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Quick Start

Arie Joe edited this page Jun 3, 2026 · 1 revision

Quick Start

The Three Main Modes

1. Normal download

Download archived content into a local folder:

python -m wayback_downloader https://example.com

2. List-only preview

See what would be downloaded:

python -m wayback_downloader --list https://example.com

3. Local rewrite only

Rewrite an existing local tree for offline browsing:

python -m wayback_downloader --local-only ./websites/example.com

Most Common Recipes

Download the latest capture of every file

python -m wayback_downloader https://example.com

Rewrite links for local browsing

python -m wayback_downloader --local https://example.com

Download every timestamped capture

python -m wayback_downloader --all-timestamps https://example.com

Build a snapshot as of a point in time

python -m wayback_downloader --snapshot-at 20130101000000 https://example.com

Limit the capture range

python -m wayback_downloader --from 20060101 --to 20071231 https://example.com

Download only one exact archived URL

python -m wayback_downloader --exact-url https://example.com/index.html

Download pages and the assets they reference

python -m wayback_downloader --page-requisites --local https://example.com

Include linked assets from other hosts

python -m wayback_downloader --page-requisites --cross-host --local https://example.com

Mirror discovered subdomains

python -m wayback_downloader --recursive-subdomains --subdomain-depth 2 https://example.com

Choosing the Right Mode

  • Use the default mode when you want one clean offline tree.
  • Use --all-timestamps when historical completeness matters more than a neat website-like output.
  • Use --snapshot-at when you want the closest approximation of the site at a given moment.
  • Use --list before a large run if you want to inspect the planned scope.

Next Reading

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