How to Limit Wget Download Size on Ubuntu

This article provides a concise overview of how to control data usage when downloading files using the command line in Ubuntu. It specifically identifies the native wget option used to set a maximum limit on the amount of data retrieved, ensuring you do not exceed specific storage or bandwidth quotas during a download session.

The primary option that allows wget to specify a maximum download size is --quota. This flag sets the total retrieval quota for the session, meaning wget will stop downloading once the specified amount of data has been transferred. This is useful for preventing large files from consuming all available disk space or exceeding data caps on metered connections.

To use this option, append --quota followed by the desired size to your command. You can specify the size in bytes, or use suffixes like k for kilobytes, m for megabytes, and g for gigabytes. For example, to limit the download to 50 megabytes, you would run the following command in your terminal:

wget --quota=50m https://example.com/large-file.zip

It is important to understand that --quota applies to the total amount of data downloaded in a single wget invocation. If you are downloading multiple files in one command, the limit applies to the sum of all files. If the quota is reached before a file completes, wget will terminate the connection. This makes it an effective tool for managing overall session size rather than truncating individual files precisely, though it serves the purpose of enforcing a maximum size constraint effectively.