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WP Attachments

WP Attachments

By Marco Milesi
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Description

WP Attachments turns the files you upload to a post into a clean, automatic download list. Attach a file while editing, and it shows up under your content — no manual links, no shortcodes to remember.

It also fills the gaps in the WordPress Media Library, letting you attach, unattach and reattach files without leaving the screen you are on.

Key features

  • 🤖 Lists attachments automatically after the post content
  • ℹ️ Metabox for managing, previewing, renaming and reordering the files of a post
  • 🔃 Attach, Unattach and Reattach actions in the Media Library
  • 🔢 A Files column in the post and page lists: see the count, click through to the files
  • 🔢 Download counter that ignores crawlers, prefetches and repeat clicks
  • ♿ Reordering works with the mouse, the keyboard and screen readers
  • 🧑‍💻 Filters for developers who want to change the markup
  • 🛍️ WooCommerce compatible, including High-Performance Order Storage
  • 🎨 Four icon packs for the frontend list
  • 📜 Works with posts, pages and custom post types
  • 🎢 Templates you can customise: title, date, size, caption, downloads and more

Video Overview

Contributions

Screenshots

The attachment list, built automatically from the files attached to the post
The attachment list, built automatically from the files attached to the post
General settings: list header, display options, download tracker and per post type permissions
General settings: list header, display options, download tracker and per post type permissions
The same list in context, on a page of a demo site
The same list in context, on a page of a demo site
The Media Attachments metabox: manage, preview and reorder files without leaving the editor
The Media Attachments metabox: manage, preview and reorder files without leaving the editor
Attach, Unattach and Re-Attach files straight from the Media Library
Attach, Unattach and Re-Attach files straight from the Media Library

Installation

  1. Install via the WordPress.org plugin directory or upload the files to your server.
  2. Activate the plugin. To customise it, go to Settings WP Attachments.
  3. While editing a post, page or custom post type you will find the Media Attachments metabox. Extra actions are available in the Media Library: Attach, Unattach and Reattach.

FAQ

How do I hide the attachment list on a specific post or page?

Open the Media Attachments metabox while editing and switch off Display attachments in frontend, at the bottom left. The files stay attached, they are simply not listed on the site.

You can also set the default for a whole post type under Settings WP Attachments Post Type Permissions.

How do I avoid the same file being listed twice?

Do not insert the link manually. A file uploaded from the editor is attached to the content automatically and listed by WP Attachments, so you can simply close the media popup after uploading.

How do I reorder the files?

Three ways, all of which save straight away:

  • drag a row by the grip on its left;
  • use the Move up / Move down buttons on each row;
  • focus the grip and press the up or down arrow key.

How do I see which files belong to a post?

The Files column in the post and page lists shows how many files each one has. Click the number to open the Media Library filtered to just those files.

Can I change the date format of the list?

Yes, under Settings WP Attachments Date Format. It accepts the standard PHP date characters and applies to the %DATE% tag. Leave it empty to follow Settings General Date Format.

Does the download counter count everything?

No. It skips browser prefetch requests and known crawlers, and it ignores repeat hits from the same visitor on the same file for a few minutes. Those requests still receive the file, they just do not move the number.

Which files can be previewed in the metabox?

Images, video, audio, PDF and plain text open in a preview dialog. Any other format shows its icon and a download link.

Developer filters

  • wpatt_list_html — the whole list markup ($html)
  • wpatt_before_entry_html — a single entry, before the tags are replaced ($html)
  • wpatt_after_entry_html — a single entry, after the tags are replaced ($html)
  • wpatt_accepted_formats — return a falsy value to hide a file ($mime)
  • wpatt_download_throttle — how long the same visitor is ignored for the same file ($seconds, $attachment_id)
  • wpatt_count_download_request — whether the current request may increment a counter ($countable)

Examples

function my_custom_function( $html ) {
    // Alter the final HTML
    return $new_html;
}
add_filter( 'wpatt_list_html', 'my_custom_function' );



function my_pdf_only( $mime ) {
    // Only show PDFs in the list
    return $mime === 'application/pdf';
}
add_filter( 'wpatt_accepted_formats', 'my_pdf_only' );



// Count each visitor at most once per hour
add_filter( 'wpatt_download_throttle', function () {
    return HOUR_IN_SECONDS;
} );

There is also wpatt_get_attachments_html( $parent_id ), which returns the list for any parent ID without going through the the_content filter.

Reviews

Ottimo! Aggiornamento?

October 1, 2023
E’ un fantastico plugin, con tutta la sua semplicità. Metto 5 stelle con la speranza che l’autore lo vorrà aggiornare. Perché ad esempio, ogni volta che aggiorno un/a pagina/articolo gli allegati si attivano automaticamente, anche se prima erano disattivati. Sarebbe meglio averli disattivati in default.

give the box a class so that it’s styleable

August 5, 2022
also I’d love an option not to show the list at all in frontend – i would use it only for unattaching in the backend. A zip-all-attachments download would be nice. And as mentioned, images in the list should be shown as thumbnails. Also there is a bug – when I edit the post and then try to unattach, it wants to reload and leave the post unsaved. Ajax would suit better.

Simple Yet Effective

February 24, 2022
I tried over a dozen other plugins in order to display a simple list of PDFs which the user can upload and display on a page. I was relieved to finally find WP Attachments worked as expected and was simple to set up. Php 8 update, if needed, would be great and compatibility with page builders and ease of CSS customisation are always welcome features. Thank you for your work which is much appreciated.

Great functionality, not so great code

December 1, 2021
This plugin is simple but very focused and achieves what it needs to. That said, the underlying code is messy and at times poorly written. For example, the attachments div has no class or id so you can’t target it with css. It forces its style using the “style” attribute which is pretty bad for customizability. I had to use a filter and wrap it in another div just to have a class I could target with custom CSS. Another big issue: in the admin options, I am not able to use a custom template for the attachment title. Selecting the “Custom” option does nothing because the plugin: – Uses a script HTML tag to load jQuery from an external CDN, in the middle of the page. This is not the Wordpress standard way of loading jQuery (or any script at all) and can potentially cause many issues. – Attempts to use the “$” variable instead of using “jQuery”. This causes an error (TypeError: $ is not a function) that blocks the execution of javascript and prevents the options from working correctly. So if the plugin works for you out-of-the-box, that’s great. If you need to adapt it somehow, be aware that the code is very hard to work with.
Read all 42 reviews

Contributors & Developers

“WP Attachments” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

“WP Attachments” has been translated into 6 locales. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.

Translate “WP Attachments” into your language.

Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

6.0.3 2026-08-31

  • New: a Files column in the post, page and custom post type lists shows how many files are attached to each one, and links straight to them in the Media Library.
  • New: the Edit action in the metabox now opens media modal in place, so titles, captions and alt text can be changed without leaving the editor.
  • Security: fixed a cross-site request forgery issue.
  • Accessibility: files can now be reordered with the keyboard, and the frontend sort control works without JavaScript.
  • The download counter now ignores crawlers and browser prefetch requests.
  • Fixed wrong file sizes, the Date Format setting that had no effect, and the first attachment not showing up until the page was reloaded.
  • New file type icons, and admin assets now load only on the screens that use them.
  • WooCommerce: declared compatibility with High-Performance Order Storage.

5.3.4 2026-03-14

  • Minor fixes and improvements.

5.3 2026-02-02

  • Better permission handling
  • Redesigned settings screen

5.2.1 2026-01-19

  • Minor fixes and improvements.

5.2 2025-06-09

  • Fixed regression with images (thanks @reesher + @steeltape for feedback)
  • Added option to enable/disable for specific custom post types (completely or only frontend)
  • Other minor fixes and improvements.

5.1 2025-05-25

  • Date placeholders in attachment templates now use the WordPress date format setting (Settings > General > Date Format) for better localization and consistency.
  • Improved templating: You can now use WordPress date formatting in your custom templates, and templating settings are more flexible and reliable.
  • Other minor fixes and improvements.
  • Major code refactoring for improved stability and maintainability
  • Significant performance improvements
  • Enhanced security throughout the plugin
  • Improved admin capabilities and permission handling
  • Brand new metabox for easier attachment management
  • Refreshed admin columns for better overview and usability

5.0.12

  • Latest stable release

5.0.6 2023-02-15

  • Compatibility check
  • Security fixes
  • Minor changes

5.0.4 2021-10-20

  • Compatibility check
  • Linked development workflows on GitHub
  • Minor changes

5.0 2020-11-28

  • WooCommerce compatibility: add files to client orders
  • Major improvements and technical changes
  • Rewritten add_media popup with custom behavior
  • Removed old translation files, now using translate.wordpress.org
  • Minor changes

4.4.2 2020-04-29

  • Minor improvements

4.4.1 2020-02-20

  • Compatibility check

Version 4.4 18/11/2017

  • Fixed critical bug for missing icons in WP 4.9
  • Some problems may occur in previous WP versions for icons. Please update!

Version 4.3.6 10/01/2017

  • Tested with WP 4.7
  • Fixed php warning in custom post types with capabilities mapped

Version 4.3.4 06/07/2016

  • 4.6 compatibility check

Version 4.3.3 02/04/2016

  • Fixed bug in metabox date
  • Tested with WP 4.5

Version 4.3.2 19/02/2016

  • Fixed php notice error when debug active

Version 4.3.1 18/02/2016

  • Auto exclusion of dropdown if attachments < 2

Version 4.3 23/12/2015

  • Added option to show a dropdown for ordering
  • Various improvements and bugfix
  • Added support for translate.wordpress.org

Version 4.2 02/08/2015

  • Added developer functions and filters
  • Minor improvements
  • ReadMe changes (FAQS added)

Version 4.1.2 6/07/2015

  • Added es_ES translations by Joaquín Alejandro Duro Arribas
  • ReadMe changes

Version 4.1.1 1/06/2015

  • Tested with latest beta version
  • Readme changes

Version 4.1 26/04/2015

  • Added option to exlude logged-in users from download counter
  • Fixed “extended” template
  • Minor bugfixes
  • Minor readme.txt changes

Version 4.0.2

  • Correct bug of 404 error when file title contains special characters (download counter only)
  • Minor improvements

Version 4.0.1

  • Fixed download error 404 for some permalinks when counter enable

Version 4.0

  • New and better metabox
  • Added download counter function
  • Added icon themes
  • Added multiple schemes
  • Redesigned options
  • Performance improvements (2x faster)
  • Minor improvements

Version 3.7 05/03/2015

  • Added filter and option to restrict the plugin to single and page views
  • Minor performance improvements
  • Fixed wrong version in settings panel
  • Better style for attachments list

Version 3.6.1 28/02/2015

  • Added check for password protected posts

Version 3.6 28/02/2015

  • Improved performance
  • Improved metabox (faster & nicer)
  • Improved option panel
  • Added opton to deactivate the plugin on certain pages

Version 3.5.6 21/10/2014

  • Fixed css conflict with italian schools WordPress theme “pasw2015”

Version 3.5.5 05/09/2014

  • Added plugin icon
  • Added serbian translation sr_RS
  • readme.txt changes

Version 3.5.4 26/07/2014

  • Fixed possible conflict with other plugins (ex. Members)
  • Fixed missing translation of “Update” button in the options panel (world-wide)

Version 3.5.3 20/07/2014

  • Added Brazilian Portuguese translations by Henrique Avila Vianna

Version 3.5.2 15/07/2014

  • Fixed add media button not being displayed when no file attached
  • Fixed metabox not showing up for add-new “admin” pages
  • Upgraded uploader to be the same as WordPress’ integrated
  • Improved add media button style to exactly match the WordPress’ standard

Version 3.5.1 12/07/2014

  • Tested and working on WordPress 4.0 (beta)

Version 3.5 09/07/2014

  • Added unattach link in media admin page
  • Added unattach link in page/post/cpt editor
  • Improved back-end metabox
  • Improved capability handling for attach/reattach/unattach functions
  • Improved some variables handling
  • Added function to check if a file doesn’t exist and must skip filesize calculation (in order to avoid front-end errors)

Version 3.4 08/07/2014

  • Added reattach link in media admin page
  • Added attach link for unattached file in media admin page

Version 3.3 28/03/2014

  • Added option to open files in a new tab [in Settings -> WP Attachments]
  • Fixed conflict with “Members” plugin causing the metabox appearing in its options page
  • Added an “eye” icon in the editor metabox showing that the file will be listed front-end

Version 3.2.3 26/03/2014

  • Solved conflict with some newsletter plugins by addind code for avoiding the attachments list if the given post id is null

Version 3.2.2 12/03/2014

  • Added support for MP3, ODT, ODS
  • Changed size text for small files: now showing “< 1KB” instead of “n B”
  • Better compatibility for Internet Explorer

Version 3.2.1 03/03/2014

  • Added wp_enqueue_style for loading css style
  • Performance improved

Version 3.2 03/03/2014

  • New localization system. English & Italian already translations included
  • New back-end metabox. That’s in beta, but i’m sure you will like it!
  • Better option page

Version 3.1.4 4/11/2013

  • Fixed missing ‘Backend.php’ (this function will be available in the next versions (3.2+)

Version 3.1.3 27/10/2013

  • Another bugfix

Version 3.1.2 27/10/2013

  • Fixed a bug causing content not to be loaded in some cases

Version 3.1.1 19/10/2013

  • List title is now hidden correctly

Version 3.1 15/09/2013

  • Fixed missing icon for images
  • Added option to exclude images from being listed
  • Improved settings page layout

Version 3.0.4 24/08/2013

  • Readme minor changes

Version 3.0.3 23/08/2013

  • Improved Css appearance

Version 3.0.2 23/08/2013

  • Fixed activation error: unespected output – 1 charater

Version 3.0.1 22/08/2013

  • Fixed missing external shortcode rendering
  • Fixed reduntant css code
  • Improved loop
  • List header doesn’t show up anymore for empty attachments

Version 3.0 22/08/2013

  • Added Css for showing icons
  • Added file size
  • Added attachment data
  • Added options panel

Version 2.0 04/07/2013

  • First functional release. Enjoy!

Version 1.0 07/01/2012

  • First Release

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4.5 out of 5 stars.

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