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

# [NAME](#NAME)

CURLOPT\_TIMECONDITION - select condition for a time request

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

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

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Pass a long as parameter. This defines how the [*CURLOPT\_TIMEVALUE(3)*](/man/os/curl/CURLOPT_TIMEVALUE.3) 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)*](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_getinfo.3) 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](#DEFAULT)

CURL\_TIMECOND\_NONE (0)

# [PROTOCOLS](#PROTOCOLS)

This functionality affects file, ftp and http

# [EXAMPLE](#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](#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)*](/man/os/curl/curl_easy_setopt.3).

# [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)

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

2026-09-24 libcurl

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