HTTrack is a free and open-source offline browser utility. It allows users to download websites 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. Users can browse the saved website offline, updating existing mirrored sites, and resume interrupted downloads. It supports various connection protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP, and has options for proxy support and filters to exclude specific file types or directories. Essentially, HTTrack lets you create a local, navigable copy of a website for offline access.
The website at www.httrack.com introduces HTTrack, a free and readily available offline browser utility. This software empowers users to download entire websites from the internet to their local computers for offline viewing. This effectively creates a mirrored copy of the website's structure and content, including HTML files, images, and other linked resources. HTTrack operates by recursively following hyperlinks within the designated website, mirroring the site's organization and hierarchy. Users can specify various options to tailor the downloading process, such as setting depth and breadth limitations on the link traversal, filtering specific file types for inclusion or exclusion, and configuring proxy settings for accessing websites through intermediaries. The software boasts support for a variety of protocols beyond standard HTTP, including HTTPS, FTP, and even experimental or legacy protocols. Furthermore, HTTrack offers features for resuming interrupted downloads, updating existing mirrored websites with new or changed content, and employing multiple connection threads to accelerate the download process. The website emphasizes the utility of HTTrack for various purposes, such as creating local backups of websites for archival or development purposes, mirroring websites for offline access in environments with limited or no internet connectivity, and selectively downloading specific portions of websites based on user-defined criteria. The tool is available across multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Android, and FreeBSD, ensuring wide platform compatibility. The website also provides comprehensive documentation, encompassing a user manual, frequently asked questions, and technical specifications, to guide users through the installation and operation of HTTrack. Overall, HTTrack presents itself as a robust and versatile solution for capturing and preserving website content locally.
Summary of Comments ( 32 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43402149
Hacker News users discuss HTTrack's practicality and alternatives. Some highlight its usefulness for archiving websites, creating offline backups, and mirroring content for development or personal use, while acknowledging its limitations with dynamic content. Others suggest using
wgetwith appropriate flags as a more powerful and flexible command-line alternative, or browser extensions like "SingleFile" for simpler, single-page archiving. Concerns about respectingrobots.txtand website terms of service are also raised. Several users mention using HTTrack in the past, indicating its long-standing presence as a website copying tool. Some discuss its ability to resume interrupted downloads, a feature considered beneficial.The Hacker News post titled "HTTrack Website Copier" generated a moderate number of comments, many focusing on use cases, alternatives, and the legality of mirroring websites.
Several commenters discussed the legal implications of using HTTrack, emphasizing the importance of respecting robots.txt and terms of service. One user highlighted the potential legal issues of downloading copyrighted material, especially if done for commercial purposes. Another cautioned against inadvertently mirroring sensitive information like internal documentation or user data that wasn't intended for public access. The general consensus seemed to be that using HTTrack for personal archiving of publicly accessible content was generally acceptable, provided site rules were respected, but commercial use or mirroring of private content was risky.
A few users shared their personal experiences with HTTrack, describing it as a useful tool for creating local backups of websites they owned or managed, or for downloading specific sections of sites for offline reading. One commenter mentioned using it to download documentation for software libraries, highlighting its utility in situations where consistent internet access wasn't guaranteed. Others mentioned using it for archiving personal websites or blogs.
Alternatives to HTTrack were also discussed. wget was a frequently mentioned alternative, praised for its command-line interface and scripting capabilities. Another user suggested SiteSucker as a user-friendly option for macOS. The discussion around alternatives often revolved around specific features, such as handling JavaScript and dynamic content, or the ability to recursively download linked resources.
Some comments explored more niche use cases. One commenter mentioned using HTTrack for competitive analysis, downloading competitor websites to analyze their structure and content. Another user discussed using it for research purposes, archiving web pages related to specific topics for later analysis.
While some expressed concerns about the project's apparent lack of recent updates, others noted its stability and the fact that it continued to function effectively for their needs. Overall, the comments painted a picture of HTTrack as a somewhat dated but still functional tool with a range of potential applications, albeit one that needs to be used responsibly and with an awareness of potential legal implications.