How to download files from a list with wget

Batch download jobs are easier to rerun and audit when every target URL lives in one plain-text file. Feeding that file to wget keeps the retrieval order explicit and avoids rebuilding a long command line every time the batch needs to run again.

GNU wget reads the list with --input-file (-i) and saves the results normally unless you add other download controls. Pairing --input-file with --directory-prefix keeps the files together, and the same list can be reused later with --continue, --timestamping, and pacing options when the batch becomes a scheduled job.

The list file is literal. Current GNU Wget still treats lines such as # nightly batch as URLs instead of comments, and duplicate remote filenames can still collide in the destination directory, so keep the file to plain URLs and verify the final download set before another job consumes it.

Related: How to save wget downloads to a specific file or directory
Related: How to prevent overwriting existing files with wget
Related: How to add wait and random delays between wget requests

Steps to download files from a list with wget:

  1. Write the list with one complete URL on each non-blank line. 
    $ cat > download-list.txt <<'EOF'
https://downloads.example.net/releases/2026-04/ops-status-2026-04.csv
https://downloads.example.net/releases/2026-04/platform-assets-2026.04.tar.gz
https://downloads.example.net/releases/2026-04/compliance-handbook-2026.pdf
EOF

    Keeping the manifest beside the job makes retries, reviews, and handoffs much easier.

  2. Run the batch download and place every file under one destination directory. 
    $ wget --input-file=download-list.txt --directory-prefix=downloads
--2026-04-22 09:18:13--  https://downloads.example.net/releases/2026-04/ops-status-2026-04.csv
Resolving downloads.example.net (downloads.example.net)... 203.0.113.50
Connecting to downloads.example.net (downloads.example.net)|203.0.113.50|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 65536 (64K) [text/csv]
Saving to: 'downloads/ops-status-2026-04.csv'

##### snipped #####
--2026-04-22 09:18:14--  https://downloads.example.net/releases/2026-04/platform-assets-2026.04.tar.gz
##### snipped #####
--2026-04-22 09:18:15--  https://downloads.example.net/releases/2026-04/compliance-handbook-2026.pdf
##### snipped #####
FINISHED --2026-04-22 09:18:15--
Total wall clock time: 0.18s
Downloaded: 3 files, 3.2M in 0.12s (26.6 MB/s)

    The list order is preserved, so log review and rate-limit troubleshooting stay predictable across reruns.

  3. Reuse the same list with resume, timestamp, and wait controls when the batch becomes a recurring job. 
    $ wget --input-file=download-list.txt --directory-prefix=downloads \
  --continue --timestamping --wait=1 --random-wait
--2026-04-22 09:21:10--  https://downloads.example.net/releases/2026-04/ops-status-2026-04.csv
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 304 Not Modified
File 'downloads/ops-status-2026-04.csv' not modified on server. Omitting download.

##### snipped #####

    --continue resumes partial files, --timestamping skips unchanged files, and --random-wait varies the pause between requests.

  4. Save a dedicated log when the manifest is large or the job runs unattended. 
    $ wget --input-file=download-list.txt \
  --directory-prefix=downloads \
  --continue --timestamping \
  --output-file=wget-batch.log

    Use --append-output instead when each run should add to one existing log instead of replacing it.

  5. Verify that every expected file landed in the destination directory before another job consumes it. 
    $ ls -1 downloads
compliance-handbook-2026.pdf
ops-status-2026-04.csv
platform-assets-2026.04.tar.gz

    The final directory should show one local file for each URL in download-list.txt.