---
name: "CURLOPT_TIMEOUT_MS"
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_TIMEOUT_MS"
---

# CURLOPT\_TIMEOUT\_MS(3)

maximum time the transfer is allowed to complete

## NAME

CURLOPT\_TIMEOUT\_MS - maximum time the transfer is allowed to complete

## SYNOPSIS

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

## DESCRIPTION

Pass a long as parameter containing *timeout* - the maximum time in milliseconds that you allow the libcurl transfer operation to take.

See *[CURLOPT\_TIMEOUT(3)](/CURLOPT_TIMEOUT/3.md)* for details.

## DEFAULT

0 (zero) which means it never times out during transfer.

## PROTOCOLS

This functionality affects all supported protocols

## EXAMPLE

```
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode result;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com");
    /* complete within 20000 milliseconds */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT_MS, 20000L);
    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
```

## AVAILABILITY

Added in curl 7.16.2

## 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\_CONNECTTIMEOUT**(3)](/CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_LOW\_SPEED\_LIMIT**(3)](/CURLOPT_LOW_SPEED_LIMIT/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_TCP\_KEEPALIVE**(3)](/CURLOPT_TCP_KEEPALIVE/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_TIMEOUT**(3)](/CURLOPT_TIMEOUT/3.md)