Write out

--write-out or just -w for short, outputs text and information after a transfer is completed. It offers a large range of variables that you can include in the output, variables that have been set with values and information from the transfer.
Instruct curl to output a string by passing plain text to this option:
curl -w "formatted string" http://example.com/
…and you can also have curl read that string from a given file instead if you prefix the string with '@':
curl -w @filename http://example.com/
…or even have curl read the string from stdin if you use '-' as filename:
curl -w @- http://example.com/
Variables
The variables that are available are accessed by writing %{variable_name} in the string and that variable will then be substituted by the correct value. To output a plain % you write it as %%. You can also output a newline by using , a carriage return with  and a tab space with .
As an example, we can output the Content-Type and the response code from an HTTP transfer, separated with newlines and some extra text like this:
curl -w "Type: %{content_type}\nCode: %{response_code}\n" http://example.com
The output is sent to stdout by default so you probably want to make sure that you do not also send the downloaded content to stdout as then you might have a hard time to separate out the data; or use %{stderr} to send the output to stderr.
HTTP headers
This option also provides an easy to use way to output the contents of HTTP response headers from the most recent transfer.
Use %header{name} in the string, where name is the case insensitive name of the header (without the trailing colon). The output header contents are then shown exactly as was sent over the network, with leading and trailing whitespace trimmed. Like this:
curl -w "Server: %header{server}\n" http://example.com
Output
By default, this option makes the selected data get output on stdout. If that is not good enough, the pseudo-variable %{stderr} can be used to direct (the following) part to stderr and %{stdout} brings it back to stdout.
From curl 8.3.0, there is a feature that lets users send the write-out output to a file: %output{filename}. The data following will then be written to that file. If you rather have curl append to that file instead of creating it from scratch, prefix the file name with >>. Like this: %output{>>filename}.
A write-out argument can include output to stderr, stdout and files as the user sees fit.
Windows
NOTE: In Windows, the %-symbol is a special symbol used to expand environment variables. In batch files all occurrences of % must be doubled when using this option to properly escape. If this option is used at the command prompt then the % cannot be escaped and unintended expansion is possible.
Available --write-out variables
Some of these variables are not available in really old curl versions.
Variable
Description
certs
Outputs the certificate chain from the most recent TLS handshake - with details. (Introduced in 7.88.0)
content_type
Content-Type of the requested document, if there was any.
errormsg
Error message from the transfer. Empty if no error occurred. (Introduced in 7.75.0)
exitcode
Numerical exit code from the transfer. 0 if no error occurred. (Introduced in 7.75.0)
filename_effective
The ultimate filename that curl writes out to. Practical if curl is told to write to a file with the --remote-name or --output option. It's most useful in combination with the --remote-header-name option.
ftp_entry_path
The initial path curl ended up in when logging on to the remote FTP server.
http_code
The former variable name for what is now known as response_code.
http_connect
the numerical code that was found in the last response (from a proxy) to a curl CONNECT request.
http_version
The HTTP version that was used.
json
all write-out variables as a single JSON object. (Introduced in 7.72.0)
local_ip
IP address of the local end of the most recently used connection - can be either IPv4 or IPv6
local_port
Local port number of the most recently used connection
method
HTTP method the most recent request used
num_certs
Number of the certificates in the most recent TLS handshake. (Introduced in 7.88.0)
num_connects
Number of new connects made in the recent transfer.
num_headers
Number of response headers in the last response
num_redirects
Number of redirects that were followed in the request.
onerror
If the transfer ended with an error, show the rest of the string, otherwise stop here. (Introduced in 7.75.0)
proxy_ssl_verify_result
The result of the SSL peer certificate verification that was requested when communicating with a proxy. 0 means the verification was successful.
redirect_url
The actual URL a redirect would take you to when an HTTP request was made without -L to follow redirects.
remote_ip
The remote IP address of the most recently used connection — can be either IPv4 or IPv6.
remote_port
The remote port number of the most recently made connection.
response_code
The numerical response code that was found in the last transfer.
scheme
scheme used in the previous URL
size_download
Total number of bytes that were downloaded.
size_header
Total number of bytes of the downloaded headers.
size_request
Total number of bytes that were sent in the HTTP request.
size_upload
Total number of bytes that were uploaded.
speed_download
Average download speed that curl measured for the complete download in bytes per second.
speed_upload
Average upload speed that curl measured for the complete upload in bytes per second.
ssl_verify_result
the result of the SSL peer certificate verification that was requested. 0 means the verification was successful.
stderr
Makes the rest of the output get written to stderr.
stdout
makes the rest of the output get written to stdout.
time_appconnect
The time in seconds, it took from the start until the SSL/SSH/etc connect/handshake to the remote host was completed.
time_connect
The time in seconds, it took from the start until the TCP connect to the remote host (or proxy) was completed.
time_namelookup
The time in seconds, it took from the start until the name resolving was completed.
time_pretransfer
The time in seconds, it took from the start until the file transfer was just about to begin. This includes all pre-transfer commands and negotiations that are specific to the particular protocol(s) involved.
time_redirect
The time in seconds, it took for all redirection steps including name lookup, connect, pre-transfer and transfer before the final transaction was started. time_redirect the complete execution time for multiple redirections.
time_starttransfer
The time in seconds, it took from the start until the first byte was just about to be transferred. This includes time_pretransfer and also the time the server needed to calculate the result.
time_total
The total time in seconds, that the full operation lasted. The time will be displayed with millisecond resolution.
url
The URL used in the transfer. (Introduced in 7.75.0)
url_effective
The URL that was fetched last. This is particularly meaningful if you have told curl to follow Location: headers (with -L).
urlnum
0-based numerical index of the URL used in the transfer. (Introduced in 7.75.0)
In curl 8.1.0, variables to output only specific URL components were added. When the url or url_effective show more than you want.
Variable
Description
url.scheme
The scheme part of the URL that was fetched.
url.user
The user part of the URL that was fetched.
url.password
The password part of the URL that was fetched.
url.options
The options part of the URL that was fetched. Only available for some schemes.
url.host
The host name part of the URL that was fetched.
url.path
The path part of the URL that was fetched.
url.query
The query part of the URL that was fetched.
url.fragment
The fragment part of the URL that was fetched.
url.zoneid
The zone id part of the URL that was fetched. Only available if the host name is an IPv6 address.
urle.scheme
The scheme part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
urle.user
The user part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
urle.password
The password part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
urle.options
The options part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched. Only available for some schemes.
urle.host
The host name part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
urle.path
The path part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
urle.query
The query part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
urle.fragment
The fragment part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
urle.zoneid
The zone id part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched. Only available if the host name is an IPv6 address.

Variable	Description
`certs`	Outputs the certificate chain from the most recent TLS handshake - with details. (Introduced in 7.88.0)
`content_type`	Content-Type of the requested document, if there was any.
`errormsg`	Error message from the transfer. Empty if no error occurred. (Introduced in 7.75.0)
`exitcode`	Numerical exit code from the transfer. 0 if no error occurred. (Introduced in 7.75.0)
`filename_effective`	The ultimate filename that curl writes out to. Practical if curl is told to write to a file with the `--remote-name` or `--output` option. It's most useful in combination with the `--remote-header-name` option.
`ftp_entry_path`	The initial path curl ended up in when logging on to the remote FTP server.
`http_code`	The former variable name for what is now known as `response_code`.
`http_connect`	the numerical code that was found in the last response (from a proxy) to a curl CONNECT request.
`http_version`	The HTTP version that was used.
`json`	all write-out variables as a single JSON object. (Introduced in 7.72.0)
`local_ip`	IP address of the local end of the most recently used connection - can be either IPv4 or IPv6
`local_port`	Local port number of the most recently used connection
`method`	HTTP method the most recent request used
`num_certs`	Number of the certificates in the most recent TLS handshake. (Introduced in 7.88.0)
`num_connects`	Number of new connects made in the recent transfer.
`num_headers`	Number of response headers in the last response
`num_redirects`	Number of redirects that were followed in the request.
`onerror`	If the transfer ended with an error, show the rest of the string, otherwise stop here. (Introduced in 7.75.0)
`proxy_ssl_verify_result`	The result of the SSL peer certificate verification that was requested when communicating with a proxy. 0 means the verification was successful.
`redirect_url`	The actual URL a redirect would take you to when an HTTP request was made without `-L` to follow redirects.
`remote_ip`	The remote IP address of the most recently used connection — can be either IPv4 or IPv6.
`remote_port`	The remote port number of the most recently made connection.
`response_code`	The numerical response code that was found in the last transfer.
`scheme`	scheme used in the previous URL
`size_download`	Total number of bytes that were downloaded.
`size_header`	Total number of bytes of the downloaded headers.
`size_request`	Total number of bytes that were sent in the HTTP request.
`size_upload`	Total number of bytes that were uploaded.
`speed_download`	Average download speed that curl measured for the complete download in bytes per second.
`speed_upload`	Average upload speed that curl measured for the complete upload in bytes per second.
`ssl_verify_result`	the result of the SSL peer certificate verification that was requested. 0 means the verification was successful.
`stderr`	Makes the rest of the output get written to stderr.
`stdout`	makes the rest of the output get written to stdout.
`time_appconnect`	The time in seconds, it took from the start until the SSL/SSH/etc connect/handshake to the remote host was completed.
`time_connect`	The time in seconds, it took from the start until the TCP connect to the remote host (or proxy) was completed.
`time_namelookup`	The time in seconds, it took from the start until the name resolving was completed.
`time_pretransfer`	The time in seconds, it took from the start until the file transfer was just about to begin. This includes all pre-transfer commands and negotiations that are specific to the particular protocol(s) involved.
`time_redirect`	The time in seconds, it took for all redirection steps including name lookup, connect, pre-transfer and transfer before the final transaction was started. time_redirect the complete execution time for multiple redirections.
`time_starttransfer`	The time in seconds, it took from the start until the first byte was just about to be transferred. This includes time_pretransfer and also the time the server needed to calculate the result.
`time_total`	The total time in seconds, that the full operation lasted. The time will be displayed with millisecond resolution.
`url`	The URL used in the transfer. (Introduced in 7.75.0)
`url_effective`	The URL that was fetched last. This is particularly meaningful if you have told curl to follow Location: headers (with `-L`).
`urlnum`	0-based numerical index of the URL used in the transfer. (Introduced in 7.75.0)

Variable	Description
`url.scheme`	The scheme part of the URL that was fetched.
`url.user`	The user part of the URL that was fetched.
`url.password`	The password part of the URL that was fetched.
`url.options`	The options part of the URL that was fetched. Only available for some schemes.
`url.host`	The host name part of the URL that was fetched.
`url.path`	The path part of the URL that was fetched.
`url.query`	The query part of the URL that was fetched.
`url.fragment`	The fragment part of the URL that was fetched.
`url.zoneid`	The zone id part of the URL that was fetched. Only available if the host name is an IPv6 address.
`urle.scheme`	The scheme part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
`urle.user`	The user part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
`urle.password`	The password part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
`urle.options`	The options part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched. Only available for some schemes.
`urle.host`	The host name part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
`urle.path`	The path part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
`urle.query`	The query part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
`urle.fragment`	The fragment part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched.
`urle.zoneid`	The zone id part of the effective (last) URL that was fetched. Only available if the host name is an IPv6 address.

Trace options

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Last modified 1mo ago