How To: Download Complete Websites (Including Rich Media) using Fresh WebSuction
Image Source: Fresh WebSuction
We've previously covered other methods of downloading websites, such as the default File > Save As option offered by most browsers and the functionality to download HTML pages and images provided by tools such as Teleport Pro.
Until now, no tool has offered the ability to download an entire web archive - including rich media such as video and audio, and dynamic pages built using PHP, ASPX and XML. That has all changed now that Fresh WebSuction is here, however.
For webmasters, being able to view a complete site offline is of obvious benefit for testing and debugging purposes. It is also a useful way of creating a local and static version of a site that is due to be taken offline or undergo a revision in the near future. Fresh WebSuction makes this process easy, and the local copy it creates is complete, both in terms of content and functionality.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Access the related download link for this article and grab the Fresh WebSuction installer file. When the download is complete, locate the file in your downloads folder and run it to start the installation process. Follow the on-screen prompts throughout installation.
- 2
Launch Fresh WebSuction using the desktop shortcut once the application has finished installing. The configuration wizard should start automatically, which guides you through the process of downloading an entire website. Enter the URL of the site you wish to download and specify a name for the project.
- 3
Enter the Level Limit, which is the page depth with which Fresh WebSuction will explore the URL you provided. If you enter 0, only the homepage and its elements will be captured. If you enter 1, then any pages with links on the homepage will also be included. Entering 2 will check the links on those secondary pages, and so on. Click Next to proceed.
- 4
Specify the file formats that will be included in the capturing process. If you want to capture all media, select everything. If you only wish to capture images, videos or audio files, check the relevant boxes and click Next to proceed.
- 5
Select Load images from any location and click Next again.
- 6
The wizard finishes and the main Fresh WebSuction interface is displayed. This contains a list of files to be downloaded, based on the settings you specified. Click Download on the toolbar to begin. Depending on the size of the site and the amount of content stored there, the download process may take some time. The speed of your internet connection is also a factor. When the download is complete, the offline site will be available by default in Program Files\FreshWebmaster\FreshWebSuction\Download.
Tips & Advice
- To download another site, click the New button on the toolbar to run through the setup wizard again.
- Note: it is not recommended to attempt to download large sites that contain large volumes of rich media. Many commercial sites will block crawlers, as they often result in a large server load. Fresh WebSuction is best used for creating archives of smaller, non-commercial homepages that also contain some rich media.
