Title: SSM Image Import Helper
Author: bmeisler
Published: <strong>July 10, 2017</strong>
Last modified: December 7, 2018

---

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This plugin **hasn’t been tested with the latest 3 major releases of WordPress**.
It may no longer be maintained or supported and may have compatibility issues when
used with more recent versions of WordPress.

![](https://ps.w.org/ssm-image-import-helper/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=1694067)

# SSM Image Import Helper

 By [bmeisler](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmeisler/)

[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper.zip)

 * [Details](https://wordpress.org/plugins/ssm-image-import-helper/#description)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/plugins/ssm-image-import-helper/#reviews)
 *  [Installation](https://wordpress.org/plugins/ssm-image-import-helper/#installation)
 * [Development](https://wordpress.org/plugins/ssm-image-import-helper/#developers)

 [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/)

## Description

This plugin helps you maintain better image names, titles and alt tags. It does 
not add anything to your database, and can be turned on an off without effect.

The problem: when importing images, WordPress does a poor job in creating url-compliant
file names and title tags, and doesn’t create alt tags at all.

This plugin:

 1. converts file names to url-compliant slugs, removing unsupported characters and
    turning all characters into lowercase. It will also convert underscores into hyphens(
    too many people name their images with underscores instead of hyphens) and one 
    or more spaces into a hyphen.
 2. It will maintain uppercase characters and special characters when creating the 
    title tag – again, it will convert underscores into spaces.
 3. It will automatically create an alt tag (a copy of the title tag). This might not
    be the best alt tag for your purposes, but at least you will always have an associated
    alt tag for every image, as alt tags are crucial for SEO.

For example, normally, if you import an image named “berlin_wall.jpg, it will be
saved as “berlin_wall.jpg” and automatically create a title tag “berlin_wall.jpg.”
The url is not url compliant and the title tag is non-searchable. You will need 
to add an alt tag manually.

With the plugin turned on, the image would be saved as “berlin-wall.jpg” (url compliant),
and the title tag would be “berlin wall” and an alt tag would automatically be created,“
berlin wall.”

Here’s another example – we import a file named “Andy Warhol’s Marilyn”. Normally,
the file will be saved as “Andy-Warhols_Marilyn.jpg (again, not url compliant). 
The title tag is “Andy Warhol’s_Marilyn” (again, not very searchable).

With the plugin turned on, the file is saved as “andy-warhols-marilyn.jpg”, with
a title “Andy Warhol’s Marilyn” and an alt tag of “Andy Warhol’s Marilyn.”

So, for best results, name your images using capital letters where appropriate (
eg, place or people names), and separate words using either spaces, hyphens or underscores.

Please note the plugin is not (yet) able to read minds, so if your original file
is named “georgeWashingtonPresident.jpg”, it will be imported as “georgeWashingtonPresident.
jpg” with a title and alt tag of “georgeWashingtonPresident.” That is, the plugin
can’t tell which words should be separate words if you don’t…separate them, either
with a space, a hyphen or an underscore.

This plugin will save you a minute or two every time you import a new image, will
keep your images url compliant and ensure you have good titles and an alt tag for
every image.

NOTE: does not add any js, css or make changes to your database.

## Installation

 1. Upload the plugin files to the `/wp-content/plugins/ssm-image-import-helper` directory,
    or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly.
 2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress

In WordPress:

    ```
    Go to Plugins > Add New > search for :: SSM Image Import Helper ::
    Press Install Now
    Press Activate Plugin
    ```

To install manually instead:

    ```
    Upload the ssm-image-import-helper directory to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory
    Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress
    ```

## Reviews

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/94a3ec411233117f40987e68480eaba935733e1deb49e1dafb2ae9844b5e7464?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[this is awesome.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/this-is-awesome-72/)󠁿

 [nathanlampe](https://profiles.wordpress.org/nathanlampe/) July 25, 2017

it just works

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e452835c06a879e200525581eed4af0b9dacb359e7e51a906e372f40c29335c0?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Excellent help with SEO for images.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/excellent-help-with-seo-for-images/)󠁿

 [patrickoneil](https://profiles.wordpress.org/patrickoneil/) July 12, 2017

Saves time for every image upload, adds and alt tag, SEO compliant – good stuff!

 [ Read all 2 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/reviews/)

## Contributors & Developers

“SSM Image Import Helper” is open source software. The following people have contributed
to this plugin.

Contributors

 *   [ bmeisler ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmeisler/)

[Translate “SSM Image Import Helper” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/ssm-image-import-helper)

### Interested in development?

[Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/ssm-image-import-helper/),
check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ssm-image-import-helper/),
or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/ssm-image-import-helper/)
by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/ssm-image-import-helper/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).

## Meta

 *  Version **1.0**
 *  Last updated **8 years ago**
 *  Active installations **10+**
 *  Tested up to **4.9.29**
 * Tags
 * [image](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/image/)[images](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/images/)
   [see](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/see/)[slug](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/slug/)
   [url](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/url/)
 *  [Advanced View](https://wordpress.org/plugins/ssm-image-import-helper/advanced/)

## Ratings

 5 out of 5 stars.

 *  [  2 5-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/reviews/?filter=5)
 *  [  0 4-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/reviews/?filter=4)
 *  [  0 3-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/reviews/?filter=3)
 *  [  0 2-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/reviews/?filter=2)
 *  [  0 1-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/reviews/?filter=1)

[Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/reviews/#new-post)

[See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/reviews/)

## Contributors

 *   [ bmeisler ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmeisler/)

## Support

Got something to say? Need help?

 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/ssm-image-import-helper/)