Bulk uploading files to your WordPress media library allows y'all to upload a large number of files or files with large file sizes without the pains of trying to employ the WordPress built-in upload functionality. But while this process can definitely make your life easier in sure situations, information technology'due south not quite as simple as just uploading files via FTP. You'll demand to consummate a few added steps if you desire those files to actually exist available inside your WordPress media library. Below, nosotros'll take you through the full process from start to finish.

When Is It Helpful to Bulk Upload Files to Your WordPress Media Library?

The regular WordPress media library upload functionality is perfectly fine as long as you're not trying to upload:

  • Files with large file sizes (some WordPress sites have a max upload size equally low as 2MB by default)
  • Large numbers of private files (call back in the hundreds)

But there may come up a fourth dimension when you need to complete one of the above actions. And in those situations, bulk uploading files to your media library via FTP offers a much better solution than trying to employ the built-in media library upload tool.

Why Tin can't You lot Just Upload Files Via FTP And End There?

It'southward totally possible to bulk upload files via FTP without completing whatsoever additional steps. The problem but arises if you lot want those files to be available inside your WordPress media library.

See, in one case you lot upload a file via FTP, it'south live on your server. That is, you could link to it directly and the file would load. But while y'all tin link straight to the file, information technology won't announced in your WordPress media library unless yous complete a few additional actions to register the uploaded file with WordPress.

Then if y'all want the files y'all bulk upload to actually announced in your media library, you lot demand to complete the following procedure:

  • Upload the files to your uploads folder via FTP
  • Use a free WordPress plugin to annals the files y'all uploaded with your WordPress media library

Below, we'll take you through all of the steps in particular. Yous don't demand any specialized noesis to complete the process – simply follow along with the screenshots!

How to Majority Upload Files to WordPress Media Library

In order to majority upload your files to the WordPress media library, you lot'll demand a few tools and pieces of information:

  • The FTP account details for your host – we'll show yous how to find these for your Kinsta account. If you lot're using a different host, you lot'll need to become those details from your own hosting dashboard.
  • An FTP programme – a piece of software that allows you lot to upload files to your host. FileZilla is a expert gratuitous choice, but you tin selection another FTP program if yous'd prefer.
  • Add From Server plugin – this free plugin helps you to register your uploaded files to your media library.

Step 1: Connect to Your Website via FTP

To get started, you'll need to connect to your site via FTP or SFTP (understand the difference betwixt the ii here). SFTP is just brusque for Secure FTP. Kinsta exclusively uses SFTP, but some other hosts operate on FTP still.

Remember – you'll need an FTP programme to do this. Nosotros'll use FileZilla in our screenshots, just you can apply a different FTP program if you'd like.

To actually connect, y'all'll need your FTP login details (specifically SFTP for Kinsta). If you're using Kinsta, you tin can find these details past going to the Sites > Your Site > Info in MyKinsta.

In the SFTP/SSH section, you'll demand the host, username, password, and port.

SFTP/SSH details in MyKinsta.
SFTP/SSH details in MyKinsta.

Now, you have all the data you need to connect via FTP. If you're not using Kinsta, you should be able to get this same data from your host.

Armed with your SFTP details, go dorsum to your FTP program and enter them as follows:

  • Host – your host name preceded by "sftp://". For example: sftp://35.224.lxx.159 . Additionally, some FTP programs allow yous to specify the SFTP method in a separate dropdown. You can view a guide for such programs here.
  • Username – from your Kinsta dashboard
  • Countersign – from your Kinsta dashboard
  • Port – from your Kinsta dashboard
Filezilla login via SFTP
Filezilla login via SFTP

Once y'all've entered the information, click the Quickconnect button and FileZilla (or your FTP programme of choice) will handle the rest.

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Step 2: Upload As Many Files Equally You lot'd Like

At this betoken, you should be continued to your site via an FTP customer. You tin can confirm this by looking for the Condition: Continued to yoursite.com message:

Connected with Filezilla FTP client
Connected with Filezilla FTP client

Now, you lot need to upload your files to the uploads folder in your WordPress site. To practise that, expand the folder structure of your Remote Site tab in your FTP program by clicking the + buttons. You lot can see the file path to follow in the screenshot beneath:

Expanding FTP folders
Expanding FTP folders

Now, you can navigate to the files you lot'd like to upload in the Local Site tab of your FTP program. All y'all need to do is drag those files from the Local Site side to the Uploads folder in your Remote Site:

Upload local files via FTP
Upload local files via FTP

Depending on the size of your files, information technology might take some time for them to upload. But other than waiting for the uploads to complete, you're at present finished with this step.

Stride three: Annals Your Newly Uploaded Files to the WordPress Media Library

In one case the FTP uploads finish, your files are live on your server. Only if you lot go to your WordPress site's media library, you'll notice that the files are nowhere to be seen:

WordPress media library
WordPress media library

To bring those files into your library, you lot need to install and activate the free Add From Server plugin.

In one case the plugin is activated, you can navigate to Media → Add From Server. Then click the uploads folder in the list:

Add From Server WordPress plugin
Add together From Server WordPress plugin

Now, y'all should see a listing of the files you just uploaded via FTP. Assuming you want to import every single file, you can just tick the checkbox to Select All (if not, you can always select individual files). Then, click the Import push button at the bottom:

Add From Server - select files
Add From Server – select files

Subsequently clicking the button, you should see a success message for each individual file at the top of your screen:

Adding media library folders via FTP
Adding media library folders via FTP

And when you go back to your media library, you should see all of the files yous uploaded via FTP:

FTP files show in WordPress media library
FTP files show in WordPress media library

That'southward it! You lot're done at this point. That'due south all y'all demand to practise to bulk upload files to your WordPress media library. (recommended tutorial: 4 Handy WordPress Media Library Hacks)

Alternatives

Here are a few alternatives you could also utilise to majority upload and annals files within your WordPress media library.

  • If yous'd like a plugin with a little more complex functionality, you lot tin can try the free Media from FTP plugin. The main advantage of this plugin is the ability to schedule the import process to run automatically. Unless you specifically need this functionality, though, information technology'southward generally safer to stick with the manual approach offered by Add From Server whenever possible.
  • Yous tin can too use the premium WP All Import plugin to import images from your server.
  • If yous desire to exercise information technology direct from the command line you tin can import images using WP-CLI. The wp media import control allows you to create attachments from local files or URLs.

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