Description
CrushEdge Orphaned Upload Cleaner is a lightweight, high-performance maintenance plugin designed to detect and clean up orphaned files inside your wp-content/uploads/ directory.
What is an “Orphaned Upload”?
In WordPress, an orphaned upload is a physical file present in your uploads directory that has no matching attachment record in the WordPress Media Library (wp_posts), nor is it a registered thumbnail/sub-size of an active attachment.
These “ghost files” accumulate over time from:
* Interrupted or cancelled media uploads.
* Deleted Media Library items where PHP unlinking failed or was skipped.
* Leftover files from uninstalled plugins, test imports, or manual FTP transfers.
* Old resized thumbnails left behind after themes or plugins change thumbnail dimensions.
Key Features
- “Only Orphan” Default: Automatically displays only orphaned uploads on load, with a single-click toggle to inspect all files in the uploads folder.
- Instant Sorting: Sort by File Name, Size, Modified Date, and Orphan Status (Ascending & Descending).
- Chunked Mass Deletion: Processes mass deletions in rapid asynchronous batches with live progress indicators (progress bar, percentage, count, and recoverable storage freed).
- Instant Cancel Support: Easily stop deletion at any time with instant abort.
- Direct Permanent Deletion: Permanently deletes files directly via WordPress core filesystem APIs to instantly reclaim disk space.
- Live Search & Pagination: Real-time search filter and customizable pagination (20, 50, 100, 200 items per page).
- Safety Whitelist: Automatically protects critical files like
.htaccess,index.php,web.config, and dynamic directories (e.g.,elementor/css,cache). - Path Traversal Guard: Strict directory containment verification preventing unauthorized access outside the uploads folder.
Installation
- Upload the
crushedge-orphaned-upload-cleanerdirectory to your/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
- Navigate to Tools CrushEdge Orphaned Upload Cleaner in your WordPress admin menu.
- Review the detected orphan files and perform single or bulk deletion.
FAQ
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Does this delete images that are used in my posts?
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CrushEdge Orphaned Upload Cleaner v1.0 scans files on disk and cross-references them against active Media Library attachment records (including all registered image sub-sizes and thumbnails). If an image exists in your WordPress Media Library, it is marked as “In Media Library” and is NOT considered an orphan.
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Can deleted files be recovered?
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No. Deletions are performed permanently using core WordPress file deletion APIs. We recommend taking a backup of your
wp-content/uploads/directory before performing large cleanup operations. -
Are core system files safe?
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Yes. Critical server and WordPress files such as
.htaccess,index.php,web.config, and plugin cache/style folders are automatically whitelisted and cannot be deleted.
Reviews
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Contributors & Developers
“CrushEdge Orphaned Upload Cleaner” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.1
- Renamed plugin display name to CrushEdge Orphaned Upload Cleaner and slug to crushedge-orphaned-upload-cleaner.
- Updated donation link and directory metadata.
1.0
- Initial public release.
- Interactive table with sorting by name, size, date, and orphan status.
- “Only Orphan” toggle filter enabled by default.
- Viewport-fixed progress modal with chunked batch processing and instant abort support.
- Nonce verification, permission checks, and path traversal protection.