How to save cookies in Wget

The Wget tool is a versatile command-line utility used for downloading files and webpages from the internet. It supports a range of protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP. In many web scenarios, it's essential to handle cookies, especially when accessing resources that require authentication.

Cookies are small pieces of data stored on the client side and sent to the web server with each subsequent request. They can contain session information, user preferences, or any data the website needs to function properly for a user. To simulate web browsing with Wget or to persist a session, you might need to save these cookies and use them in subsequent requests.

Wget provides options to save and load cookies, allowing you to use it more effectively in scenarios that demand cookie handling. This article will guide you through the steps of saving cookies, understanding the cookie file format, and editing it when necessary.

1. Open the terminal.
2. Start a Wget session and save cookies to a file.

   $ wget --save-cookies cookies.txt --keep-session-cookies -O /dev/null https://www.example.com/login

   The –save-cookies option saves cookies to a specified file, while the –keep-session-cookies ensures that even session cookies (which are normally discarded) are saved.

3. Open the saved cookie file to view or edit the cookies.

   $ nano cookies.txt

   This step is optional but helpful if you need to manually modify the cookie values.

4. Familiarize yourself with the cookie file format.

   Field	Description
   Domain	The domain of the cookie. Usually set to the domain of the website.
   Flag	A boolean field (TRUE/FALSE) indicating if all machines within a given domain can access the cookie.
   Path	The path to which the cookie is available.
   Secure	A boolean field (TRUE/FALSE) indicating if the browser should only send the cookie over secure HTTPS connections.
   Expiration	The expiration time of the cookie in Unix timestamp format.
   Name	The name of the cookie.
   Value	The value of the cookie.

5. If necessary, manually edit the cookie file using your preferred text editor. Ensure you follow the correct format and don't introduce any typos.
6. Use the saved cookies for subsequent Wget requests.

   $ wget --load-cookies cookies.txt -O downloaded-page.html https://www.example.com/dashboard

   The –load-cookies option loads cookies from a specified file, allowing you to maintain the session or user state for subsequent requests.

7. When you're done, you can optionally remove the cookie file to clear any sensitive data.

   $ rm cookies.txt

8. Verify the downloaded content to ensure that the cookies worked correctly and you accessed the desired content.

   $ cat downloaded-page.html

9. Remember to always protect your cookie files as they might contain sensitive data or allow unauthorized access to certain web resources. Ensure the files are set with the correct permissions.

   $ chmod 600 cookies.txt

   Never share your cookie files or expose them publicly. They might contain authentication tokens or other sensitive data that can compromise your privacy or security.

By saving and using cookies, Wget becomes a more flexible tool, allowing you to interact with websites that have more complex requirements and protections. Always remember to handle cookies responsibly and ensure you're abiding by any terms of service or usage policies of websites you're interacting with.