Media Sync
Import FTP uploads directly into the WordPress media library
AI Summary
Media Sync is a WordPress plugin that scans the upload folder and identifies files that are not yet registered in the media library. It enables retroactive importing of FTP uploads while bypassing file size limitations. Particularly useful for restoring backups and cleaning up broken media libraries.
✓ Pros
- + Bypasses upload size restrictions through direct FTP upload
- + Identifies unregistered files in the upload directory
- + Free basic version for fundamental synchronization tasks
✗ Cons
- − Performance issues with very large amounts of files in the free version
- − May lead to timeout and memory problems depending on server configuration
Use Cases
- → FTP upload of large files to bypass upload limits
- → Retroactive registration of restored backup files
- → Cleanup and synchronization of incomplete media libraries
- → Migration of media between different WordPress installations
Who is it for?
WordPress administrators who need to upload large media files via FTP or repair broken media libraries after migrations.
Tags
What is Media Sync?
Media Sync is a WordPress plugin that scans the upload folder of an installation and lists files that exist in the file system but have not yet been registered in the media library. The typical use case: a file is placed on the server via FTP, but WordPress has no record of it. Media Sync closes this gap by importing such files after the fact and creating media entries for them.
This solves a concrete problem. WordPress limits uploads through the backend to a server-side maximum file size. Anyone uploading larger files has to fall back on FTP. The database entry is then missing. Media Sync handles exactly that step.
Core features
- Scanning the upload directory for unregistered files
- Importing FTP uploads into the WordPress media library after the fact
- Bypassing file size limits via the direct FTP route
- Helping restore backups whose media files exist on disk but are not recorded in the database
- Cleaning up media libraries after incomplete migrations
Who is Media Sync for?
The plugin is aimed at WordPress administrators who regularly work outside the backend. Typical situations: a backup has been restored, the files are in the upload folder, but the media library does not show them. Or a site has been migrated to a new server and the media entries in the database are missing. Developers synchronising staging environments also benefit.
With very large numbers of files, the free version slows down. On servers with a tight memory limit or short execution timeouts, the process stops before it finishes.
Context & alternatives
Media Sync falls into the category of WordPress maintenance tools, specifically media library management and migration utilities. Plugins such as "Add From Server" offer comparable functionality, as does WP-CLI with the wp media import command. The latter has no graphical interface and requires shell access. Anyone who can use WP-CLI will find it more reliable for large numbers of files. Anyone who depends on an admin interface and only imports files occasionally will get by with the free version of Media Sync.
