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Use wget URL from a Linux shell to download a file into the current directory. Add -O when you need an exact filename, -P when you need a destination directory, and -c when you need to continue an existing partial download. For long or shared-server jobs, combine retries, a rate limit, or background mode. This guide explains each option, the conditions under which it works, and the risks of recursive downloads.
What wget is and which version you are using
wget is a non-interactive command-line network downloader for Linux. It is designed for shell sessions, scripts, scheduled jobs and servers where there is no graphical download window. The command can retrieve one URL, continue an interrupted transfer, limit its bandwidth, run in the background, or traverse a directory tree.
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wget --version
man wgetThe manual on the server is authoritative for the binary you are actually running. A successful wget --version command also confirms that the program is available in your shell’s command path.
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Prepare the shell session
Before starting a transfer, decide where the bytes should go and what should happen if the connection stops. These checks prevent the most common mistakes.
- Use
pwdto see the current directory, because a plain download is saved there. - Use
ls -ld /path/to/directoryto verify that the destination is the directory you intend to use and that your account can write there. - For a large file, leave enough free space for the complete file and any partial copy that may already exist.
- Keep the original URL exactly as supplied. Query strings and case can identify a different resource.
- If you plan to resume, run the command from the location containing the earlier partial file, or explicitly select that location with
-P.
These steps are operational checks rather than wget options; they make the later command’s path and filename predictable.
Download one file with the base command
The minimal form is:
wget https://example.com/archive.tar.gzwget writes the response to a file in the current directory. The command’s terminal output shows the transfer progress and final result. After it finishes, inspect the directory with ls -lh to confirm that the expected file is present.
This form is useful when the server’s URL already contains a suitable filename and you are content with the shell’s current working directory. It avoids adding options that can accidentally change the output path.
Choose the filename and destination
Use -O (uppercase letter O) to choose the output name and -P to choose the directory. The options solve different problems:
| Requirement | Command pattern | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Use the URL-derived name in the current directory | wget URL |
Saves in the shell’s current directory. |
| Set an exact output path and name | wget -O /srv/releases/app.tar.gz URL |
Writes to the path and filename supplied to -O. |
| Keep wget’s filename but select a directory | wget -P /srv/releases URL |
Places the download in the directory supplied to -P. |
For example, to call a downloaded archive latest-hugo.zip:
wget -O latest-hugo.zip https://example.com/downloads/archive.zipTo place the URL-derived file in an existing directory:
wget -P ~/downloads https://example.com/archive.tar.gzA full path supplied to -O already specifies both location and name; adding -P in that situation is redundant and can make a command harder to read. Choose one path strategy for each download.
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Be deliberate with -O: it is an explicit output file, not merely a directory selector. If you reuse the same name, you are directing wget to that file rather than allowing a URL-derived name.
Resume an interrupted download safely
Use -c (continue) when a previous attempt left a partial file:
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wget -c https://example.com/images/disk-image.isoContinuation works only when the earlier local partial file still exists and is in the working location wget is using. If you originally saved into a directory, repeat that directory selection:
wget -c -P /srv/isos https://example.com/images/disk-image.isoDo not assume that -c can reconstruct a file that was moved or renamed. Match the same destination and filename, or use the corresponding -O path consistently.
When continuation falls back to a full download
The server must support partial downloads for a true resume. If it does not, wget restarts the transfer and overwrites the existing file completely. On a large image, this can consume the full download time and bandwidth again. If a resume is important, watch the initial response and progress output, and verify that the server is accepting a range request before leaving a long job unattended.
A practical sequence is:
- Confirm that the partial file is still in the intended directory.
- Run the same URL with
-cand the same path option used originally. - Read the transfer output rather than assuming that the presence of
-cguarantees continuation. - After completion, compare the resulting file with the publisher’s checksum when one is provided separately.
Control bandwidth, retries and whether the command stays in the foreground
Limit the transfer rate
On a shared server, cap wget’s bandwidth with --limit-rate. The value uses byte units; k and m suffixes are available:
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wget --limit-rate=200k https://example.com/video.isoHere, 200k is a 200-kilobyte-per-second limit as interpreted by wget’s option parser. A limit protects other workloads but makes the transfer take longer, so select a value that fits the server’s network policy.
Set a finite retry policy
--tries=N sets the number of attempts wget will make. The documented default is 20. For a job that should stop after five attempts:
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wget --tries=5 https://example.com/package.tar.xz--tries=0 or --tries=inf requests unlimited retries. Infinite retrying is appropriate only when a supervisor or operator will stop the process; otherwise a persistent outage can leave a job running indefinitely.
Move wget into the background
The -b option moves wget into the background immediately after startup:
wget -b https://example.com/database-backup.sqlUse background mode for a transfer that should continue while you use the shell for other work or disconnect from an interactive terminal. Because you no longer watch the live progress directly, plan how you will inspect the process and its output on your server. The exact log-file behavior can vary by version and was not established here; consult man wget for the installed build.
Combine controls for a long-running job
These options can be combined in one command. For example:
wget -b --tries=5 --limit-rate=500k -P ~/downloads https://example.com/file.isoThis starts wget in the background, allows five attempts, caps the transfer at 500 KB/s, and selects ~/downloads as the destination directory. The options do not change the URL or the file’s contents; they change how the transfer is scheduled and where its output is placed.
Download a directory tree with recursion
Use -r to turn on recursive retrieval. wget follows links and retrieves a directory tree rather than stopping at the first URL:
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wget -r https://example.com/releases/Recursion needs boundaries. The default maximum depth is 5. Set an explicit depth with -l (lowercase L):
wget -r -l 2 https://example.com/releases/Use -l 0 or -l inf to remove the depth limit. Unlimited depth can create a very large job, so choose it only when the starting site and available storage are understood.
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Keep recursion below the starting directory
Add --no-parent when the starting URL is inside a larger site hierarchy:
wget -r -l 2 --no-parent https://example.com/releases/2026/This prevents wget from climbing above the starting directory. Without the boundary, links to parent paths can expand the retrieval beyond the area you intended.
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Use --accept to allow matching file extensions, or --reject to exclude them. For a gallery containing several formats:
wget -r --accept=jpg,png,gif https://example.com/gallery/The extension list is comma-separated. Filtering is especially useful when a recursive tree contains navigation pages, documents and media but you need only one class of file.
Keep recursive jobs moderate
Deep recursion is resource-intensive and may be blocked by a web server. Start with a small, explicit -l value, review the resulting tree, and increase the depth only when necessary. On a shared server, pair recursion with --limit-rate so the job does not consume the entire link.
Mirror a website for local use
--mirror is a convenience combination equivalent to -r -N -l inf --no-remove-listing. In other words, it enables recursion, unlimited depth, timestamp checking and preservation of directory listings. Because depth is unlimited, treat it as a deliberate site-archiving operation rather than a larger version of a single-file download.
A commonly useful local-copy command is:
wget --mirror -p -k https://example.com/docs/The additional options have distinct purposes:
-pasks wget to fetch page requisites, such as resources needed by retrieved pages.-kconverts links for local viewing after retrieval.
Use --no-parent with a mirror when the archive must remain below a particular starting directory:
wget --mirror --no-parent -p -k https://example.com/docs/Mirroring can involve many requests and substantial storage. Check the target’s access rules, choose a sensible rate limit, and stop if the server starts refusing requests. A mirror is not a license to copy an entire host indiscriminately; the starting URL, parent boundary and local capacity define the scope of the operation.
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Practical command recipes
Save a release under a stable name
When an upstream URL changes its filename but your automation expects one name, use -O:
wget -O current-release.tar.gz https://example.com/releases/downloadEvery run targets the same local pathname, which is useful for a subsequent script that reads current-release.tar.gz.
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wget -P /srv/archives --limit-rate=1m https://example.com/archives/full-backup.tarThis keeps the URL-derived filename while limiting the transfer to the rate specified. The directory should already exist and be writable by the account running wget.
Run a bounded recursive collection
wget -r -l 1 --no-parent --accept=pdf,zip https://example.com/public-files/This retrieves matching PDF and ZIP files within the selected recursion depth and does not move above public-files/. The depth and extension filter are independent: depth limits how far links are followed, while the filter limits which filenames are downloaded.
Retry a background transfer without saturating the link
wget -b --tries=5 --limit-rate=500k -P /srv/incoming https://example.com/nightly.tarUse this pattern when the transfer can continue without an interactive terminal, but must have a finite retry budget and a predictable destination.
Troubleshoot by symptom
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The file is not where expected | wget used the current directory, or a different -P directory was supplied. |
Run pwd, inspect with ls -lh, and repeat with an explicit -P or full -O path. |
| A partial file starts over from zero | The server does not support partial downloads, or the old file is not in wget’s working location. | Confirm the path and read wget’s response; a non-supporting server causes a full overwrite even with -c. |
| The recursive job retrieves too much | Depth is too high, unlimited, or the parent boundary is missing. | Lower -l and add --no-parent; stop the job if the resulting scope is not acceptable. |
| The recursive job retrieves unwanted formats | No file-type filter was applied. | Restart with --accept for the extensions required, or --reject for extensions to exclude. |
| The transfer monopolizes the server link | No rate cap was set. | Add --limit-rate with a byte value and suffix such as 200k or 1m. |
| The command keeps retrying indefinitely | --tries=0 or --tries=inf was used. |
Stop the process when appropriate, then rerun with a finite --tries=N value. |
| You cannot see progress after starting | -b moved wget into the background. |
Consult the installed version’s man wget documentation for its background-output behavior and inspect the process using your server’s normal process tools. |
Option selection checklist
Choose options in this order so each one answers a specific operational need:
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- Add
-Owhen the local filename must be exact; otherwise use-Pto change only the destination directory. - Add
-conly when a matching partial file exists and continuation is supported by the server. - Add
--limit-ratewhen the link is shared or the transfer should be throttled. - Set
--tries=Nwhen the job needs a defined retry budget instead of the default of 20. - Add
-bwhen the transfer must continue outside the foreground shell. - Use
-r, an explicit-l, and usually--no-parentfor a controlled directory tree. - Use
--mirroronly when you intentionally need an unlimited, timestamp-aware recursive copy; add-pand-kwhen the result is meant for local page viewing.
Keeping each option tied to one requirement makes commands easier to audit and reduces accidental overwrites, oversized crawls and unbounded background jobs.
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