What it does
GNU Wget is a non-interactive command-line downloader for HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and FTPS, supporting resumption and recursive retrieval.
Use GNU Wget in a script or scheduled job to retrieve URLs or mirror a deliberately scoped directory tree. Choose repeat-download behavior before reusing the job. In the 1.25 manual, ordinary repeated downloads keep numbered copies, while recursive retrieval can overwrite unless other controls are set. Timestamping compares remote/local time and size; no-clobber keeps existing copies rather than updating them. Continue is not a universal append guarantee: if the server cannot resume, it can restart and overwrite the file. These are GNU Wget controls; do not assume every option behaves identically in the separate Wget2 implementation.
Strengths
- Non-interactive operation
- Recursive retrieval and timestamp checks
Watch out for
- Recursive retrieval requires careful scope and options
Sources
- Wget - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (Oct 26, 2026)
- GNU Wget1.25 Download Options (Oct 26, 2026)
- GNU Wget1.25 Time-Stamping (Oct 26, 2026)