curl/docs/cmdline-opts/max-filesize.md

---
c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
Long: max-filesize
Arg: <bytes>
Help: Maximum file size to download
Protocols: FTP HTTP MQTT
Category: connection
Added: 7.10.8
Multi: single
See-also:
  - limit-rate
Example:
  - --max-filesize 100K $URL
---

# `--max-filesize`

Specify the maximum size (in bytes) of a file to download. If the file
requested is larger than this value, the transfer does not start and curl
returns with exit code 63.

A size modifier may be used. For example, Appending 'k' or 'K' counts the
number as kilobytes, 'm' or 'M' makes it megabytes, while 'g' or 'G' makes it
gigabytes. Examples: 200K, 3m and 1G. (Added in 7.58.0)

**NOTE**: before curl 8.4.0, when the file size is not known prior to
download, for such files this option has no effect even if the file transfer
ends up being larger than this given limit.

Starting with curl 8.4.0, this option aborts the transfer if it reaches the
threshold during transfer.
docs/cmdline: change to .md for cmdline docs - switch all invidual files documenting command line options into .md, as the documentation is now markdown-looking. - made the parser treat 4-space indents as quotes - switch to building the curl.1 manpage using the "mainpage.idx" file, which lists the files to include to generate it, instead of using the previous page-footer/headers. Also, those files are now also .md ones, using the same format. I gave them underscore prefixes to make them sort separately: _NAME.md, _SYNOPSIS.md, _DESCRIPTION.md, _URL.md, _GLOBBING.md, _VARIABLES.md, _OUTPUT.md, _PROTOCOLS.md, _PROGRESS.md, _VERSION.md, _OPTIONS.md, _FILES.md, _ENVIRONMENT.md, _PROXYPREFIX.md, _EXITCODES.md, _BUGS.md, _AUTHORS.md, _WWW.md, _SEEALSO.md - updated test cases accordingly Closes #12751 2024-01-21 06:18:43 +08:00			`---`
copyright: update all copyright lines and remove year ranges - they are mostly pointless in all major jurisdictions - many big corporations and projects already don't use them - saves us from pointless churn - git keeps history for us - the year range is kept in COPYING checksrc is updated to allow non-year using copyright statements Closes #10205 2023-01-02 20:51:48 +08:00			`c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.`
docs/cmdline-opts: add copyright and license identifier to each file gen.pl now insists on C: and SPDX-License-Identifier: fields to be present in all files. Closes #9002 2022-06-14 06:12:03 +08:00			`SPDX-License-Identifier: curl`
cmdline-docs: more conversion 2016-11-16 21:20:36 +08:00			`Long: max-filesize`
			`Arg: <bytes>`
			`Help: Maximum file size to download`
docs: change max-filesize caveat again - Add protocols field to max-filesize.d. - Revert wording on unknown file size caveat and do not discuss specific protocols in that section. Partial revert of ecf0225. All max-filesize options now have the list of protocols and it's clearer just to have that list without discussing specific protocols in the caveat. Reported-by: Josh Soref Ref: https://github.com/curl/curl/issues/7453#issuecomment-884128762 2021-07-23 14:56:52 +08:00			`Protocols: FTP HTTP MQTT`
docs: add categories to all cmdline opts Adapted gen.pl with 'listcats' This commit is a part of "--help me if you can" Closes #5680 2020-07-13 20:15:04 +08:00			`Category: connection`
cmdline-opts: made the 'Added:' field mandatory Since "too old" versions are no longer included in the generated man page, this field is now mandatory so that it won't be forgotten and then not included in the documentation. Closes #7786 2021-09-28 17:50:07 +08:00			`Added: 7.10.8`
cmdline/docs: add a required 'multi' keyword for each option The keyword specifies how option works when specified multiple times: - single: the last provided value replaces the earlier ones - append: it supports being provided multiple times - boolean: on/off values - mutex: flag-like option that disable anoter flag The 'gen.pl' script then outputs the proper and unified language for each option's multi-use behavior in the generated man page. The multi: header is requires in each .d file and will cause build error if missing or set to an unknown value. Closes #9759 2022-10-18 16:39:43 +08:00			`Multi: single`
docs/cmdline: change to .md for cmdline docs - switch all invidual files documenting command line options into .md, as the documentation is now markdown-looking. - made the parser treat 4-space indents as quotes - switch to building the curl.1 manpage using the "mainpage.idx" file, which lists the files to include to generate it, instead of using the previous page-footer/headers. Also, those files are now also .md ones, using the same format. I gave them underscore prefixes to make them sort separately: _NAME.md, _SYNOPSIS.md, _DESCRIPTION.md, _URL.md, _GLOBBING.md, _VARIABLES.md, _OUTPUT.md, _PROTOCOLS.md, _PROGRESS.md, _VERSION.md, _OPTIONS.md, _FILES.md, _ENVIRONMENT.md, _PROXYPREFIX.md, _EXITCODES.md, _BUGS.md, _AUTHORS.md, _WWW.md, _SEEALSO.md - updated test cases accordingly Closes #12751 2024-01-21 06:18:43 +08:00			`See-also:`
			`- limit-rate`
			`Example:`
			`- --max-filesize 100K $URL`
cmdline-docs: more conversion 2016-11-16 21:20:36 +08:00			`---`
docs/cmdline: change to .md for cmdline docs - switch all invidual files documenting command line options into .md, as the documentation is now markdown-looking. - made the parser treat 4-space indents as quotes - switch to building the curl.1 manpage using the "mainpage.idx" file, which lists the files to include to generate it, instead of using the previous page-footer/headers. Also, those files are now also .md ones, using the same format. I gave them underscore prefixes to make them sort separately: _NAME.md, _SYNOPSIS.md, _DESCRIPTION.md, _URL.md, _GLOBBING.md, _VARIABLES.md, _OUTPUT.md, _PROTOCOLS.md, _PROGRESS.md, _VERSION.md, _OPTIONS.md, _FILES.md, _ENVIRONMENT.md, _PROXYPREFIX.md, _EXITCODES.md, _BUGS.md, _AUTHORS.md, _WWW.md, _SEEALSO.md - updated test cases accordingly Closes #12751 2024-01-21 06:18:43 +08:00
			# `--max-filesize`

cmdline-docs: more conversion 2016-11-16 21:20:36 +08:00			`Specify the maximum size (in bytes) of a file to download. If the file`
cmdline-docs: use present tense, not future + some smaller cleanups Closes #11821 2023-09-08 20:32:29 +08:00			`requested is larger than this value, the transfer does not start and curl`
			`returns with exit code 63.`
cmdline-docs: more conversion 2016-11-16 21:20:36 +08:00
cmdline-docs: use present tense, not future + some smaller cleanups Closes #11821 2023-09-08 20:32:29 +08:00			`A size modifier may be used. For example, Appending 'k' or 'K' counts the`
tool_getparam: Support size modifiers for --max-filesize - Move the size modifier detection code from limit-rate to its own function so that it can also be used with max-filesize. Size modifiers are the suffixes such as G (gigabyte), M (megabyte) etc. For example --max-filesize 1G Ref: https://curl.haxx.se/mail/archive-2017-12/0000.html Closes https://github.com/curl/curl/pull/2179 2017-12-18 06:26:10 +08:00			`number as kilobytes, 'm' or 'M' makes it megabytes, while 'g' or 'G' makes it`
			`gigabytes. Examples: 200K, 3m and 1G. (Added in 7.58.0)`

lib: let the max filesize option stop too big transfers too Previously it would only stop them from getting started if the size is known to be too big then. Update the libcurl and curl docs accordingly. Fixes #11810 Reported-by: Elliot Killick Assisted-by: Jay Satiro Closes #11820 2023-09-23 17:20:00 +08:00			`NOTE: before curl 8.4.0, when the file size is not known prior to`
			`download, for such files this option has no effect even if the file transfer`
			`ends up being larger than this given limit.`

			`Starting with curl 8.4.0, this option aborts the transfer if it reaches the`
			`threshold during transfer.`