# How to save an ENTIRE web page offline? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 13, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079 "2013-01-13T17:59:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/1 "2013-01-13T17:59:12Z")
Hi all! (waves) So here’s what I’m trying to figure out-- what’s the best way to save an entire web page and all its internal links and files for offline use? It’s a self-uploading archive, and I really want to be able to access the database of all my fics and reviews while on vacation (and probably almost never having wifi access.) Especially the reviews. I don’t care about images anywhere, including the front page (which seems to be about all that is saved with Firefox’s File-save web page option.) There are very few images anyway-- almost everything is text. Would I need to save the whole database, every file and fic, etc? Is there a way to do this? Many thanks in advance to all the smart people here! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/2 "2013-01-13T18:05:23Z")
I use [this](http://www.sitesucker.us/mac/mac.html). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/3 "2013-01-13T18:48:40Z")
I’m going to have to try that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/4 "2013-01-13T18:53:14Z")
Since you’re a Firefox user, check out the [Scrapbook](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/scrapbook/)extension, which is made for exactly this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/5 "2013-01-13T18:54:07Z")
Thanks, but Sitesucker seems to only work with OSX. I am not cool enough to have a Mac. 😛 Is there anything that people would recommend for Windows? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/6 "2013-01-14T01:37:37Z")
> **[HTTrack Website Copier - Free Software Offline Browser (GNU GPL)](http://www.httrack.com/)** > > HTTrack is a free (GPL, libre/free software) and easy-to-use offline browser utility. It 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... And if it’s downloading too slow for you, [disable its speed limits](http://httrack.kauler.com/help/Advanced_options). ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/7 "2013-01-14T01:49:19Z")
If you don’t need Javascript or Flash, I’d print it as a PDF. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/8 "2013-01-14T01:55:04Z")
You can download Safari for Windows from Apple for free. It has a “Web Archive” format that saves the entire page, plus all resources, images, etc. for offline viewing. EDIT: Never mind, I didn’t realize you wanted it to follow the links too. Web Archive will only work for a single page. Ditto for saving a PDF. ---
**Author:** ![eldowan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@eldowan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eldowan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/9 "2013-01-14T15:18:30Z")
> [@Anise](#): > > Hi all! (waves) > So here’s what I’m trying to figure out-- what’s the best way to save an entire web page and all its internal links and files for offline use? It’s a self-uploading archive, and I really want to be able to access the database of all my fics and reviews while on vacation (and probably almost never having wifi access.) Especially the reviews. I don’t care about images anywhere, including the front page (which seems to be about all that is saved with Firefox’s File-save web page option.) There are very few images anyway-- almost everything is text. Would I need to save the whole database, every file and fic, etc? Is there a way to do this? > > Many thanks in advance to all the smart people here! 🙂 I use wget: here’s a windows copy of it. > **[Wget for Windows](https://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/wget.htm)** > > wget {whatisit} I’ve used it to make full backups of internal websites, including download files, documentation, etc… It even keeps things in relative link format, so that you can run the site from your hdd or thumb drive. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/10 "2013-01-14T15:20:08Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > [http://www.httrack.com/](http://www.httrack.com/) > > And if it’s downloading too slow for you, [disable its speed limits](http://httrack.kauler.com/help/Advanced_options). This is what I’ve used in the past. Worked fine. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/11 "2013-01-14T16:39:47Z")
Firefox’s save choices are Web Page, complete; Web Page, HTML only; Text Files; and All Files. Saving a page using “Web Page, complete” saves everything in a folder, including links. But if the page saved is dragged into the same folder as the rest of its files, the pathways are severed, breaking the links. The html page must remain separate from the folder when it’s time to view the page. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/12 "2013-01-14T22:44:59Z")
I tried HtTrack and ran the program for 13 hours. Sorry-- I don’t think I’m smart enough to make it work. (hunts unsuccessfully for brain) (cannot find)(I’m SURE I saw it on that MRI last year…) Anyway. I’ll try wget, but this entire project may not be approved of by the Fates-- in which case, I’ll just work on it when connections are to be had. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/13 "2013-01-14T23:31:35Z")
> [@Anise](#): > > I tried HtTrack and ran the program for 13 hours. Sorry-- I don’t think I’m smart enough to make it work. > > (hunts unsuccessfully for brain) (cannot find)(I’m SURE I saw it on that MRI last year…) > > Anyway. I’ll try wget, but this entire project may not be approved of by the Fates-- in which case, I’ll just work on it when connections are to be had. It’s probably one or more of these: 1. You’re digging too deep (having it download the page, anything it links to, anything THOSE pages link to, etc.) 2. You’re having it go outside the starting domain 3. You’re restricted by its speed limits (which, by default, is 25 KB/sec, I think, when a modern connection is easily capable of much more) Also, is this site a dynamic site (served from databases?) If so, you won’t be able to easily mirror it from the client side unless your spider performs all the searches you would… Which website is it? ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/14 "2013-01-14T23:31:46Z")
Not sure if you missed it but the Firefox extension I posted earlier should do the trick. [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/scrapbook/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/scrapbook/) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/15 "2013-01-15T00:37:25Z")
The “official” way to do it, with Firefox, would be to use the [Mozilla Archive Format](http://maf.mozdev.org/) add -on. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/16 "2013-01-15T03:20:24Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > The “official” way to do it, with Firefox, would be to use the [Mozilla Archive Format](http://maf.mozdev.org/) add -on. Except how do you read that? I tried saving something in maff format once and I don’t think firefox was able to read it. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/17 "2013-01-15T04:38:39Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > Except how do you read that? I tried saving something in maff format once and I don’t think firefox was able to read it. :dubious: Very easily. Double click on the file. I just did it with this page. I saved it to a file in MAFF format, then double clicked on the file and it loaded right up in Firefox. No problem. Maybe you need to have the MAFF extension installed for it to load, as well as to save. I don’t know. Anyway, the MAFF extension also allows you to save in other formats such as MHT (the one used by Internet Explorer). ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/18 "2013-01-15T05:04:11Z")
I tried it just now and it did in fact work so obviously something was amiss. I mean I was able to save it in that format so clearly I had the extension loaded. Why it wasn’t recognized, I don’t know. Maybe I tried to open it from windows explorer and there wasn’t an appropriate file association. This time I opened it from firefox. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-entire-web-page-offline/647079/19 "2013-01-15T05:39:40Z")
I really will put in some more time on this at some point. But after trying one thing and realizing just how complex this can be, I honestly think that I just don’t have enough free brain cells for it right now. Thanks to everyone who answered! 🙂