Quickly Convert a WordPress Site to Static HTML with HTTrack

HTTrack is an open-source tool that clones a website into static HTML files. Converting WordPress to static HTML improves speed, security, and reliability. Below are the essential steps using macOS.

Use Cases

Performance Optimization: Serve pre-rendered pages to reduce server processing time and database queries.
Security Hardening: Eliminate PHP and database dependencies, minimizing attack vectors and maintenance requirements.
Offline Browsing and Archiving: Maintain an offline archive or backup of a site for reference, demonstrations, or disaster recovery.
Content Delivery Network (CDN) Integration: Deploy static files to a CDN for global distribution and faster load times.
Low-Cost Hosting: Host static files on minimal infrastructure (e.g., S3, GitHub Pages) to reduce hosting expenses.
Testing and Development: Create a local, static copy for testing design changes without affecting the production environment.

Usage

Install HTTrack via Homebrew

brew install httrack

Run HTTrack to Mirror

In Terminal, execute:
```
 httrack
```
When prompted:
- Project name: MyStaticCopy
- Base path: Press Enter (e.g., ~/websites/).
- URL: https://example.com/
- Action: Enter 1 to mirror.
- Leave proxy and wildcards blank. Press Enter.
- Confirm with Y to start.
HTTrack downloads all HTML, CSS, JS, images, and assets into ~/websites/MyStaticCopy.

Access Your Static Copy

Open index.html from the output folder in any browser to view the static site.

Key Points

Updates: Rerun HTTrack when site content changes.
Features: Dynamic elements (forms, search) won’t work without additional setup.
SEO: Confirm redirects if replacing a live site.

Conclusion

HTTrack offers a minimal, efficient way to generate a static HTML snapshot of any WordPress site. With a few terminal commands, you get a fast, secure, and offline-accessible version of example.com.

For advanced options, refer to HTTrack documentation.