The last modification time of a file is not always known and in such instances this feature has no effect even if the given time condition would not have been met. *[curl\_easy\_getinfo(3)](/curl_easy_getinfo/3.md)* with the *CURLINFO\_CONDITION\_UNMET* option can be used after a transfer to learn if a zero-byte successful "transfer" was due to this condition not matching.

## DEFAULT

CURL\_TIMECOND\_NONE (0)

## PROTOCOLS

This functionality affects file, ftp and http

## EXAMPLE

```
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode result;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com");
    /* January 1, 2020 is 1577833200 */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_TIMEVALUE, 1577833200L);
    /* If-Modified-Since the above time stamp */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_TIMECONDITION, CURL_TIMECOND_IFMODSINCE);
    /* Perform the request */
    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
```

## HISTORY

**CURL\_TIMECOND\_**\* enums became *long* types in 8.13.0, prior to this version a *long* cast was necessary when passed to *[curl\_easy\_setopt(3)](/curl_easy_setopt/3.md)*.

## 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

[**CURLINFO\_FILETIME**(3)](/CURLINFO_FILETIME/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_TIMEVALUE**(3)](/CURLOPT_TIMEVALUE/3.md)