CURLOPT\_STDERR(3) Library Functions Manual CURLOPT\_STDERR(3)

# [NAME](#NAME)

CURLOPT\_STDERR - redirect stderr to another stream

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

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

# [DESCRIPTION](#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)*](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_VERBOSE.3) 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)*](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_DEBUGFUNCTION.3).

# [DEFAULT](#DEFAULT)

stderr

# [PROTOCOLS](#PROTOCOLS)

This functionality affects all supported protocols

# [EXAMPLE](#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](#AVAILABILITY)

Added in curl 7.1

# [RETURN VALUE](#RETURN_VALUE)

[*curl\_easy\_setopt(3)*](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_setopt.3) returns a CURLcode indicating success or error.

CURLE\_OK (0) means everything was OK, non-zero means an error occurred, see [*libcurl-errors(3)*](/man/os/curl/libcurl-errors.3).

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

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

2026-09-24 libcurl

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Document: CURLOPT_STDERR(3) from curl 8.22.0-r3 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/curl/curl.git