Benny-Scraper is an open-source command-line web novel and manga downloader. It saves web novels as EPUB files and manga as PDF or CBZ (ZIP-based comic book archives). It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
I originally made this because I wanted an easier way to listen to web novels. It grew into a way to keep novels and manga offline and update them without downloading every old chapter again. The database, downloaded chapters, and generated files stay on your computer.
Site configurations are stored as individual JSON files in the sites directory. Compatible sites can be added without creating another scraper strategy.
- Saved novels can be updated without downloading every old chapter again.
- Successfully downloaded chapters remain saved when another chapter fails and can be retried later.
- Text novels can be saved as EPUB, while manga can be saved as PDF or CBZ.
- The interactive testing commands help create and validate configurations for new sites.
- Selenium and FlareSolverr are available for sites that cannot be loaded with a normal HTTP request.
Benny-Scraper does not use a hosted scraping service. It runs on your computer and connects directly to the sites you choose.
| Site | Content | Output | Additional requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inovelhub | Web novel | EPUB | None |
| mangakakalot | Manga/comic | PDF or CBZ | Selenium |
| mangakatana | Manga/comic | PDF or CBZ | Selenium for chapter pages |
| mangareader | Manga/comic | PDF or CBZ | Selenium |
| NovelBin | Web novel | EPUB | Selenium |
| NovelBuddy | Web novel | EPUB | None |
| noveldrama | Web novel | EPUB | None |
| novelfire | Web novel | EPUB | None |
| novelfull | Web novel | EPUB | FlareSolverr |
| Royalroad | Web novel | EPUB | None |
| Toonily | Manga/comic | PDF or CBZ | FlareSolverr |
| wanderinginn | Web novel | EPUB | None |
| WebNovel | Web novel (text only) | EPUB | FlareSolverr |
| Wuxiaworld | Web novel | EPUB | Selenium |
Run benny-scraper --sites to see the active sites included with your installed version. Sites can change after a release, so this list does not guarantee that every external site is currently working.
MangaKatana currently gives me the most reliable manga results. Some other manga sites can return scrambled chapter images, so a completed download does not always mean the images are in the right order. External sites also change without notice. If a previously working site stops loading, please open a broken site report.
WebNovel support is limited to text novels. Manga and comics hosted on WebNovel use a different reader and are not currently supported.
CBZ is the only supported comic archive output. Choose benny-scraper -e 1 for CBZ or benny-scraper -e 0 for PDF. A CBZ contains images organized into chapter folders; manga images are not converted into selectable text or OCR output.
I never actually tested CBR, CB7, CBT, or CBA support, assuming those formats would work like CBZ. The old implementation always wrote ZIP data, even when another extension was selected. Those comic archives were really CBZ-compatible ZIP files with the wrong extensions, not genuine RAR, 7z, TAR, or ACE archives. PDF and EPUB output were separate and are not affected by this correction.
Starting with v3.0.0:
- New comic archives always use
.cbz. The old creation options have been removed; update scripts and saved manga defaults to PDF or CBZ. - Existing ZIP-based archives created with the old extensions can still be updated. An update that writes chapter images produces a sibling
.cbzand keeps the old file. If that destination already exists, the update fails rather than overwriting it. - Existing CBZ updates keep unaffected chapters and replace the chapters being updated. Keep the saved archive available: temporary download folders are cleaned up and cannot serve as a backup.
- Genuine RAR, 7z, TAR, and ACE archives are not supported. Convert them with a suitable archive tool before using the update path; changing their extension alone does not convert them.
- Existing database format values are retained for compatibility. Back up your database and books before updating; do not clear your database just to change formats.
See release notes for the migration details and image-library replacement.
- A Benny-Scraper release for your operating system, or the .NET 10 SDK when building from source.
- Google Chrome or Firefox installed for sites and tests that require Selenium.
- FlareSolverr is optional, but is required for some Cloudflare-protected sites. It runs as a separate application and is commonly installed using Docker.
FlareSolverr can be enabled or disabled in appsettings.json:
"FlareSolverrSettings": {
"Enabled": true,
"Url": "http://localhost:8191",
"MaxTimeout": 60000
}Chrome is used by default. Use -b or --browser to change the saved default:
benny-scraper -b Firefox
benny-scraper -b ChromeThe selection is saved for future downloads and tests. The selected browser must be installed on the computer.
Benny-Scraper continues to run normally from your terminal and uses your saved Selenium browser. Docker is only used to run FlareSolverr.
- Install and start Docker Desktop on Windows or macOS. On Linux, install Docker Engine and the Docker Compose plugin.
- Open a terminal in the extracted Benny-Scraper directory containing
compose.yaml. - Start FlareSolverr:
docker compose up -d flaresolverr- Verify that the container is running:
docker compose ps- Use Benny-Scraper normally:
benny-scraper "https://example.com/novel"FlareSolverr will restart automatically with Docker unless you stop it. These commands can be used to view its logs or remove the container:
docker compose logs -f flaresolverr
docker compose downThe Compose file exposes FlareSolverr only on 127.0.0.1:8191. Do not expose its service to the internet.
- Download the appropriate archive from the Releases page.
- Extract the archive to a permanent location.
- Run
Benny-Scraper.exeon Windows orBenny-Scraperon Linux and macOS. - Optionally add that directory to your PATH so you can run
benny-scraperfrom any terminal.
To build and run directly from source:
dotnet restore Benny-Scraper.sln
dotnet run --project Benny-Scraper/Benny-Scraper.csproj -- --help- Add the executable to your PATH, then run
benny-scraper --sitesto view the supported sites. - Open a novel's Table of Contents page in your browser.
- Copy the URL from the browser address bar.
- Pass the copied URL to Benny-Scraper and wait for the output file to be generated. Speed depends on the response time of the site.
Test Wuxiaworld without logging in:
benny-scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon" -B 1 -E 120 
Warnings usually indicate a recoverable problem, such as a failed chapter or an unavailable selector. Benny-Scraper continues when possible and records failed chapters so they can be retried. Fatal errors stop the current operation. Check the log file for complete details.
- Downloads are saved to
Documents/BennyScrapedNovelsunless a different location is configured. - The database is stored under the operating system's application data directory in
BennyScraper/Database. - Logs are stored under the operating system's application data directory in
BennyScraper/logsand are retained for up to 14 days.
Back up the database before installing a major update or clearing the database.
Pushing a version tag runs the GitHub release workflow. It builds and tests the application, publishes self-contained archives for Windows x64, Linux x64, macOS Intel, and macOS Apple Silicon, and then creates the GitHub release with generated release notes and SHA-256 checksums.
Update both Version and InformationalVersion in Benny-Scraper/Benny-Scraper.csproj (without the v), update RELEASE_NOTES.md, and commit the release changes. Create an annotated local tag with the matching version including the v prefix:
git tag -a v3.0.0 -m "Benny-Scraper v3.0.0"
git show --stat v3.0.0Creating the local tag does not publish anything. After testing, push the release commit and then explicitly push the tag to start the automatic release:
git push origin HEAD
git push origin v3.0.0Replace 3.0.0 in these examples with the next unused release version. A tag containing a suffix, such as v3.0.0-prerelease, creates a prerelease. The workflow passes the tag version into the published application, so the tag and benny-scraper --version stay consistent. Release notes include RELEASE_NOTES.md followed by GitHub's generated notes. Do not reuse an existing published tag; increase the version before creating another release.
Run these commands from the repository root. The output paths can be changed.
dotnet publish Benny-Scraper/Benny-Scraper.csproj -c Release --self-contained true -r linux-x64 -o publish/linux-x64
dotnet publish Benny-Scraper/Benny-Scraper.csproj -c Release --self-contained true -r osx-x64 -o publish/osx-x64
dotnet publish Benny-Scraper/Benny-Scraper.csproj -c Release --self-contained true -r osx-arm64 -o publish/osx-arm64
dotnet publish Benny-Scraper/Benny-Scraper.csproj -c Release --self-contained true -r win-x64 -o publish/win-x64On Linux or macOS, make the executable runnable with chmod +x Benny-Scraper and add its directory to your PATH if you want to run it from anywhere.
- Make sure executable has been added to the environment variables
benny-scraper [OPTIONS] [URL]# View all supported websites
benny-scraper --sites
# Download entire novel (interactive mode)
benny-scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon"
# Download chapters 1-50 (non-interactive, no prompts)
benny-scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon" -B 1 -E 50
# Download with login for premium chapters (shows browser). Your credentials are NEVER stored.
benny-scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon" --with-login -B 1 -E 100
# Download from chapter 25 to the end
benny-scraper "https://www.novelfull.com/my-novel.html" -B 25Adding a new site requires little to no coding experience, but some knowledge of XPath is helpful. The sites directory stores each site configuration, and --test-interactive guides you through creating one.
- Run
benny-scraper --test-interactive "https://example.com/novel/example"using a table-of-contents URL. - Enter and validate each XPath when prompted.
- Review the generated JSON file in the
sitesdirectory. - Run
benny-scraper --validate-config "SiteName"and provide a live test URL. - Test the configuration by downloading a novel.
- If the site works with
CommonStrategy, only the new JSON file needs to be included in a pull request.
This process will not work for every site. Sites with custom navigation or authentication may require a dedicated strategy. For Cloudflare-protected sites, try running FlareSolverr locally before testing the site. When FlareSolverr is the only successful way to load the table of contents or chapter content, the generated configuration sets requiresFlareSolverr to true.
Download Options:
[URL] Novel table of contents URL to download. When provided as the first argument,
downloads the novel immediately (can be combined with -B, -E, --with-login).
-B, --begin-chapter [INT] Starting chapter number for range selection. If not specified, starts from chapter 1.
Combine with -E to download a specific range non-interactively.
-E, --end-chapter [INT] Ending chapter number for range selection. If not specified, downloads to the last chapter.
Combine with -B to download a specific range non-interactively.
--with-login Show browser for manual login to access premium chapters (e.g., WuxiaWorld). Your credentials
are NEVER stored - you login manually in the browser window, then scraping continues. Useful
for accessing premium/locked chapters you own. Without this flag, browser runs headless (hidden).
General:
--sites Display all supported websites for scraping with clickable URLs and ASCII art header.
Database Management:
-l, --list List all novels in database. Options include:
-P, --page [INT]
-I, --items-per-page [INT]
-S, --search [STRING]
-U, --update-all Updates all non-completed novels in database with ones found online. Will only update ones
that were not modified the same day.
-i, --novel-info-by-id [GUID] Gets detailed saved information about a novel, including its save location.
--clear-database Clear all novels and chapters from database.
-d, --delete-novel-by-id [GUID] Deletes a novel by its ID.
-r, --recreate-epub-by-id [GUID] Recreates an EPUB novel using its ID.
--retry-failed [GUID] Retries missing or failed chapters for one saved novel. Combine with --with-login when
retrying premium chapters that require an authenticated browser session.
--retry-all-failed Retries missing or failed chapters for every saved novel. Can be combined with --with-login.
Configuration:
-b, --browser [NAME] Set the default Selenium browser. Supported values: Chrome or Firefox.
-c, --concurrent-request Set the number [INT] of concurrent requests to a website. Default is 2, value will be limited
to number of CPU cores on your computer. *Some websites may block your ip if too many requests
are made in a short time*
--get-concurrent Display the saved concurrent request limit.
-s, --save-location Set default save location [PATH]. Overridden by specific 'manga' or 'novel' locations if set.
-m, --manga-save-location Set manga-specific save location [PATH]. Overrides 'save-location'.
-n, --novel-save-location Set novel-specific save location [PATH]. Overrides 'save-location'.
-e, --manga-extension (Default: -1) Default extension for mangas (any image based novel) [INT] *count starts a 0*.
0=PDF, 1=CBZ. Default is PDF.
-f, --single-file Choose how to save Mangas: as a single file containing all chapters (Y), or as individual
files for each chapter (N).
-L, --update-novel-saved-location-by-id Updates the saved location of a novel by its [ID]. Useful when a file has been
moved, or never added due to previous bug.
-x, --novel-extension-by-id [GUID] Change the recorded file type of a saved novel.
0=EPUB, 1=PDF, 2=CBZ. This does not convert the existing file.
--get-extension Gets the saved default extensions for mangas.
Testing & Validation:
-t, --test-site Test connectivity to a site [URL]. Attempts to fetch the page and extract the title to verify
Cloudflare bypass is working. Useful for testing a site before implementing a scraper strategy.
--test-all Test connectivity to all supported sites. Displays which sites are accessible and which are
blocked by Cloudflare or other protection. Runs automatically on application startup in
interactive mode.
--test-interactive [URL] Interactive mode for testing a new site. Guides you through testing each field and generates
a JSON configuration that will be treated as a new site.
--test-field [FIELD:XPATH] Test a specific field with XPath. Example: --test-field "Title://h1[@class='title']" <URL>
--fields List all field names supported by --test-field, grouped by table-of-contents and chapter fields.
--use-selenium Use Selenium with --test-field for content that is rendered by JavaScript.
--show-browser Show the browser while using Selenium with --test-field. Without this option, Selenium runs
in headless mode.
--validate-config [NAME] Validate an existing site configuration by name. Tests all selectors against a live URL.
--validate-all-configs Validate all active site configurations. Tests selectors for each configured site.
General:
--help Display this help screen.
--version Display version information.# Download entire novel - interactive chapter selection
Benny-Scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon"
# Download specific chapter range (no prompts - like yt-dlp)
Benny-Scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon" -B 1 -E 50
# Download from chapter 100 to the end
Benny-Scraper "https://www.novelfull.com/martial-god-asura.html" -B 100
# Download first 25 chapters
Benny-Scraper "https://mangakatana.com/manga/one-piece.123" -E 25
# Download with login for premium chapters (WuxiaWorld)
Benny-Scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon" --with-login -B 1 -E 100
# Complex example: Login + specific range + works completely non-interactively
Benny-Scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/coiling-dragon" --with-login -B 50 -E 150# Download with login (shows browser for manual login)
Benny-Scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon" --with-login
# Download premium chapters in specific range
Benny-Scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon" --with-login -B 200 -E 250
# Without --with-login flag, browser runs headless (hidden) and premium chapters are skipped
Benny-Scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/nine-star-hegemon" -B 1 -E 50Note: When using --with-login:
- Browser window opens visibly for you to login manually
- Your credentials are NEVER stored
- After login, press Enter to continue scraping
- Premium chapters you own will be included in the download
# List all novels (10 per page)
Benny-Scraper --list
Benny-Scraper -l
# Search for novels with pagination
Benny-Scraper -l -I 10 -S "Martial" -P 1
# Searches for novels containing "Martial", 10 results per page, starting on page 1
# Get detailed info about a specific novel
Benny-Scraper -i [NOVEL-ID]
# Update all incomplete novels in database
Benny-Scraper -U
# Delete a novel by ID
Benny-Scraper -d [NOVEL-ID]
# Recreate EPUB from database
Benny-Scraper -r [NOVEL-ID]
# Retry failed chapters for one novel
Benny-Scraper --retry-failed [NOVEL-ID]
# Retry premium chapters with a visible login session
Benny-Scraper --retry-failed [NOVEL-ID] --with-login
# Retry failed chapters for every saved novel
Benny-Scraper --retry-all-failed
# Clear entire database
Benny-Scraper --clear-database# Set default save location for all novels
Benny-Scraper -s "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Novels"
# Set separate locations for novels and manga
Benny-Scraper -n "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\WebNovels"
Benny-Scraper -m "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Manga"
# Set default manga extension (0=PDF, 1=CBZ)
Benny-Scraper -e 1
# Display the current manga extension
Benny-Scraper --get-extension
# Set concurrent request limit (be careful - some sites rate limit)
Benny-Scraper -c 5
# Display the current concurrent request limit
Benny-Scraper --get-concurrent
# Save manga as one file containing all selected chapters
Benny-Scraper -f y
# Update save location for existing novel
Benny-Scraper -L [NOVEL-ID]
# Change the file type of a saved novel
Benny-Scraper -x [NOVEL-ID]# Test if you can reach a site before implementing a scraper
Benny-Scraper -t "https://wanderinginn.com"
# Test all supported sites
Benny-Scraper --test-all
# Interactive site configuration testing
Benny-Scraper --test-interactive "https://newnovelsite.com/novel/example"
# Test a specific XPath selector
Benny-Scraper --test-field "Title://h1[@class='novel-title']" "https://example.com/novel"
# List the supported field names
Benny-Scraper --fields
# Test JavaScript-rendered chapter content in a visible browser
Benny-Scraper --test-field "ChapterContent://div[@id='chapter-content']" "https://example.com/chapter-1" --use-selenium --show-browser
# Validate existing site configuration against a live URL
Benny-Scraper --validate-config "Wuxiaworld"
# Validate all site configurations
Benny-Scraper --validate-all-configs# Run without arguments to enter interactive mode
Benny-Scraper
# Interactive mode commands:
# test <url> Test a specific site URL
# test-all Test all supported sites
# exit Quit the application# Daily routine: Download new chapters from your favorite novel
Benny-Scraper "https://www.novelfull.com/martial-god-asura.html" -B 2500
# Binge reading: Download entire volume with premium access
Benny-Scraper "https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/coiling-dragon" --with-login -B 1 -E 200
# Archive collection: Download and organize multiple novels
Benny-Scraper -m "D:\Managas" "https://mangakatana.com/manga/the-return-of-the-crazy-demon.25882" # set save location for manga
Benny-Scraper -n "D:\WebNovels" "https://www.novelfull.com/novel2.html" # change were novels without images are saved
Benny-Scraper -l -S "Novel" -I 20 # list all novels containing "Novel" with 20 results per page
# Update all your ongoing novels at once
Benny-Scraper -UFor more information about each command and option, run:
benny-scraper --helpTry adding a new site and see if it works. If it uses CommonStrategy, the pull request may only need the new JSON file. See CONTRIBUTING.md for the checks to run and the information to include.
Only download content you are allowed to access. You are responsible for following the rules of the sites you use.