Description
Media Purge is a free WordPress media cleaner that finds unused images and other media files, shows you exactly where every file is used, and lets you clean up your media library safely through a recoverable trash.
Over time every WordPress site collects images nobody uses anymore: old product photos, replaced banners, test uploads, files left behind by deleted posts. They take up disk space and make your backups larger, and they make the media library harder to manage. Deleting them by hand is risky, because a file can look unused in the Media Library while it still appears in a page builder layout, a widget or a product gallery.
Media Purge solves that in four steps:
- Scan – it checks post content, post meta, widgets, theme customizer settings, WooCommerce product galleries and page builder data (Elementor, Divi, WPBakery, Beaver Builder).
- Review – every file shows its size and a Used In list with links, so you can check a file before you remove it.
- Trash – unused files move to the plugin’s own internal trash, not a permanent delete.
- Restore – trashed files stay recoverable for 30 days by default (adjustable), with one-click restore from the Recovery tab.
Free to use. All core cleanup features are free: scan, review, trash, restore and CSV export. There are no scan limits and no file caps. A paid tier with advanced automation is planned; those features are marked “Coming Soon” inside the plugin. Core cleanup (scan review trash restore) will always be free.
What Media Purge does
Find unused images and media
Detects media files with no reference across post content, post meta (featured images, WooCommerce product galleries), widget areas, theme customizer options and supported page builders. Results show the file size, so you can see how much storage you can reclaim.
“Used In” display
Each media item shows where it is used, with the post title, post type and context (for example, Featured Image in “About Us” or an Elementor widget in “Home”) and a direct link to edit that post.
Safe trash and recovery
Files go to an internal trash first. They remain recoverable for 30 days by default, and you can change the retention period in Settings. The Recovery tab lets you restore single files or bulk-restore, and you permanently delete only when you are ready (or when the retention period ends).
Duplicate image finder (view)
Groups files that are byte-for-byte identical using MD5 hashing, regardless of filename, and shows the storage each duplicate group wastes. One-click duplicate merge is planned for a future release.
Page builder support, free
Scans Elementor JSON data, Divi module meta, WPBakery shortcodes and Beaver Builder layouts in the free version, so builder images show up as in use.
WooCommerce support
Product featured images and product gallery images are recognised as in use.
Whitelist
Mark any file as “Keep” so the scanner never flags it again. Use it for files loaded by a theme or plugin the scanner does not read.
Storage analytics
See your media storage broken down by type (images, videos, audio, documents, other), with total media count, unused count, total size and potential savings.
Filters, bulk actions and CSV export
Filter unused media by file type, bulk trash or bulk whitelist many files at once, and export the unused list to CSV for review or client reporting. Large libraries load 30 items per page with load-more pagination.
Built for live sites
The scanner is read-only: it never moves, modifies or deletes anything while scanning. Scans run in the background in small batches to keep server load low. Nothing changes until you choose to trash a file. A first-run setup wizard lets you set recent-upload protection, trash retention and WooCommerce scanning.
Coming in a future release (paid tier)
These features are in development and are labelled “Coming Soon” inside the plugin:
- One-click duplicate merge – keep one copy, update references, remove the rest.
- Scheduled auto-cleanup – trash unused media older than N days on a schedule, with an optional email summary.
- Advanced storage analytics – storage trend history and a hosting cost estimator.
- Virtual folder organizer – organise attachments into virtual folders without touching the server directory structure.
Who is it for?
- Site owners who want to clean up the WordPress media library without FTP or code.
- Bloggers and content sites with years of uploads.
- WooCommerce stores that have replaced product images many times.
- Agencies that manage many client sites and need a safe, auditable cleanup.
- Developers who want to check media usage before removing files.
Compatibility
Plugin / theme
What is scanned
Elementor
Image widgets, background images and gallery elements in Elementor JSON data
Divi Builder (plugin or theme)
Images in Divi module meta and layout data
WPBakery Page Builder
Images referenced in [vc_*] shortcode attributes
Beaver Builder
Images stored in Beaver Builder layout posts
WooCommerce
Product featured image and all product gallery images
Gutenberg / Block Editor
Image, gallery, cover, media-text and core blocks that store attachment IDs
Classic Editor
<img> tags and [gallery] shortcodes in post content
Widgets & Theme Customizer
Upload URLs stored in widget options or theme mod values
WordPress 5.8 or higher and PHP 7.4 or higher. Single-site installs only; multisite support is planned.
Learn more
Screenshots
Installation
- In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins Add New, search for “Media Purge”, then click Install Now and Activate. Or upload the
media-purgefolder to/wp-content/plugins/and activate it from the Plugins menu. - Go to Media Media Purge.
- Complete the short setup wizard (recent-upload protection, trash retention, WooCommerce scanning), or skip it.
- Click Run Scan Now.
- Review the results, check the “Used In” links, then trash the files you no longer need. You can restore them from the Recovery tab during the retention period.
FAQ
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How do I find unused images in WordPress?
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Install Media Purge, go to Media Media Purge and run a scan. It lists media files with no detected reference in your content, post meta, widgets, customizer settings or supported page builders, with the file size and a “Used In” check for each one.
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Will it permanently delete my files?
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Not automatically, and not until you choose to. Files move to the plugin’s internal trash first. They stay there for 30 days by default (adjustable in Settings) and can be restored at any time from the Recovery tab. Permanent deletion happens only when you click “Delete Permanently” or when the retention period ends.
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Is it safe on live sites?
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The scanner is read-only. It never moves, modifies or deletes anything while scanning, and nothing changes on your site until you click a Trash button. As with any cleanup, we recommend a recent backup before you permanently delete files.
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Does the free version scan Elementor and other page builders?
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Yes. Elementor, Divi, WPBakery and Beaver Builder are scanned in the free version. For builders the scanner does not support, use the Whitelist to exclude files you know are in use.
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What if a theme or plugin uses a file the scanner doesn’t know about?
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Use the Whitelist. Click “Keep” on any file in the Scanner tab to exclude it from all future scan results.
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Does it work with WooCommerce?
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Yes. Product featured images and product gallery images are scanned through post meta.
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How does it find duplicate images?
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Files are grouped by their MD5 hash, so byte-for-byte identical files land in the same group regardless of filename. Resized copies or edited versions are not treated as duplicates. Viewing duplicates is free today; one-click merge is planned.
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Will the plugin slow down my site?
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Scans run as a background process in small batches to keep server load low, so visitors should not notice a scan in progress.
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Can I export the list of unused files?
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Yes. Use the Export CSV button in the Scanner tab.
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Does the free version have limits?
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No artificial limits: no scan caps, no file-count restrictions and no time limits.
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What happens if I deactivate or uninstall the plugin?
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On deactivation, scheduled events are cleared and plugin tables are kept, so your scan history and whitelist are there if you reactivate. On uninstall, the plugin’s database tables and options are fully removed.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“Media Purge – Unused Media Cleaner & Duplicate Finder” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “Media Purge – Unused Media Cleaner & Duplicate Finder” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.4.6
- Fixed: Support URL corrected from wp-media-purge to media-purge for proper WP.org forum links.
- Fixed: Storage Analytics subtitle apostrophe display issue.
1.4.5
- Fixed: Removed storage snapshot database table, daily cron collection, and mock storage growth chart — these were infrastructure for a Coming Soon feature and should not be silently collecting data.
- Fixed: Storage tab now shows Storage Overview (real scan data) and Largest Files only — no mock/estimated charts.
- Fixed: Removed Hosting Cost Estimator Coming Soon gate from Storage tab.
1.4.4
- Fixed: Rebuilt admin JavaScript from scratch — previous build was corrupted and caused the admin UI to display only a loading spinner
1.4.3
- Added: System Status tab — one-glance health check covering REST API, DB tables, PHP/WP versions, cron jobs, memory limit, upload directory, and WooCommerce
- Added: REST API health endpoint
GET /wpmp/v1/health - Fixed: Scanner no longer shows the “Start Scan” screen after a scan completes with 0 results — new sites now see a clear “No Unused Files Found” message
- Improved: About tab now clearly lists all free features and planned future releases
- Improved: Page builders (Elementor, Divi, WPBakery) correctly show as free — removed incorrect “Pro” badge
- Added: “Adjust Protection Period” shortcut on scan-clean screen links directly to Settings tab
1.4.2
- Replaced Folders (Coming Soon) tab with functional Recovery tab.
- Added first-run Setup Wizard — configures recent-upload protection, trash retention period, and WooCommerce scan preference on first visit.
- Wizard auto-dismissed after completion; skippable at any step.
- Fixed Help button and footer documentation links to use getmediapurge.com.
1.4.1
- Security: Rewrote
get_unused_mediaquery to use$wpdb->prepare()— eliminated SQL LIKE injection risk. - Security: Fixed negative OFFSET vulnerability when
?page=0was passed to the media endpoint. - Performance: Scanner now fetches attachment IDs in configurable batches (default 200).
- Reliability: Replaced TRUNCATE with a targeted DELETE that preserves whitelisted entries.
- Reliability: Added
POST /scan/cancelREST endpoint to force-clear a stuck scan lock. - GDPR / WP.org compliance: Removed Google Fonts CDN enqueue — admin UI now uses a system font stack.
- Business logic: Removed “(Pro)” label from Divi, WPBakery, and Beaver Builder scanner labels.
- Code hygiene: Removed dead
reset_monthly_count()cron method.
1.3.0
- Complete UI overhaul — Navy/Blue premium design system.
- SVG icon system replaces WordPress dashicons.
- New navy plugin header bar with integrated tab navigation.
- Dashboard stat cards, storage grid, and quick actions card.
- Scanner pre-scan hero with source badges and large CTA.
- Scan progress component with animated spinner, gradient bar, and phase step indicators.
- Horizontal media rows with improved information density.
- Bottom-right toast notification system.
- Confirm modal with safety box and amber confirm button.
- Undo toast with 8-second countdown.
- 9 CSS keyframe animations; 40+ new localised strings; responsive breakpoints.
1.2.0
- Undo toast after trash action with 5-second countdown and one-click undo.
- Scan phase labels during scan progress.
- Elementor scanning moved to Free tier.
- Full ARIA accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA).
- Selected media items highlight with blue outline and tinted background.
1.1.0
- Complete UI/UX redesign with modern card-based interface and CSS custom properties.
- Menu moved under Media Media Purge.
- Dashboard stat cards, storage breakdown, “How it works” onboarding section.
- Full internationalisation — all UI strings localised.
1.0.0
- Initial public release.
- Smart scanner with content, meta, options, and all major page builder support.
- “Used In” display with clickable post links per media item.
- Safe trash-and-recovery flow with configurable retention.
- Storage analytics dashboard with type breakdown bar.
- Type filter and CSV export.
- Load-more pagination.
- Duplicate detection (view).
- Whitelist support.
- Full uninstall cleanup.