Over time, WordPress media libraries can balloon and fill up with unused or unneeded files. Not only do these files take up disk space, they can also slow down the speed and performance of your website. Therefore.Regular cleaning The WordPress media library is crucial. In this guide, we'll detail how to clean up unused media files either manually or using a plugin, and provide some tips for avoiding an oversized media library.

What is WordPress Media Library?

The WordPress Media Library is a directory that stores all the media files you upload to your website, including images, audio and video files, and documents. The media library can be found in the WordPress dashboard:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Click on "media, esp. news media", then select "media library".

Why should I clean up my WordPress media library?

Over time, the WordPress media library will get bigger because unused images are not automatically deleted. In addition, WordPress copies uploaded images to different sizes by default. A large media library can cause the following problems:

• occupancyUnnecessary disk space.
• Add BackupSize.
• harness the power of media managementcomplicateThe
• To the websitePerformance and speedNegative impact.

If your site has been running for a while, the media library is likely to contain many images that are not actually being used.Regular cleaningThese files keep the site running efficiently.

How to manually delete unused files

If your media library is not very large and has a manageable number of files, you can delete unused files manually. Here are the exact steps:

Step 1: Backup your website

Before you start deleting files, we strongly recommend that you back up your website.

Step 2: Delete unused files manually

1. In the WordPress dashboard, click "media, esp. news media", then select "media library".
2. Select the image to be deleted.
3. In the pop-up window showing the attachment details, select "permanent deletion".

4. Click "recognize" to confirm that you want to permanently delete the file.

Tip: Batch Delete Files

You can also delete files and pictures in bulk. Simply click on the media library "batch file selection" button, select all the files you want to delete, and then click the "permanent deletion".

Clean up your media library with plug-ins

If your media library is very large, cleaning it manually can be very time consuming. There are plugins that can help you clean up your media library efficiently. We recommend using plugins Media Cleaner to clean up your media library.

Installing and using the Media Cleaner plug-in

1. Go to the Plugins page in the WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Search for "Media Cleaner", then install and activate the program called "Media Cleaner - Cleaning and optimizing space"Plugins.
3. In the left-hand menu, select Meow Apps under CleanerThe
4. Click "Accessing the Media Cleaner Dashboard", scroll down and click Scan.
5. Select the files to be deleted and click "removing".

Tip: Delete all unwanted files at once

You can also click "Delete all" button to delete all unwanted media files at once.

How to avoid an oversized media library

There are precautions that can be taken to prevent the media library from becoming too large. Here are some suggestions that work:

1. Optimize your images

The main goal of optimizing images is to find a balance between minimum file size and acceptable quality. Optimizing images has many benefits such as making your website load faster, improving SEO rankings, using less disk space and speeding up website backups.

Compress images before uploading

Image compression is an important factor when optimizing images. Images can be compressed using an image editing tool such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP before uploading them to a media library. Online tools can also be used.

Don't want to manually compress your images before uploading them? Use the free plugin Imagify to optimize all your images. By default, it's included in all one-click WordPress installations.

Uploading smaller images

Another important factor in image optimization is image scaling. Images uploaded directly from a smartphone or camera are usually high-quality images, but the file sizes are huge and not optimized for the web.

2. Regular inspections

It is recommended to check and clean your WordPress media library regularly to prevent it from accumulating in size. We recommend doing this once a month, but the more often the better.

3. use Webp, JPG format instead of PNG format

The most common file image formats are JPG and PNG, with the Webp format being a compressed version of JPG and PNG. JPG files are better suited for photography, while PNG is better suited for graphics, images with text, or images that require the use of a transparent background (e.g., logos.) PNG files are generally higher quality, but also have larger file sizes. It is recommended to use Webp, JPG files for images on your website as oversized images can slow down the loading of your website and negatively affect the visitor experience.

summarize

Cleaning up your WordPress media library is an important step in keeping your website running efficiently. Whether you manually delete unused files or use a plugin to do a bulk cleanup, it can help you free up disk space and improve your site's speed. By taking preventative measures, such as optimizing images and checking them regularly, you can effectively prevent your media library from growing too large.