How to configure default options in ~/.wgetrc

Centralizing common wget options in a personal .wgetrc file keeps command lines short, reduces repetitive typing, and lowers the chance of mistakes during scripted or bulk downloads. A predictable set of defaults is especially useful for scheduled jobs, backup routines, and long-running data collection tasks that rely on non-interactive HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP transfers.

The wget client reads configuration from the global file /etc/wgetrc and then from the per-user file /$HOME/.wgetrc, applying settings in that order so user options override system defaults. Each directive typically mirrors a long command-line flag, using syntax such as option = value or option value to control headers, proxy settings, timeouts, bandwidth limits, retry behavior, and directory layouts.

Changes in /$HOME/.wgetrc affect every wget invocation for that user, including existing scripts that expect stock behavior, so conservative settings and clear comments matter. Aggressive directives like robots = off, extremely low wait delays, or disabled certificate checks via check_certificate = off can overload remote services, weaken TLS verification, or conflict with acceptable-use policies.

1. Open a terminal on Linux with the user account that runs wget.

   $ whoami
   alice

   Personal settings in /$HOME/.wgetrc apply only to the account that owns the file, leaving other users and system services unaffected.

2. Create or open the personal configuration file /$HOME/.wgetrc in a text editor.

   $ nano ~/.wgetrc

   Options in /$HOME/.wgetrc override matching directives in the global file /etc/wgetrc for the same user.

3. Add default options and comments describing intended behavior to /$HOME/.wgetrc.

   ~/.wgetrc
   # Default directory for downloaded files
   dir_prefix = /home/alice/Downloads/wget
   
   # Descriptive User-Agent string for logs
   user_agent = Wget/1.21.2 (Linux; custom-defaults)
   
   # Connection limits and timeouts
   tries = 5
   timeout = 30
   
   # Polite crawling behavior
   robots = on
   wait = 1
   random_wait = on
   
   # Prefer IPv4 if IPv6 paths are unreliable
   inet4_only = on
   
   # Limit bandwidth to avoid saturating links (example: 1 MiB/s)
   limit_rate = 1m
   
   # Example HTTPS proxy configuration (uncomment and adjust if required)
   #https_proxy = http://proxy.example.com:3128

   Persistent settings such as check_certificate = off or robots = off can disable TLS verification and ignore robots.txt, which may expose downloads to interception and violate remote usage policies.

4. Save the file in the editor after the options are in place.

   Keeping short, focused comments above each block of directives makes future audits and troubleshooting significantly easier.

5. Run wget in debug spider mode against a harmless HTTPS URL to confirm that /$HOME/.wgetrc is parsed.

   $ wget --debug --spider https://example.com
   DEBUG output created by Wget 1.21.2 on linux-gnu.
   
   Reading HSTS entries from /home/alice/.wget-hsts
   Reading Wgetrc configuration file '/home/alice/.wgetrc'
   Spider mode enabled. Check if remote file exists.
   ##### snipped #####

   The line that mentions Reading Wgetrc configuration file '.../.wgetrc' confirms that the personal configuration file is loaded.

6. Verify that the configured defaults take effect by performing a test download and inspecting behavior or headers.

   $ wget --server-response https://example.com -O /dev/null
     HTTP/1.1 200 OK
     Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
   ##### snipped #####

   Typical confirmation signals include files appearing under the configured dir_prefix directory, the custom User-Agent string visible in logs or debugging output, and request timing consistent with wait and random_wait values without extra command-line flags.