How to Find All Pages on a Website for Content Planning

I’ll never forget the first time I tried to build a “complete” list of pages for a website. I thought I was being clever—just click through the navigation, jot down every link, and boom, job done. But then, like a digital game of whack-a-mole, new pages kept popping up: hidden product listings, old campaign pages, blog posts buried under infinite scroll. It was like trying to map out a city by only walking the main roads, only to discover there’s a whole underground subway system you missed.

If you’ve ever tried to get all pages of a website for a content audit, SEO project, or competitive research, you know it’s not as easy as it sounds. In fact, a whopping —which means most of a site’s content is hidden from both users and search engines. That’s a lot of missed opportunity, and a lot of digital cobwebs. So, how do you actually build a complete website links list? And why does it matter so much for content planning? Let’s dig in.

Why You Need a Complete Website Links List for Content Planning

Before we get into the “how,” let’s talk about the “why.” Building a full website links list isn’t just a nerdy exercise for SEO geeks (though, full disclosure, I do find it fun). It’s a strategic asset for any business that cares about content, leads, or digital performance.

Here’s why every team should care:

• Content & SEO Audits: Knowing every URL lets you spot outdated, thin, or orphaned pages. Orphan pages—those with no internal links—are especially sneaky. They can and drag down your site’s authority.
• Content Planning & Refresh: With a full inventory, you can see what content exists, what needs updating, and where the gaps are. Many companies discover dozens of forgotten pages during audits—some of which are prime for a refresh.
• Competitive Analysis: Want to see all your competitor’s landing pages, product categories, or hidden resources? You need their full sitemap, not just what’s in the main menu.
• Sales & Lead Gen: Scraping all pages with contact info or store locations means no lead gets left behind.
• Operations & Monitoring: E-commerce teams can track every product page for price changes or stock status—even those not linked in main categories.

Let’s break it down by team:

The bottom line? If you’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg, you’re missing out on insights, leads, and opportunities.

The Real Meaning of “How to Get All Pages of a Website”

Let’s clear up a common misconception: “How to get all pages of a website” is not just about clicking “Next Page” over and over. Websites are sneaky. They use infinite scroll, “load more” buttons, JavaScript-rendered links, URL parameters, and even hide entire sections from navigation. Some pages are only accessible if you know the secret handshake (or, more likely, the direct URL).

So, when I talk about building a website links list, I’m talking about:

• Navigating infinite scroll feeds (think: Twitter, news sites)
• Clicking “Load More” buttons that reveal hidden content
• Detecting pages created by URL parameters (like product filters)
• Uncovering orphan pages with no internal links
• Finding private or unlinked sections (like old campaign pages)

It’s less like flipping through a book, and more like exploring a house with hidden rooms and trapdoors. You need more than just a flashlight—you need a blueprint and a bit of digital detective work.

Traditional Methods to Find All Website Pages

Before AI tools like came along, most folks used a mix of manual tricks and specialized software to build a website links list. These methods still have their place, but each has its quirks.

Using Google Search and Site Operators

The classic move: pop site:example.com into Google. This shows you all the pages Google has indexed for that domain. You can get fancy with site:example.com/blog to focus on certain sections.

Pros:

• Super easy
• Good for a quick estimate

Cons:

• Only shows what Google has indexed (which, as we saw, is often a tiny slice)
• Won’t reveal private, orphaned, or blocked pages

Checking Sitemaps and Robots.txt

Most business sites have a sitemap.xml—a file listing URLs for search engines. You can usually find it at example.com/sitemap.xml or by checking robots.txt for a sitemap link.

Pros:

• Great for finding pages not in navigation
• Can include old or hidden pages

Cons:

• Not always up-to-date or complete
• Might list pages blocked to bots (so you see them, but can’t access them)
• Some pages are indexed but not in the sitemap ()

Crawling with SEO Spider Tools

Tools like Screaming Frog or WebSite Auditor crawl a site by following links, building a map of all reachable pages.

Pros:

• Finds deep-linked pages
• Can check for broken links and site structure

Cons:

• Struggles with dynamic content (infinite scroll, JavaScript links)
• Needs setup and technical know-how
• Free versions have crawl limits (Screaming Frog, for example, stops at 500 URLs)
• Won’t find orphan pages (no links = no discovery)

The Limits of Traditional Website Links List Methods

Here’s where things get tricky. Even after using all the above, you’ll often miss:

• Orphaned Pages: No internal links, not in sitemap, not indexed—these are digital hermits.
• Dynamic Content: Infinite scroll, “load more” buttons, or content loaded via JavaScript/AJAX.
• Pages Behind Forms or Scripts: Some pages only appear after a user action (like entering a search query).
• Duplicate or Parameterized URLs: Multiple paths to the same content, or unique content only accessible by tweaking URL parameters.

In short, traditional methods are like fishing with a net full of holes. You’ll catch a lot, but plenty slips through.

Thunderbit’s AI Approach: Smarter Ways to Find All Website Pages

This is where Thunderbit’s comes in—and why I’m genuinely excited about what we’ve built.

Thunderbit doesn’t just crawl links. It “reads” the page like a human, converting the content into a Markdown-like structure before extraction. This means the AI can actually understand the context, recognize lists, tables, headings, and even infer navigation logic. It’s like giving the AI a pair of reading glasses and a highlighter.

Why does this matter?

• Semantic Understanding: By pre-processing pages into Markdown, Thunderbit’s AI gets a semantic map of the site. It can tell the difference between a sidebar menu and a product list, or spot a “load more” button that isn’t a normal link.
• Handles Dynamic Content: Thunderbit can scroll, click, and interact with the page—just like a user. Infinite scroll? No problem. JavaScript-rendered links? Handled.
• AI-Driven Link Discovery: The AI can spot navigational elements that aren’t traditional links (like buttons or cards), and follow them to subpages.
• Natural Language Prompts: You can literally tell Thunderbit, “Find all product pages and list their titles and prices,” and it will figure out the steps.

In other words, Thunderbit bridges the gap between how humans browse and how machines gather data. It’s robust, flexible, and—dare I say—kind of fun to use.

Handling Pagination: From Infinite Scroll to Load More Buttons

Here’s a scenario I see all the time: you’re on a blog or product listing, and after the first 10 items, you have to either scroll endlessly or keep clicking “Load More.” Traditional crawlers stop at what’s initially loaded. Thunderbit’s AI, on the other hand, knows how to keep going.

How Thunderbit Handles Different Pagination Types

With Thunderbit, you just click “AI Suggest Fields,” then “Scrape.” The AI detects the pagination logic—whether it’s a button, scroll, or URL parameter—and keeps going until it’s got everything. No more fiddling with crawl depth or writing scripts.

For more on how Thunderbit handles pagination, check out the .

Subpage Scraping: Going Beyond the Main List

Here’s another rookie mistake I made early on: I’d scrape a list of products or articles, but forget to visit each detail page for the juicy info (like price, reviews, or contact details). That’s where subpage scraping comes in.

With Thunderbit’s Scrape Subpages feature, you can:

• Automatically visit every detail page linked from your main list
• Extract additional fields (like product specs, author bios, or contact info)
• Merge all the data into one tidy table

Imagine scraping a real estate site: you get all the listings from the city overview, then Thunderbit visits each property page to grab beds, baths, price, and agent contact. All in one go. No more copy-pasting URLs or running a second crawl.

For a visual walkthrough, see .

Choosing Between AI Scraping and Website Template Scraping

Not every site needs the full AI treatment. For standard platforms like Amazon, Shopify, or Zillow, Thunderbit offers instant templates. These are pre-built scrapers that know exactly where the data lives—so you can export in one click.

When to use AI mode:

• Unfamiliar or custom sites
• Complex layouts or unique data fields
• When you want to transform or categorize data on the fly

When to use a template:

• Popular, standardized sites (Amazon, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
• You want speed and guaranteed accuracy

Thunderbit’s UI will even suggest a template if one exists for the site you’re on. Otherwise, just switch to AI mode and let the brains do the work.

Aligning Website Page Discovery with Business Goals

Here’s a hot take: “Find all website pages” is not always the right goal. What you really want is to find all the relevant pages for your business objective.

• Sales teams might care only about pages with contact info.
• Marketing teams want all blog posts, landing pages, or campaign URLs.
• Ops teams focus on product or compliance pages.

Thunderbit lets you describe your goal in natural language—“Get all pages with email addresses,” or “List every product page with price and SKU.” The AI tailors its scraping scope accordingly, so you don’t waste time (or credits) on pages you don’t need.

Tips for defining useful scraping targets:

• Be specific in your field names and instructions
• Use domain knowledge (“scrape all /resources/ pages”)
• Iterate and refine your prompts if you get too much or too little

This approach saves time, reduces data overload, and ensures your website links list is actionable—not just a giant pile of URLs.

Step-by-Step: Using Thunderbit to Get All Pages of a Website

Ready to try it yourself? Here’s how I use Thunderbit to build a complete website links list—no coding required.

1. Install the : Quick install, free tier available.
2. Navigate to the target website: Start from the homepage or a specific section.
3. Open Thunderbit and set your data source: Usually “Current Page” by default.
4. Click “AI Suggest Fields”: Thunderbit analyzes the page and proposes columns (like “Page Title,” “URL,” etc.).
5. Review and adjust fields: Rename, add, or remove fields as needed. Set data types for clarity.
6. Enable subpage scraping (if needed): For detail pages, turn on “Scrape Subpages” and select which field is the link.
7. Click “Scrape”: Thunderbit handles pagination, infinite scroll, and subpages automatically.
8. Monitor progress: Watch the table fill up. Spot-check entries for accuracy.
9. Export your website links list: Download as CSV, or export directly to Excel, Google Sheets, Notion, or Airtable.
10. Refine and repeat: If you missed a section, run another scrape or adjust your prompts.

For more details, the have a great quick start guide.

Key Takeaways: Building a Complete Website Links List with Thunderbit

Let’s wrap up with the big lessons:

• Traditional methods (Google, sitemaps, crawlers) are useful but often miss hidden, dynamic, or orphaned pages.
• Thunderbit’s AI Web Scraper brings a new level of semantic understanding, handling complex navigation, infinite scroll, and subpages with minimal setup.
• Align your scraping with business goals—don’t just grab every page, grab the right pages for your needs.
• Thunderbit’s unique advantage: By converting pages to Markdown before extraction, the AI gets a deep, contextual understanding of site structure—making it robust even on sites with frequent layout changes or dynamic content.
• Easy for non-technical users: No code, no scripts, just describe what you want and let Thunderbit do the heavy lifting.
• Actionable results: Export structured data to your favorite tools and get to work—whether it’s a content audit, SEO project, or lead generation campaign.

If you haven’t tried AI-powered website page discovery yet, give a spin. You might be surprised at what’s hiding on your own site—or what your competitors have tucked away in their digital attic.

FAQs

1. Why is building a complete list of website pages important for content planning?

A complete page list helps identify outdated or orphaned content, streamline content audits, uncover SEO issues, and spot opportunities for content updates or repurposing. It also supports lead generation, competitive analysis, and operational monitoring.

2. What are the limitations of traditional methods for finding all website pages?

Traditional tools like Google search operators, sitemaps, and SEO crawlers often miss dynamic content, orphaned pages, or content hidden behind scripts and user interactions. These methods typically fail to uncover everything due to navigation complexity and rendering issues.

3. How does Thunderbit’s AI Web Scraper differ from traditional web crawling tools?

Thunderbit uses AI to understand the semantic structure of a webpage by converting it into Markdown before extraction. It can handle infinite scroll, JavaScript-rendered links, and “Load More” buttons, simulating how a human user interacts with a site.

4. What business teams benefit from having a complete website links list, and how?

Teams like SEO, content marketing, sales, e-commerce, and compliance all gain value. For instance, SEO teams find and fix orphaned pages, sales can extract contact pages, and ops teams can monitor product pages not easily found in navigation.

5. When should you use Thunderbit’s AI mode versus a template?

Use AI mode for unfamiliar, custom, or complex websites where dynamic interactions or unique data structures exist. Use a template for well-known platforms like Shopify or Amazon, where pre-built scrapers ensure fast and accurate data extraction.

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