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To make a navigable offline copy of a website, use HTTrack in its website-mirroring mode. Give it the site’s root URL, keep the crawl within the host and any permitted asset CDNs, then verify the saved pages with networking disabled. HTTrack can save discovered HTML, CSS, scripts, images and fonts and rewrite links for local browsing; it cannot automatically reproduce every behavior of a JavaScript application.
What a website download can—and cannot—include
A recursive mirror is more than saving a page in the browser. The crawler follows links and references it can discover, downloads the corresponding files, and adjusts links so you can browse the copy from disk. The official HTTrack documentation describes this approach and its support for HTTPS, proxies, responsive and lazy-loaded media, and resuming or updating an existing mirror. The HTTrack project page lists version 3.50 (09/01/2026).
That does not mean the mirror becomes a working copy of the site’s backend. A crawler generally does not execute arbitrary JavaScript as a browser does. URLs created at runtime can be invisible to it; API responses, authentication tokens, server-side state and interactive behavior may be unavailable offline. A downloaded JavaScript file is not the same as a downloaded, functional web application.
Download a recursive mirror with HTTrack
Use the graphical interface
- Install HTTrack from its official project site and start a new project in Website Copier.
- Choose the option to download or mirror a website. Enter the project name and a local directory where the files should be saved.
- Enter the site root, such as
https://example.com/. If scripts, fonts or images come from a CDN, include that host only if you are authorized to copy it. - Set scope and filters before starting. Keep the crawl on the intended host and permitted asset hosts; exclude paths such as logout, cart, search, account or other session-specific pages as appropriate.
- Set reasonable depth or size limits for a large site, then start the mirror. HTTrack can resume or update an existing mirror, which is useful for interrupted or refreshed crawls.
- When it finishes, open the local index and test pages offline as described below.
Interface wording can vary by platform or release; use the download/mirror project mode and check the installed version’s help if a label differs.
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Use the command line
This example keeps the crawl within the example host and a named CDN, while excluding likely transactional paths. Replace the domains and paths with ones appropriate to the site and your permissions:
httrack "https://example.com/" -O "./mirror"
"+example.com/*" "+cdn.example.com/*"
-"*/logout*" -"*/cart*"The output directory is ./mirror. The positive filters allow matching site and CDN URLs; the negative filters exclude matching logout and cart paths. Treat this as a starting pattern rather than a universal command: check the official HTTrack command-line guide for your installed version’s exact filter syntax and options. Add depth and size limits on large sites, and consider excluding search queries, session URLs and calendar routes that can generate effectively unbounded crawls.
HTTrack can also resume or update a mirror and documents WARC/WACZ archival output in its command-line guide. Those formats may suit archival workflows better than a folder intended primarily for local browsing.
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Make sure JavaScript and CSS assets are discovered
HTTrack can save scripts and stylesheets referenced in crawlable HTML, CSS or responses, along with related images and fonts when their hosts are within scope. If an asset lives on a separate CDN, allow that domain deliberately; otherwise the page may load locally without that file.
The limitation is discovery, not merely file type. If an application constructs a script URL after running code, fetches route data from an API, or loads a component only after a user action, a crawler may never see the relevant URL. Single-page applications commonly rely on these runtime requests. A mirror may therefore contain the initial HTML and some JavaScript bundles while still failing on deep routes or interactions.
Capture runtime-loaded resources when needed
- Open the live application in a browser session you are authorized to use.
- Visit each route you need and exercise relevant interactions, including menus, tabs, scrolling and lazy-loaded sections.
- Use the browser’s developer tools to identify network resources the application actually requests. Export or record the needed resource URLs using the browser workflow appropriate to your browser.
- Add missing URLs to your authorized mirror workflow and check that their host and paths are permitted by your scope settings.
- Test the result offline. If a page depends on a live API, account session or server-side state, expect that downloading its static files alone may not make that feature work.
Browser inspection helps reveal what the browser requested, but inspecting a request does not itself package a complete multi-page site. For a single page, a browser’s Save Page feature may be enough; for a navigable site, use a crawler and use browser inspection to find gaps.
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Choose the right download method
| Method | Best fit | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| HTTrack | A navigable offline mirror with rewritten local links, broad asset handling, and resumable crawls. | Runtime-generated URLs and backend behavior may not be captured. See HTTrack documentation and its command-line guide. |
| GNU Wget | A scriptable command-line downloader when you need explicit recursive and scope controls. | Use the official manual for exact flags and behavior: GNU Wget manual. |
| Browser Save Page or DevTools | Saving one page or discovering the resources a browser requested. | Inspection alone does not package a complete multi-page mirror. |
HTTrack is the practical default when your goal is a locally browsable mirror. Choose Wget if you prefer a scriptable downloader and are comfortable configuring its recursive scope from the manual. Use browser tools to investigate dynamic requests or capture a single page, rather than assuming they produce a full site copy.
Verify the mirror before relying on it
- Disconnect networking or otherwise block network access, then open the saved index and several deep links. A page that silently reaches back to the live site is not fully offline.
- Check browser console errors and network requests for missing JavaScript chunks, fonts, images or API calls.
- Search downloaded HTML, CSS and JavaScript for absolute URLs and runtime API endpoints that still point to remote services.
- Compare representative pages with the live site, including responsive layouts and sections that load lazily while scrolling.
- Keep a crawl log. For archival work, assess whether the WARC/WACZ output documented by HTTrack is appropriate for your needs.
Common problems and fixes
The page loads, but its styles or images are missing
Those assets may be served from a separate domain that the crawl scope did not permit, or may be referenced only after runtime code runs. Check the failed request’s host in DevTools, allow the relevant authorized CDN host in the crawl, then recrawl. For runtime-discovered resources, visit the relevant page and interaction in a browser and add the needed URLs to the mirror workflow.
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The saved bundle may depend on route-specific chunks, API responses, or server-side state that the crawler did not capture. Exercise the routes and interactions in an authorized browser session, inspect the network requests, and capture missing static resources. If the functionality requires a live API or authenticated state, a static mirror may not reproduce it.
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The crawl keeps expanding or takes too long
Search parameters, sessions, calendars and other generated URL patterns can create a very large crawl. Exclude those paths, restrict the allowed hosts, and configure depth or size limits using the installed version’s command-line guide or interface. Keep the crawl’s rate and scope reasonable.
Login, checkout or account pages do not work offline
These pages can depend on credentials, session cookies, tokens and server-side state. Do not assume a downloaded page reproduces those systems. Exclude login, checkout, admin and user-specific URLs unless you have explicit authorization and a clear need to copy them; even with permission, backend-dependent behavior may not replay locally.
Links still open the live site
Some links may be outside the captured scope, absolute URLs may remain, or a route may be generated dynamically. Inspect the saved link and the local network log, expand the permitted crawl scope only as needed, and verify again with networking disabled.
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Permissions and responsible copying
Copy only sites and paths you are authorized to reproduce. Keep the crawl scope and rate reasonable, follow site-owner instructions where applicable, and do not assume that a local mirror grants redistribution rights. HTTrack’s documentation places responsibility for copying a site on the user and provides responsible-crawling guidance at its official site.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a screenshot rather than an offline mirror, ScreenshotNeo returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF from one GET request. It does not download a complete website or turn a JavaScript application into an offline copy; it captures a rendered page. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages and failed loads are not billed, and the response identifies the page verdict and billing status in headers. Its MCP server offers screenshot tools for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Every feature is available on every plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can HTTrack download JavaScript files?
Yes, when it can discover the script URL from crawlable markup, stylesheets or responses and the URL is within the permitted crawl scope. Runtime-generated URLs may require browser-assisted discovery.
Will a downloaded website work without internet?
Static pages and captured assets may, but backend-dependent features, APIs, authentication and server-side state may not. Verify with networking disabled.
Does DevTools Save Page download an entire website?
No. A browser save or DevTools inspection can help with one page or reveal requested resources, but it does not by itself create a complete multi-page mirror.
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