How to show or hide download progress with wget

wget displays progress by default, but customization is possible. Different progress options offer varying levels of detail, from simple dots to more informative output. Conversely, silent mode hides output for cleaner logs or scripts.

Adjusting the progress display is useful for monitoring large downloads, debugging performance issues, or integrating with automated systems that parse output. Choosing the right output mode can improve clarity and control over your download process.

In interactive sessions, rich progress bars help track speed and ETA. In scripts, quiet mode simplifies logs, while verbose modes provide insights for troubleshooting.

1. Run wget with default settings to see basic progress output.

   $ wget https://example.com/largefile.zip
   
   --2024-09-16 12:01:34--  https://example.com/largefile.zip
   Resolving example.com (example.com)... 93.184.216.34
   Connecting to example.com (example.com)|93.184.216.34|:443... connected.
   HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
   Length: 128482304 (122M) [application/zip]
   Saving to: ‘largefile.zip’
   
   largefile.zip      100%[==================>] 122.52M  1.28MB/s    in 98s

2. Use --progress=dot:binary for a dot-style binary progress display.

   $ wget --progress=dot:binary https://example.com/largefile.zip
   
   --2024-09-16 12:01:34--  https://example.com/largefile.zip
   Resolving example.com (example.com)... 93.184.216.34
   Connecting to example.com (example.com)|93.184.216.34|:443... connected.
   HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
   Length: 128482304 (122M) [application/zip]
   Saving to: ‘largefile.zip’
   
   largefile.zip      [ ]  2.45M   1.28MB/s
                      [ ]  4.9M   2.56MB/s
                      [ ]  9.8M   3.2MB/s 
                      [===================]

   This mode shows a dot for each data block, indicating transfer progress more granularly.

3. Use --progress=bar:force to display an ASCII progress bar.

   $ wget --progress=bar:force https://example.com/largefile.zip
   --2024-09-16 12:01:34--  https://example.com/largefile.zip
   Resolving example.com (example.com)... 93.184.216.34
   Connecting to example.com (example.com)|93.184.216.34|:443... connected.
   HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
   Length: 128482304 (122M) [application/zip]
   Saving to: ‘largefile.zip’
   
   largefile.zip    [======>              ]  61.26M  1.1MB/s 
                    [===================] 

4. Run wget in quiet mode with -q to suppress all output.

   $ wget -q https://example.com/largefile.zip

   Quiet mode hides all feedback, so use cautiously when troubleshooting.