httrack1

Offline browser : copy websites to a local directory

Usage

httrack [url] ... [-filter] ... [+filter] ... [-O, --path] [-w, --mirror] [-W, --mirror-wizard] [-g, --get-files] [-i, --continue] [-Y, --mirrorlinks] [-P, --proxy] [-%f, --httpproxy-ftp [=0]] [-%b, --bind] [-rN, --depth [=N]] [-%eN, --ext-depth [=N]] [-mN, --max-files [=N]] [-MN, --max-size [=N]] [-EN, --max-time [=N]] [-AN, --max-rate [=N]] [-%cN, --connection-per-second [=N]] [-%G, --pause] [-%JN, --max-retry-after [=N]] [-GN, --max-pause [=N]] [-cN, --sockets [=N]] [-TN, --timeout [=N]] [-RN, --retries [=N]] [-JN, --min-rate [=N]] [-HN, --host-control [=N]] [-%P, --extended-parsing [=0]] [-n, --near] [-t, --test] [-%L, --list] [-%S, --urllist] [-%m, --sitemap] [-NN, --structure [=N]] [-%N, --delayed-type-check [=N]] [-%D, --cached-delayed-type-check [=0]] [-%M, --mime-html [=0]] [-%Z, --single-file [=0]] [-LN, --long-names [=N]] [-KN, --keep-links [=N]] [-x, --replace-external] [-%x, --disable-passwords [=0]] [-%q, --include-query-string [=0]] [-%g, --strip-query] [-%C, --host-alias] [-o, --generate-errors [=N]] [-X, --purge-old [=0]] [-%p, --preserve] [-%T, --utf8-conversion [=0]] [-bN, --cookies [=N]] [-%K, --cookies-file] [-%Y, --why] [-u, --check-type [=N]] [-j, --parse-java [=N]] [-sN, --robots [=N]] [-%h, --http-10 [=0]] [-%k, --keep-alive [=0]] [-%z, --disable-compression [=0]] [-%B, --tolerant [=0]] [-%s, --updatehack [=0]] [-%u, --urlhack [=0]] [-%A, --assume] [-@iN, --protocol [=N]] [-@mN, --mptcp [=0]] [-%w, --disable-module] [-F, --user-agent] [-%R, --referer] [-%E, --from] [-%F, --footer] [-%l, --language] [-%a, --accept] [-%X, --headers] [-C, --cache [=N]] [-k, --store-all-in-cache] [-%r, --warc] [-%d, --changes [=0]] [-%n, --do-not-recatch [=0]] [-%v, --display [=N]] [-Q, --do-not-log] [-q, --quiet] [-z, --extra-log] [-Z, --debug-log] [-v, --verbose] [-f, --file-log] [-f2, --single-log] [-I, --index [=0]] [-%i, --build-top-index [=0]] [-%I, --search-index [=N]] [-pN, --priority [=N]] [-S, --stay-on-same-dir] [-D, --can-go-down] [-U, --can-go-up] [-B, --can-go-up-and-down] [-a, --stay-on-same-address] [-d, --stay-on-same-domain] [-l, --stay-on-same-tld] [-e, --go-everywhere] [-%H, --debug-headers] [-%!, --disable-security-limits [=0]] [-V, --userdef-cmd] [-%W, --callback] [-y, --background-on-suspend [=0]] [-K, --keep-links [=N]]

Overview

httrack allows you to download a World Wide Web site from the Internet to a local directory, building recursively all directories, getting HTML, images, and other files from the server to your computer. HTTrack arranges the original site's relative link-structure. Simply open a page of the "mirrored" website in your browser, and you can browse the site from link to link, as if you were viewing it online. HTTrack can also update an existing mirrored site, and resume interrupted downloads.

Examples

httrack www.example.com/bob/: mirror site www.example.com/bob/ and only this site

httrack www.example.com/bob/ other.example.com/mike/ +*.com/*.jpg -mime:application/*: mirror the two sites together (with shared links) and accept any .jpg files on .com sites

httrack www.example.com/bob/bobby.html +* -r6

httrack www.example.com/bob/bobby.html --spider -P proxy.example.com:8080

httrack --update

httrack

httrack --continue

Options

General options:

-O: path for mirror/logfiles+cache (-O path_mirror[,path_cache_and_logfiles]) (--path <param>)

Action options:

-w: *mirror web sites (--mirror)

-W: mirror web sites, semi-automatic (asks questions) (--mirror-wizard)

-g: just get files (saved in the current directory) (--get-files)

-i: continue an interrupted mirror using the cache (--continue)

-Y: mirror ALL links located in the first level pages (mirror links) (--mirrorlinks)

Proxy options:

-P: proxy use (-P [socks5://|connect://][user:pass@]proxy:port) (--proxy <param>)

`-%f`	*use proxy for ftp (f0 don't use) (--httpproxy-ftp[=0])
`-%b`	use this local hostname to make/send requests (-%b hostname) (--bind <param>)

Limits options:

-rN: set the mirror depth to N (* r9999) (--depth[=N])

-%eN: set the external links depth to N (* %e0) (--ext-depth[=N])

-mN: maximum file length for a non-html file (--max-files[=N])

-mN,N2: maximum file length for non html (N) and html (N2)

-MN: maximum overall size that can be uploaded/scanned (--max-size[=N])

-EN: maximum mirror time in seconds (60=1 minute, 3600=1 hour) (--max-time[=N])

-AN: maximum transfer rate in bytes/seconds (1000=1KB/s max) (--max-rate[=N])

-%cN: maximum number of connections/seconds (*%c5) (--connection-per-second[=N])

-%G: random pause of MIN[:MAX] seconds between files (e.g. %G5:10) (--pause <param>)

-%JN: longest Retry-After obeyed, in seconds (*%J60, 0=no wait) (--max-retry-after[=N])

-GN: pause transfer if N bytes reached, and wait until lock file is deleted (--max-pause[=N])

Flow control:

-cN: number of multiple connections (*c4) (--sockets[=N])

-TN: timeout, number of seconds after a non-responding link is shutdown; also bounds host name resolution (--timeout[=N])

-RN: number of retries, in case of timeout or non-fatal errors (*R2) (--retries[=N])

-JN: traffic jam control, minimum transfert rate (bytes/seconds) tolerated for a link (--min-rate[=N])

-HN: host is abandoned if: 0=never, 1=timeout, 2=slow, 3=timeout or slow (--host-control[=N])

Links options:

-%P: *extended parsing, attempt to parse all links, even in unknown tags or Javascript (%P0 don't use) (--extended-parsing[=0])

-n: get non-html files 'near' an html file (ex: an image located outside) (--near)

-t: test all URLs (even forbidden ones) (--test)

-%L: <file> add all URL located in this text file (one URL per line) (--list <param>)

-%S: <file> add all scan rules located in this text file (one scan rule per line) (--urllist <param>)

-%m: seed the crawl from the site's sitemap (robots.txt Sitemap:, then /sitemap.xml); --sitemap-url URL names one explicitly. A sitemap you name, or one the site declares, is fetched even under robots.txt Disallow; only the guessed /sitemap.xml obeys it. The URLs found still pass every filter and scope rule (--sitemap)

Build options:

-NN: structure type (0 *original structure, 1+: see below) (--structure[=N])
or user defined structure (-N "%h%p/%n%q.%t", --structure or --user-structure)
--structure takes one preset or template: -N1L0 clusters more short options, --structure=1L0 is refused

-%N: delayed type check, don't make any link test but wait for files download to start instead (experimental) (%N0 don't use, %N1 use for unknown extensions, * %N2 always use) (--delayed-type-check[=N])

-%D: cached delayed type check, don't wait for remote type during updates, to speedup them (%D0 wait, * %D1 don't wait) (--cached-delayed-type-check[=0])

-%M: generate a RFC MIME-encapsulated full-archive (.mht) (--mime-html[=0])

-%Z: after the mirror, rewrite each saved page with its stylesheets, scripts, images and fonts inlined as data: URIs, so any page opens by double-click anywhere (links between pages stay relative; audio and video stay links); --single-file-max-size N caps each asset (default 10485760 bytes). %M is the better container where a Chromium-family browser is a given: one archive, no base64 tax on text, a shared asset stored once (--single-file[=0])

-%t: keep the original file extension, don't rewrite it from the MIME type (%t0 rewrite)

-LN: long names (L1 *long names / L0 8-3 conversion / L2 ISO9660 compatible) (--long-names[=N])

-KN: keep original links (e.g. http://www.adr/link) (K0 *relative link, K absolute links, K4 original links, K3 absolute URI links, K5 transparent proxy link) (--keep-links[=N])

-x: replace external html links by error pages (--replace-external)

-%x: do not include any password for external password protected websites (%x0 include) (--disable-passwords[=0])

-%q: *include query string for local files (useless, for information purpose only) (%q0 don't include) (--include-query-string[=0])

-%g: strip query keys for dedup ([host/pattern=]key1,key2,...) (--strip-query <param>)

-%C: fold other hostnames of one site onto it ([scheme://]alias[,...]=[scheme://]host) (--host-alias <param>)

-o: *save the server's error pages (404..) (o0 discard them) (--generate-errors[=N])

-X: *purge old files after update (X0 keep delete) (--purge-old[=0])

`-%p`	preserve html files 'as is' (identical to '-K4 -%F ""') (--preserve)
`-%T`	links conversion to UTF-8 (--utf8-conversion[=0])

Spider options:

-bN: accept cookies in cookies.txt (0=do not accept,* 1=accept) (--cookies[=N])

`-%K`	load extra cookies from a Netscape cookies.txt (--cookies-file <param>)
`-%Y`	explain which filter rule accepts or rejects a URL, then exit (--why <param>)

-u: check document type if unknown (cgi,asp..) (u0 don't check, * u1 check but /, u2 check always) (--check-type[=N])

-j: *parse scripts (j0 don't parse, bitmask: |1 parse default, |4 don't parse .js |8 don't be aggressive) (--parse-java[=N])

-sN: follow robots.txt and meta robots tags (0=never,1=sometimes,* 2=always, 3=always (even strict rules)) (--robots[=N])

-%h: force HTTP/1.0 requests (reduce update features, only for old servers or proxies) (--http-10[=0])

-%k: use keep-alive if possible, greately reducing latency for small files and test requests (%k0 don't use) (--keep-alive[=0])

-%z: do not request compressed content (%z0 request) (--disable-compression[=0])

-%B: tolerant requests (accept bogus responses on some servers, but not standard!) (--tolerant[=0])

-%s: update hacks: various hacks to limit re-transfers when updating (identical size, bogus response..) (--updatehack[=0])

-%u: url hacks: various hacks to limit duplicate URLs (strip //, www.foo.com==foo.com..) (--urlhack[=0])
opt out of one url-hack part: --keep-www-prefix (www.foo.com<>foo.com), --keep-double-slashes (//), --keep-query-order (?b&a)

-%A: assume that a type (cgi,asp..) is always linked with a mime type (-%A php3,cgi=text/html;dat,bin=application/x-zip) (--assume <param>)
shortcut: '--assume standard' is equivalent to -%A php2 php3 php4 php cgi asp jsp pl cfm nsf=text/html
can also be used to force a specific file type: --assume foo.cgi=text/html

-@iN: internet protocol (0=both ipv6+ipv4, 4=ipv4 only, 6=ipv6 only) (--protocol[=N])

-@mN: carry connections over Multipath TCP where the system offers it (0=no, 1=yes) (--mptcp[=0])

-%w: disable a specific external mime module (-%w httrack-plugin) (--disable-module <param>)

Browser ID:

-F: user-agent field sent in HTTP headers (-F "user-agent name") (--user-agent <param>)

-%R: default referer field sent in HTTP headers (--referer <param>)

-%E: from email address sent in HTTP headers (--from <param>)

-%F: footer string in Html code (-%F "Mirrored from {url} on {date}"; fields {addr} {path} {url} {date} {lastmodified} {version} {mime} {charset} {status} {size}, or legacy %s) (--footer <param>)

-%l: preferred language (-%l "fr, en, jp, *" (--language <param>)

-%a: accepted formats (-%a "text/html,image/png;q=0.9,*/*;q=0.1" (--accept <param>)

-%X: additional HTTP header line (-%X "X-Magic: 42" (--headers <param>)

Log, index, cache

-C: create/use a cache for updates and retries (C0 no cache,* C1 cache is prioritary,C2 test update before) (--cache[=N])

-k: store all files in cache (not useful if files on disk) (--store-all-in-cache)

-%r: write an ISO-28500 WARC/1.1 archive; --warc-file NAME sets the output name, --warc-max-size N rotates segments past N bytes, --warc-cdx also writes a sorted CDXJ index, --wacz packages it all as a WACZ file (--warc)

-%d: write hts-changes.json listing what this crawl left new, changed, unchanged and gone compared to the previous mirror (--changes[=0])

-%n: do not re-download locally erased files (--do-not-recatch[=0])

-%v: display on screen filenames downloaded (in realtime) - * %v1 short version - %v2 full animation (--display[=N])

-Q: no log - quiet mode (--do-not-log)

-q: no questions - quiet mode (--quiet)

-z: log - extra infos (--extra-log)

-Z: log - debug (--debug-log)

-v: log on screen (--verbose)

-f: log in files (--file-log)

-f2: *one single log file (--single-log)

-I: *make an index (I0 don't make) (--index[=0])

`-%i`	make a top index for a project folder (* %i0 don't make) (--build-top-index[=0])
`-%I`	make an searchable index for this mirror (* %I0 don't make) (--search-index[=N])

Expert options:

-pN: priority mode: (* p3) (--priority[=N])
p0 just scan, don't save anything (for checking links)
p1 save only html files
p2 save only non html files
*p3 save all files
p7 get html files before, then treat other files

-S: stay on the same directory (--stay-on-same-dir)

-D: *can only go down into subdirs (--can-go-down)

-U: can only go to upper directories (--can-go-up)

-B: can both go up&down into the directory structure (--can-go-up-and-down)

-a: *stay on the same address (--stay-on-same-address)

-d: stay on the same principal domain (--stay-on-same-domain)

-l: stay on the same TLD (eg: .com) (--stay-on-same-tld)

-e: go everywhere on the web (--go-everywhere)

-%H: debug HTTP headers in logfile (--debug-headers)

Guru options: (do NOT use if possible)

-#test: list engine self-tests (run one with -#test=NAME [args])

-#C: cache list (-#C '*.com/spider*.gif' (--debug-cache <param>)

-#R: cache repair (damaged cache) (--repair-cache)

-#d: debug parser (--debug-parsing)

-#E: extract new.zip cache meta-data in meta.zip (--extract-cache)

-#f: always flush log files (--advanced-flushlogs)

-#FN: maximum number of filters (--advanced-maxfilters[=N])

-#h: version info (--version)

-#K: scan stdin (debug) (--debug-scanstdin)

-#L: maximum number of links (-#L1000000) (--advanced-maxlinks[=N])

-#p: display ugly progress information (--advanced-progressinfo)

-#P: catch URL (--catch-url)

-#T: generate transfer ops. log every minutes (--debug-xfrstats)

-#u: wait time (--advanced-wait[=N])

-#Z: generate transfer rate statistics every minutes (--debug-ratestats)

Dangerous options: (do NOT use unless you exactly know what you are doing)

-%!: bypass built-in security limits aimed to avoid bandwidth abuses (bandwidth, simultaneous connections) (--disable-security-limits[=0])
IMPORTANT NOTE: DANGEROUS OPTION, ONLY SUITABLE FOR EXPERTS
USE IT WITH EXTREME CARE

Command-line specific options:

-V: execute system command after each files ($0 is the filename: -V "rm \$0") (--userdef-cmd <param>)
$0 reaches the shell as a parameter, so a command that evaluates its
argument as an expression (let, declare -i, eval) reads it as code

-%W: use an external library function as a wrapper (-%W myfoo.so[,myparameters]) (--callback <param>)

-y: go to background when suspended (y0 don't) (--background-on-suspend[=0])

Details: Option N

-N0: Site-structure (default)

-N1: HTML in web/, images/other files in web/images/

-N2: HTML in web/HTML, images/other in web/images

-N3: HTML in web/, images/other in web/

-N4: HTML in web/, images/other in web/xxx, where xxx is the file extension (all gif will be placed onto web/gif, for example)

-N5: Images/other in web/xxx and HTML in web/HTML

-N99: All files in web/, with random names (gadget !)

-N100: Site-structure, without www.domain.xxx/

-N101: Identical to N1 except that "web" is replaced by the site's name

-N102: Identical to N2 except that "web" is replaced by the site's name

-N103: Identical to N3 except that "web" is replaced by the site's name

-N104: Identical to N4 except that "web" is replaced by the site's name

-N105: Identical to N5 except that "web" is replaced by the site's name

-N199: Identical to N99 except that "web" is replaced by the site's name

-N1001: Identical to N1 except that there is no "web" directory

-N1002: Identical to N2 except that there is no "web" directory

-N1003: Identical to N3 except that there is no "web" directory (option set for g option)

-N1004: Identical to N4 except that there is no "web" directory

-N1005: Identical to N5 except that there is no "web" directory

-N1099: Identical to N99 except that there is no "web" directory

Details: User-defined option N

-%n: Name of file without file type (ex: image)

-%N: Name of file, including file type (ex: image.gif)

-%t: File type (ex: gif)

-%p: Path [without ending /] (ex: /someimages)

-%h: Host name (ex: www.example.com)

-%M: URL MD5 (128 bits, 32 ascii bytes)

-%Q: query string MD5 (128 bits, 32 ascii bytes)

-%k: full query string

-%r: protocol name (ex: http)

-%q: small query string MD5 (16 bits, 4 ascii bytes)
'%s?' Short name version (ex: %sN)

-%[param]: param variable in query string

-%[param:before:after:empty:notfound]: advanced variable extraction

Details: User-defined option N and advanced variable extraction

%[param:before:after:empty:notfound]
param : parameter name
before : string to prepend if the parameter was found
after : string to append if the parameter was found
notfound : string replacement if the parameter could not be found
empty : string replacement if the parameter was empty
all fields, except the first one (the parameter name), can be empty

Details: Option K

-K0: foo.cgi?q=45 -> foo4B54.html?q=45 (relative URI, default)

-K: -> http://www.example.com/folder/foo.cgi?q=45 (absolute URL) (--keep-links[=N])

-K3: -> /folder/foo.cgi?q=45 (absolute URI)

-K4: -> foo.cgi?q=45 (original URL)

-K5: -> http://www.example.com/folder/foo4B54.html?q=45 (transparent proxy URL)

Shortcuts:

--mirror: <URLs> *make a mirror of site(s) (default)

--get: <URLs> get the files indicated, do not seek other URLs (-qg)

--list: <text file> add all URL located in this text file (-%L)

--mirrorlinks: <URLs> mirror all links in 1st level pages (-Y)

--testlinks: <URLs> test links in pages (-r1p0C0I0t)

--spider: <URLs> spider site(s), to test links: reports Errors & Warnings (-p0C0I0t)

--testsite: <URLs> identical to --spider

--skeleton: <URLs> make a mirror, but gets only html files (-p1)

--update: update a mirror, without confirmation (-iC2)

--continue: continue a mirror, without confirmation (-iC1)

--catchurl: create a temporary proxy to capture an URL or a form post URL

--clean: erase cache & log files

--http10: force http/1.0 requests (-%h)

Details: Option %W: External callbacks prototypes

see htsdefines.h

Exit status

0: The mirror ran to the end, or stopped because it was asked to: a signal, the interactive shell, or a transfer budget set with --max-time or --max-size. Meeting a budget is the outcome that was asked for, not a failure, so it is not an abort even though the log file calls it one.

3: A mirror started and the engine gave up before the end: a full disk, a cache write failure, or a link table that hit the -#L cap. Unlike a time or size budget, that cap cuts short work that was asked for rather than granting it, which is why the two kinds of user-set limit report differently. The reason is in the log file, and what was mirrored before the abort is kept. This is the process exit status; the engine's own exit_xh is a separate channel with its own values, and the two are kept apart so that neither can be read as the other.

1, 255: httrack refused the command line, or a cache operation it asked for failed. No mirror ran.

Files

/etc/httrack.conf

The system wide configuration file.

A running mirror also watches its own output directory for these. Creating one is how a script drives an engine it has no other handle on. On Windows, which has no cross-process kill(1), it is the only way.

hts-in_progress.lock: Written when the mirror starts and deleted when it ends. It records the command line, and names the two request files below.

hts-stop.lock: Create it to pause the mirror. The engine deletes it, lets the transfers already in flight finish, writes hts-paused.lock and waits. Delete that one to carry on.

hts-abort.lock: Create it to stop the mirror and keep what it has downloaded, so that a later --continue resumes from there rather than starting over. The engine deletes it and stops.

The engine acts on either request only when the file is stamped later than hts-in_progress.lock, which the mirror dates one second back when it starts. A request created after the mirror started is therefore heard at once, on every filesystem. One left behind by an earlier run is ignored. A request the engine cannot delete is ignored too, because it would otherwise fire on every later poll.

Environment

HOME: Is being used if you defined in /etc/httrack.conf the line path ~/websites/#

Diagnostics

Errors/Warnings are reported to hts-log.txt by default, or to stderr if the -v option was specified.

Limits

These are the principals limits of HTTrack for that moment. Note that we did not heard about any other utility that would have solved them. - Several scripts generating complex filenames may not find them (ex: img.src='image'+a+Mobj.dst+'.gif') - Cgi-bin links may not work properly in some cases (parameters needed). To avoid them: use filters like -*cgi-bin*

Releases

12 releases since Debian 3.1 (Sarge); the text changed 10 times.

3.1
4.0
5.0
6.0
7
8
9
10–11
12
13
Arch

-#test since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; -% since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; -@mN since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; -K5 since Debian 7 (Wheezy); -y since Arch Linux 2026-11-01.

-#0 until Debian 13 (Trixie); -#1 until Debian 13 (Trixie); -#2 until Debian 13 (Trixie); -#X until Debian 13 (Trixie); -IMPORTANT until Debian 13 (Trixie); -USE until Debian 13 (Trixie); -after until Debian 13 (Trixie); -all until Debian 13 (Trixie); -before until Debian 13 (Trixie); -can until Debian 13 (Trixie); -empty until Debian 13 (Trixie); -notfound until Debian 13 (Trixie); -or until Debian 13 (Trixie); -p0 until Debian 13 (Trixie); -p1 until Debian 13 (Trixie); -p2 until Debian 13 (Trixie); -p7 until Debian 13 (Trixie); -param until Debian 13 (Trixie).