# Wildcard download via FTP - mget?
**URL:** https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/wildcard-download-via-ftp-mget/4332
**Category:** Discussion
**Created:** [October 20, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/wildcard-download-via-ftp-mget/4332 "2008-10-20T05:54:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/deleted_user)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/wildcard-download-via-ftp-mget/4332/1 "2008-10-20T05:54:06Z")
Currently we have an inhouse ftp system that uses wildcards to get files from a remote server. It uses the mget command. How would you do that same thing with Automise?
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### Author:  [@sexy-trousers](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/sexy-trousers)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2008, 9:31am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/wildcard-download-via-ftp-mget/4332/2 "2008-10-20T09:31:40Z")
I haven't had to do this yet, but I would guess you use the FTP List Directory action with your file spec and then use the resulting listing with the List Iterator action to step through them one by one and download them to where ever you want.
If you have a copy of Beyond Compare, you could probably also use the Beyond Compare Script action and let BC do an intelligent download of only files that have changed (BC is a great tool - well worth the $, Automise is also a great tool and worth evey dime).
Good luck, TJ
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### Author:  [@deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/deleted_user)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2008, 11:37am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/wildcard-download-via-ftp-mget/4332/3 "2008-10-20T11:37:29Z")
I'm at the evaluation stage at this point, and some of the other tools that I've looked at allowed us to just use wildcards in the download filespec. Guess I'll try the approach you outlined tomorrow. THANKS
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### Author:  [@brent](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/brent)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/wildcard-download-via-ftp-mget/4332/4 "2008-10-23T01:15:19Z")
Hi Larry,
As Tim was kind enough to point out, the solution currently recommended for downloading multiple files is to use the "FTP List Directory" action to add all of the files matching a certain file spec to a variable. Then use a "List Iterator" to iterate the contents of that variable and a "FTP Download File" action as the child of that iterator to download each file. This also provides the flexibility to perform other actions for each file being downloaded.
The alternative, simpler option is to download GNU wget for Windows (free), and use the "Wget Download" action in Automise. WGet supports wildcard specifiers for FTP directories.You can find wget for Windows here: [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/wget.htm](http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/wget.htm)
Hope that helps. :)
Brent