For a straightforward website, use HTTrack Website Copier: enter the site’s final URL, choose the normal “Download web site(s)” mirror action, select a local folder, and let it crawl. HTTrack saves reachable pages and files and rewrites links so you can browse the copy offline. It cannot guarantee a complete copy of every site, especially pages hidden from the crawl or features that depend on a live server.
What a website download includes—and what it does not
A website mirror is a local collection of files retrieved by following links from a starting URL. HTTrack describes retrieving HTML, images and other files recursively, arranging directories and links for local browsing. It can also resume an interrupted mirror or update an existing one. See the HTTrack product documentation.
“Entire website” is an aspiration, not a guarantee. A crawler can only retrieve resources it can reach and is allowed to access. A mirror is not an export of a site’s server-side database, user accounts, or live application state. Pages requiring a login, a form submission, client-side interactions or server responses may not behave as they do online, even if some associated files are downloaded.
Use a mirror only for content you are authorized to access and save. Keep the crawl within the intended site, obey its crawling rules, and do not try to bypass access controls. HTTrack’s interface guide says its default behavior respects robots.txt and warns that ignoring site rules can result in crawlers being blocked: HTTrack interface guide.
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Download a site with HTTrack’s graphical interface
- Choose the starting address. Use the URL you are authorized to copy. If the bare domain redirects to a different host, such as a
wwwaddress, start with the final destination URL. By default, HTTrack stays on the starting host, so a redirect to another host can make it seem as if only the home page was downloaded. The command-line guide explains this scope behavior. - Start a new project. In HTTrack, enter a project name and choose a local output directory where you have enough room for the files.
- Enter the site address and action. Enter the starting URL and choose Download web site(s), the normal mirror action described in the interface guide.
- Keep the initial crawl conservative. Start with the default scope rather than broadening it across other hosts. Change filters or scope only if the site’s structure requires it and you understand which additional URLs will be included.
- Start the mirror and let it run. The size and duration depend on the reachable pages and files; the documentation does not establish a general time or size estimate. HTTrack can continue a cancelled or crashed mirror later.
- Review the log and open the local index. A completion message does not prove every page or asset was retrieved. Read the log, open the saved index page, and follow internal links to inspect the copy.
Run a basic mirror from the command line
HTTrack’s documented quick-start command is:
httrack https://example.com/ --path mydirReplace https://example.com/ with the site’s authorized starting URL and mydir with the desired output directory. The command-line guide says the default crawl stays on the starting host and follows links to any depth, with directory travel proceeding down from the starting location. That conservative default helps avoid crawling unrelated hosts, but it can also exclude pages on a legitimate alternate host.
HTTrack is available through both a graphical workflow and a command line. The official product page lists version 3.50-4, dated September 25, 2026; its version announcement notes HTTPS support, files larger than 2 GB, longer Windows paths and WARC output. Those are product-page statements, not independent performance measurements. Check the product page for the current release and platform details.
Improve coverage without letting the crawl sprawl
Start with the final host
Redirects are a common reason a mirror contains only the home page. For example, if you start at a bare domain and it redirects to a www host, HTTrack’s same-host default may not follow the site as you expect. Start with the final URL, or deliberately allow the real alternate host if the site needs it. Avoid widening the scope indiscriminately: it can pull in pages beyond your intended site.
Use sitemap entries when links do not expose every page
A page may be listed in a sitemap but not linked from any page the crawler visits. HTTrack documents sitemap seeding as an option, and says it is off by default. If you enable it, review the sitemap URLs and your filters first: the sitemap may expose many more pages than you intend to save. Sitemap seeding adds candidate URLs; it does not override normal crawl scope or filters. See the command-line guide.
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Use filters and host scope deliberately
Filters can include or exclude URLs, while scope determines which hosts and paths the crawler can follow. These controls affect coverage: a restrictive filter can omit wanted pages or assets; a broad scope can include unrelated material. If a page is missing, inspect the applicable rules before expanding the crawl.
Handle login and interactions as uncertain cases
HTTrack’s interface guide describes optional login credentials for a URL and a browser-assisted method for capturing a URL requested after a form submission or scripted interaction. These options may help with a specific reachable page, but they do not guarantee that an authenticated or interactive application can be reproduced as a complete offline site. Do not treat a file mirror as a substitute for an authorized application or data export.
Check that the saved copy works offline
- Read the HTTrack log and note failed or missing resources instead of assuming that the crawl is complete.
- Open the saved
index.htmlfrom the output folder and follow representative internal links. - Check representative images, stylesheets and documents. A page can appear present while some of its assets are absent.
- If practical, disconnect from the network while checking. This helps reveal links or assets that still depend on the live site.
- For a cancelled or crashed run, use HTTrack’s Continue action to resume. To recheck an existing project and retrieve changed content using its prior project cache, use Update. These actions are described in the interface guide.
These checks are practical ways to inspect the local result; they are not a guarantee that every feature or URL has been captured.
HTTrack or GNU Wget?
Both are free tools documented by their publishers. HTTrack is a directly documented website-mirroring workflow with a graphical interface as well as command-line use, and it rewrites links for local browsing. GNU Wget is a non-interactive command-line utility; its official overview describes recursive web downloads, robots.txt behavior and link conversion for offline viewing. The better fit depends on whether you prefer a guided interface or command-line jobs, and on the target site’s structure. Neither product’s cited documentation establishes that it will capture every modern website more completely in all circumstances.
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For Wget’s exact options, consult its official manual overview and the current manual rather than assuming HTTrack’s flags apply.
| Need | HTTrack | GNU Wget |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Graphical releases and command line, according to HTTrack’s official documentation. | Non-interactive command-line utility, according to the GNU Wget manual. |
| Offline links | Rewrites links for local browsing. | The manual documents link conversion for offline viewing. |
| Crawl controls covered by the cited documentation | Scope, filters, limits and sitemap seeding are documented in HTTrack’s guides. | Recursive retrieval is described in the official overview; consult the current manual for exact flags. |
| Likely fit | A reader seeking a guided website mirror workflow. | A reader comfortable with scripted or command-line download jobs. |
Troubleshoot a mirror that is incomplete
Only the home page came down
Check the log and the starting URL’s redirect destination. If the destination is on another host, HTTrack’s default same-host scope may stop further crawling. Start from the final host or deliberately allow the site’s actual alias; do not broaden scope beyond what is needed. The command-line guide explicitly describes the “only the home page came down” scope surprise.
Some pages are missing
Check filters and scope first. Then determine whether the missing URLs are linked from crawled pages or appear only in a sitemap. Sitemap seeding may add sitemap-listed pages, subject to the crawl’s normal scope and filters.
Images, styles or other files are missing
Read the log and inspect the scan rules. The interface guide cautions that a mirror that looks complete can still lack images or other resources. Check that the missing resources were not excluded by a filter or placed outside the crawl’s scope.
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A server returns 403
A 403 is a refusal from the server, not a robots.txt setting. HTTrack’s command-line guide says changing robots options will not fix it. Respect the refusal; do not use crawler settings to evade access controls.
A login or script-dependent page does not work offline
Saving files does not export the site’s server-side state or recreate all application behavior. HTTrack documents login and browser-assisted options for particular URLs, but those options do not promise a working offline version of an entire interactive application.
The run was interrupted
Use Continue to resume a cancelled or crashed mirror, or Update to recheck an existing project and download changed content using its previous project cache, as described by the interface guide.
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If you need an image or PDF of a page rather than a browsable offline copy of an entire site, ScreenshotNeo offers a website screenshot API and MCP server. A screenshot is not a website mirror: it does not preserve internal navigation or give you the site’s files for offline browsing. For a single-page capture, the API accepts a URL in one GET request. The code below saves the response as a WebP file; see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options and response details.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for free.
Plan for storage, time and scope
A mirror can contain HTML, images and other files, so choose an output location with room for the pages and assets you actually intend to keep. The cited documentation does not give a universal storage estimate or a guaranteed crawl duration; both depend on the target site and crawl scope. Keep the scope narrow at first, inspect what was retrieved, then decide whether to add specific hosts or sitemap-listed URLs.
HTTrack supports continuing and updating a project, which can avoid starting over after an interruption or when refreshing an existing mirror. The result remains a crawl-based local copy: missing links, refusals, changing pages and live application dependencies can limit what is available offline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will downloaded links keep working without internet?
Internal links work offline when their destination pages were retrieved and the local links were rewritten correctly. Links to uncaptured pages or external sites may still require an internet connection.
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HTTrack documents login-related and browser-assisted options for particular URLs, but that does not ensure a complete offline copy of an authenticated application. You need authorization, and server-side data or live behavior may not be included.
Is a screenshot service a replacement for a website mirror?
No. A screenshot preserves a visual capture of a page, not a navigable local copy of the site’s pages and files.
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