Zip archive of website

JeremyD · ‎11-15-2017

This is another "am I missing something" post. The site archive feature in Settings – is it really as useless as it seems to be? I created and downloaded an archive. Opened it, expecting it to be like a collection of Safari's webarchive files, which open from disk and look as they do when viewed online. In fact, the Weebly archive consists of just the html of my main pages. Images are dumped in a single folder, and don't display when one of the html pages is opened in a browser. And here's the killer – it doesn't archive any of my blog posts.

So, am I missing something, or is this inadequate, mostly pointless feature working as intended?

Erin6 · ‎11-15-2017

Hi, @JeremyD.

Thanks so much for sharing your feedback. The zip archive option is made to be a personal backup. You're right - it does not include your blog posts. I have heard this complaint from folks in the past, and I recommend that you post your suggestion in our Vote on Features section so that our product team can consider it: https://community.weebly.com/t5/Vote-on-Features/idb-p/IdeaExchange

Thanks again,

Erin

Weebly Community Manager

JeremyD · ‎11-15-2017

What is a "personal archive", and how is it different from an actual archive containing the content of my website?

I did some searching before posting this query, and it seems that people have been asking for a real archive feature for years.

Erin6 · ‎11-15-2017

Great question. I guess I compare a personal archive, as in a copy of (most) of the files and images on your site, with an export that you can use to import your website elsewhere.

You're right, folks have been asking for an archive for a while. We still have hope that it will happen!

Thanks again for your feedback,

Erin

Adam7 · ‎11-15-2017

The difference is the archive isn't meant to act like a functional site if you upload it somewhere else; it'll have content you added to your site (excluding blog posts and store products) so you have a backup of images, files, and text, etc.

bobafett · ‎11-15-2017

@JeremyD: Let me add my few cents. One of the reasons weebly may not allow complete archive of a website is money and protection of their IP. If they allowed people would create websites on weebly and just dump the files someplace else to re-create the site and weebly will be out of money.

I do not believe any other drag and drop builders would let you make a full functioning copy.

If you want a full control, make a copy of your website as a backup. And if anything goes wrong you can always go back to where you did not have problem.

JeremyD · ‎11-16-2017

If we're being cynical, it looks to me like a ploy to make users feel trapped with Weebly. "Want to go elsewhere? Well, say goodbye to all those hundreds of blog posts."

Squarespace at least lets you export all your posts: https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/206566687-Exporting-your-site

JeremyD · ‎11-16-2017

Exclusion of blog posts is the worst part of this non-feature. For many users, that means the loss of hundreds of pages of content in the case of Weebly folding or the user transferring to another service.

bobafett · ‎11-17-2017

@JeremyD: Now let me be cynical. Those are the rules Weebly has decided.

JeremyD · ‎11-18-2017

Bit tricky to "go before you begin" when you have to begin in order to discover this shortcoming.