How To Delete The Unused Images in WordPress
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- How To Delete The Unused Images in WordPress
Over time, your WordPress media library can become cluttered with unused images. These images take up valuable storage space and can lead to various issues. It’s one of those problems many developers overlook until a major issue arises. But paying attention to these small details is what sets great developers apart.
In this article, we’ll show you how to delete unused images in WordPress, using both methods: with and without plugins.
Why You Need To Delete Unused Images in WordPress
It is important to understand why you should delete the unused images in WordPress before handing it over to the client:
- Saves Storage Space: Most WordPress websites run on shared hosting with limited storage. Unused images can quickly fill up space, causing your site to hit its storage limit and slow down performance.
- Fast Backups & Migrations: Backing up a WordPress site includes all media files, which can make the backup large and heavy. This often leads to time-consuming migrations and increases the risk of errors during the process. Some WordPress backup plugins also require a paid version to restore large backups.
- Easier Media Management: A cluttered WordPress media library can be frustrating when trying to find a specific image. It can also take longer to load images, slowing down your work in the admin area.
- Better Impression: Whether you're freelancing or working in a company, maintaining a clean media library shows professionalism. It creates a better impression on clients, teammates, or reviewers, and it's simply a good habit for any developer to follow.
How To Delete The Unused Images in WordPress (Plugin Method)
One of the easiest and most convenient ways to delete unused images in WordPress is by using a plugin. After all, WordPress is known for its extensive plugin ecosystem, which makes tasks like this simple and efficient.
Media Cleaner is one of the best plugins to scan and delete unused images in WordPress. It has features like scanning only images or scanning the entire media library, allowing you to choose based on your needs.
WP-Optimize also offers the feature to delete unused images. It also includes other features like image compression, caching, minification, lazy loading, and much more. These features can help improve your website’s speed and performance.
Note: It is advised to take a backup of your website before using any plugin to remove unused images, just to be on the safe side.
How To Delete The Unused Images in WordPress (Manual Method)
While plugins are the easiest and most convenient method, many people prefer the manual approach. If you don’t want to install any plugins, you can go with the manual method instead. It’s also a good option if you want more control and don’t want to delete certain unused images.
Steps:
- 1. Go To Media > Library
- 2. Switch To List View
- 3. Find The Unattached Images
- 4. Delete Them One by One or in Bulk by Selecting All
Note: Double-check before deleting any image. Sometimes unattached images are still used somewhere on your site, so make sure they’re truly unused before removing them.
Bonus: Prevent Future Unused Images
Prevention is better than cure. When uploading images to WordPress, avoid uploading duplicate files. If you’re just testing how an image looks on your site, make sure to delete those test images afterward. For better organization, rename your final images based on the page or content they belong to before uploading them to the media library, this makes media management much easier down the line.
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