In this tutorial, learn how to download an entire website or save selected pages and view them offline.
Using these ways, you may store webpages for offline reading and keep your favorite webpages close at hand for when you need them.
There are occasions when you need to bookmark a webpage for later viewing. Perhaps your internet connection is shaky, or you’re attempting to limit how much time you spend online. It’s possible that you’ll wish to save a webpage before it’s removed. Alternatively, you may have come across something that you simply must keep for future reference.
To keep your favorite webpages close at hand when you need them the most, use the methods below to store them for offline reading.
How to Download a Website for Offline Reading
Download an Entire Website Using a Website Copying Program
Using HTTrack Website Copier, you can download all website files to a computer and arrange the files according to the site structure. HTTrack is available for macOS (and OS X), Android, Linux, and Windows.
Here are the steps to use HTTrack to download and view a website:
1. Download and install HTTrack Website Copie on your computer
2. Launch HTTrack Website Copie. Make sure you are connected to the internet. Click Next.
3. In the New project name text box, type a descriptive name for the offline website. In the Base path text box, choose the path to the folder on your computer where the website will be saved. Click Next.
4. Click the Action drop-down arrow, then select Download web site(s). And in the Web Addresses text box, put the URL of the website you want to download. Click Next.
7. Check the Disconnect when finished check box.
8. Click Finish. Wait while the website files download.
9. Once downloaded, you can access the downloaded site from your computer. In the Folder pane, select the project name, then choose Browse Mirrored Website.
10. Choose a web browser and click OK.
2. Save Webpage in Firefox
The ability to store entire webpages is available in all major browsers. Here’s how it’s done: it’s a simple single-click job.
Click the Menu button > Save Page in Firefox. The Save As dialog box appears.
Type a name for the page you wish to save and a location in the Save As dialog box. Choose the type of file you wish to save the page as from the Format drop-down menu.
- Web page, complete
- Web page, HTML only
- Text files
- All files
When you wish to save the entire webpage with photographs, select Web page, complete. In most circumstances, this preserves the visual appearance, but it may not preserve the original page’s HTML link structure or any server-side features. Firefox generates a new directory in which to save the page’s photos and other files required to display the entire webpage.
3. Save Webpages in Chrome
Chrome includes a Save As option as well (it works the same as Firefox). Menu > More Tools > Save Page As is where you’ll find it. Use the keyboard shortcut (Command + S on Mac, Control + S on Windows) to expedite the process.
In this video, we are gonna show you how to download a complete webpage for offline viewing:
4. Use the Save Page WE Extension
Using an extension, you can make the procedure easier and more reliable. Both Google Chrome and Firefox support Save Page WE. Simply click the extension icon in the toolbar to download the full webpage as a single HTML file once it’s been installed (along with all assets like images, ads, and formatting).
If you want more control over the process, right-click on the extension icon and select Save Basic Items, Save Standard Items, or Save Custom Items from the drop-down menu.
5. Safari Reading List on Mac
While Safari’s Reading List feature is one of the more user-friendly offline reading solutions, it can be a little complicated at first. To load items saved in the Reading list, you must have internet access by default.
To ensure that all articles in the Reading List are available for offline reading, click Preferences, go to the Advanced tab, and turn on the Save Articles for Offline Reading Automatically feature.
Click the small + icon next to the URL field to add a page to the Reading List.
Click the Sidebar button, then the icon for the Reading List, which looks like a pair of spectacles, to read from it. Click the Sidebar button once again to hide the list.
Safari uses iCloud to keep your Reading List consistent across all Mac computers and iOS devices with Safari enabled in iCloud options. This implies that your Reading list on your Mac and iPhone will be in sync.
6. Safari Reading List on iPhone
The Reading List function is located in the Safari app’s bottom toolbar. To add an article to the Reading List, open it, hit the Share icon, and choose Add to Reading List from the drop-down menu. Safari does not, by default, save Reading List articles for offline access.
Go to Settings > Safari > Automatically Save Offline to enable this function.
Now, from the Safari toolbar, press the Book icon and then the Reading List tab at the top. To read any saved article, simply tap on it.
7. Save Complete Webpages as PDF
Take the PDF option if you want to save a webpage in a format that’s easy to distribute and access on any platform. You appear to have taken a few steps back. Consider the benefits: you can read them on any device, annotate them, and send them to someone in seconds; they can also be printed, shared, or just saved in a folder for later reading.
There are plenty of PDF applications available on the internet, but the simplest method is to use your browser’s Save to PDF feature. It works with all major browsers, including Firefox, Safari, and Chrome. Select Print, then Save as PDF from the drop-down menu.
Save as PDF is a useful option, but it’s only a temporary solution. When you save a page as a PDF in this manner, you get a lot of extra features like advertising, headers, and footers, as well as formatting problems. It’s advisable to utilize an addon like Print Friendly & PDF in these situations.
The addon removes all extraneous components and only displays the article text. You’ll get a pop-up with the stripped-down layout when you click on the extension icon. You can also remove components one by one. To save the article as a PDF, click the PDF button and then the Download as PDF button.
Use the Shortcuts automation software on your iPhone to make this easier (learn to use Shortcuts with our simple guide). Any webpage can be converted to a PDF using the Make PDF shortcut (included in the Gallery).
Tap the Share button, pick Shortcuts, and then Make PDF once the shortcut is installed and operational. When you see the PDF preview, tap Share, and then save it to an app like Apple Books for offline reading.
8. Read Later With Pocket
Several of the answers we’ve looked into so far defy logic. Why would you want to clog up your hard disk with files that are only a click away? Read-it-later services like Pocket and Instapaper have made it simple to bookmark a webpage and come back to read later.
While Instapaper made the function popular, it has had a difficult couple of years. As a result, we advise you to use the now-ubiquitous Pocket service. All major browsers support the Save to Pocket plugin. You can also use the share sheet to save a link from any app directly to Pocket once you’ve installed the Pocket app on your iPhone or Android phone.
The pocket app will keep track of all articles you’ve saved. The articles will be saved without formatting, advertisements, or other distracting elements for offline reading. You get a far better reading experience with Pocket, even if you’re not connected to the internet.
Save and Download Webpages for Offline Viewing
The solutions listed above will allow you to store webpages for offline viewing. However, even if you don’t have access to the internet, you can accomplish a lot more. Why should you stop at a website?
Why not download audiobooks, podcasts, or movies for offline access if you want to get some reading done or learn something new? There are numerous apps that can keep you entertained even when you’re offline.
