Free WordPress Plugin

Stop paying for storage you don’t actually need

Media Purge finds unused and duplicate files in your WordPress media library, shows where each file is used, and lets you clean up with recoverable trash — free forever for core scans.
✓ No credit card needed✓ WordPress 5.8+✓ Safe trash (recoverable)✓ Free core scans
Live Scanner: 142 unused files identified · 384 MB recoverable storage

WORKS WITH THE STACK YOU ALREADY USE

ElementorDiviWooCommerceGutenbergWPBakeryBeaver Builder
The Hidden Cost of Media Bloat

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.

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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.

100% Free Core Plugin

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

Built for real WordPress sites — not just post content

Everything you need to audit, clean, and protect your media library with total confidence.

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 active builder assets are never flagged.

Used In Display

Shows exact post titles, URLs, and context where each media file is used before you make any decisions.

Safe Trash + Recovery

Never deletes permanently right away. Moves files to WordPress trash with 30-day retention for easy one-click restoration.

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.

Simple 3-Step Setup

From install to cleanup in minutes

Three simple steps to a lean, organized WordPress media library.
01

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.

02

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.

03

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.

Zero-Risk Architecture

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.

✓Read-only scanner: Never alters your database or files during scans
✓Trash before permanent delete: Zero accidental data loss — files go to trash first
✓Adjustable retention: 30-day default trash retention before any permanent removal
✓No external API calls: 100% self-contained on your server for complete privacy
✓Background async scanning: Keeps your admin dashboard fast and responsive
Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

No — Media Purge never deletes files permanently on its own. When you select files to clean, they are moved to WordPress trash first. You can review them and restore any file with a single click within the retention period (default 30 days).
Yes, absolutely. The scanning engine is 100% read-only and runs asynchronously in the background in small batches. It will not lock database tables, trigger PHP execution timeouts, or slow down your site visitors.
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 active builder media is never mistakenly flagged.
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.
Get Started Today

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”