Stop paying for storage you don’t actually need
WORKS WITH THE STACK YOU ALREADY USE
Your media library is quietly costing you money
Every time you update a product photo, swap a hero image, or run a quick test upload, the old file usually stays. WordPress doesn’t clean up after itself. Over months and years, orphaned files pile up into dead weight on your server.
Most media tools just show you files. They don’t prove what’s safe to delete. So you either keep paying for storage you don’t need — or risk breaking live content by removing the wrong file.
Media Purge solves both problems: deep scanning to find what’s unused, and “Used In” context so you can verify before you trash.
Hosting & Backup Bloat
Unused images silently multiply your storage tier costs and push you into expensive server upgrades prematurely.
Slower Backups & Clones
Gigabytes of orphaned dead media make site migrations, staging copies, and daily backups painfully sluggish.
Risk of Breaking Live Layouts
Deleting blindly without knowing where files are referenced causes broken image icons on live customer pages.
Core cleanup is free. Forever. No artificial limits.
Scan, review, trash, restore, and export — with no paywall on scan depth and no file-count caps. Deep page-builder scanning is included in the free core. A future paid tier is planned for automation only (scheduled cleanup and one-click duplicate merge). Those features are labelled Coming Soon in-plugin. Core cleanup stays free.
Built for real WordPress sites — not just post content
Smart Unused Scanner
Scans posts, pages, custom post types, metadata, and options to identify unreferenced media files accurately.
Deep Builder Scanning
Parses Elementor, Divi, Gutenberg blocks, and WooCommerce product galleries so media used by these builders shows up as in use.
Used In Display
Shows exact post titles, URLs, and context where each media file is used before you make any decisions.
Safe Trash + Recovery
Moves files to the plugin’s own recoverable trash instead of deleting them. Restore in one click within the retention window (30 days by default, adjustable).
Duplicate Detection
Identifies identical files eating up server space using cryptographic hash checks regardless of filenames.
Storage Analytics
Provides clear breakdowns of total library size, recoverable space, and image format distribution at a glance.
Whitelist & Protection
Easily whitelist essential brand logos, banners, or dynamic files to ensure they are excluded from scans.
CSV Export & Bulk Actions
Export audit logs and full scan reports to CSV or perform bulk trashing with safe async processing.
From install to cleanup in minutes
Install from WordPress.org
Search for Media Purge under Plugins → Add New and activate it in one click. No API keys, tracking, or external signups required.
Run scan (Media → Media Purge)
Navigate to Media → Media Purge and start a read-only background scan. It processes asynchronously in small batches without locking your server.
Review Used In, trash, recover
Verify unused files with full Used In context, move them to trash safely, and restore them anytime with a single click if needed.
Your files aren’t touched without your permission
Most cleanup plugins terrify site owners because one accidental delete can break headers, logos, or shop archives.
Media Purge is engineered specifically to eliminate data loss anxiety. We believe safety is a non-negotiable requirement for media management.
Every scan is 100% read-only, and every cleanup action moves files to recoverable trash first.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. When you select files to clean, Media Purge moves them to its own internal trash, not a permanent delete. You can restore any file in one click during the retention period (30 days by default, adjustable in Settings). Files are permanently deleted only when you click Delete Permanently or when that retention period ends.
Yes. The scanner is read-only: it never moves, modifies, or deletes anything while it scans. It works in the background in small batches to keep server load low, and nothing changes on your site until you choose to trash a file.
Yes. Unlike basic scanners that only check standard post content, Media Purge deeply inspects Elementor container JSON, Divi shortcodes, WooCommerce product galleries, featured images, and custom fields, so media used inside these builders is recognised as in use. If you use a builder or theme the scanner doesn’t support, add those files to the Whitelist.
None. You can scan unlimited files, review full results, trash unused media, restore files, and export CSV reports completely free. There are no caps on library size. Future paid tiers are planned strictly for hands-off automation (scheduled cron cleanup and automated duplicate merging).
Media Purge includes a one-click Whitelist feature. If you have custom theme assets, brand logos in external stylesheets, or dynamic media, simply add them to your whitelist once and they will be permanently protected from all future scans.
Clean your media library in minutes — free.
Join WordPress site owners who keep their media libraries fast, lean, and organized without risking live layouts.
Plugins → Add New → search “Media Purge”