Overview
SiteSucker is an iOS app that automatically downloads websites from the Internet. It does this by copying the site’s webpages, style sheets, images, PDFs, and other files to your iOS device, duplicating the site’s directory structure. When SiteSucker downloads a webpage or style sheet, it scans the file for links and downloads the links. SiteSucker “localizes” the pages it downloads, allowing you to browse a site while offline.
This manual contains images of SiteSucker running on an iPad, but the same instructions apply to SiteSucker running on any iOS device. If you need help using SiteSucker, many of its screens include a Help button (
) that provides instant access to the appropriate page in this manual.
The SiteSucker screen allows you to start downloading a site, shows you the current status of the download, and provides a toolbar for controlling the download. To download a password-protected site, SiteSucker provides a browser that allows you to log in to the site before starting the download.
The status of the download is shown in the middle of the SiteSucker screen. When SiteSucker exhausts all links, it stops automatically. To stop the download manually, tap the Stop button (
) in the toolbar. If you stop SiteSucker before it has finished downloading, you may find that some links are not localized. This is because SiteSucker only localizes a webpage after it has downloaded (or at least tried to download) all allowed URLs on the page. You can suspend a download by tapping the Pause button (
) and continue downloading by tapping the Resume button (
). Tap a Skip button (
) on the SiteSucker screen to skip a specific file.
If SiteSucker is in the middle of a download when you exit the app, SiteSucker will pause the download. When you launch the app later, SiteSucker will resume the download from where it left off. When the download is finished, select the Downloads screen to access the downloaded site.
The Settings screen allows you to tailor the download by specifying the logging options, file limits, allowed URLs, permitted file types, etc.
The Documents screen lists all your SiteSucker documents. SiteSucker lets you save the current URL and settings in a document which you can use to download the same site in the same way whenever you want.
Finally, many advanced topics related to SiteSucker are also discussed in this manual. For example, the Transferring Files page explains how you can transfer downloaded sites between your Macintosh and your iOS device using AirDrop, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or the macOS Finder. If you’re having trouble using SiteSucker, you may find a solution on the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Warning: Downloaded sites are not included in your iCloud backup. To backup these files, you can archive them to iCloud Drive or Dropbox or transfer them to your computer using AirDrop, or the Finder.