Title: the two replacement options.
Last modified: August 20, 2026

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# the two replacement options.

 *  Resolved [persist9](https://wordpress.org/support/users/persist9/)
 * (@persist9)
 * [1 day, 20 hours ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/the-two-replacement-options/)
 * what is the difference between the two replacement options:
   . just replace the
   file. replace the file, use new file name and update all links
 * When would I use each of these. Some of my image files appear on several of my
   webpages and I want all of these to change.
 * If I change the image caption when replacing will this change each webpage.
 * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Fthe-two-replacement-options%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US)
   to see the link]_

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)

 *  Plugin Support [Adrian](https://wordpress.org/support/users/adrianrus/)
 * (@adrianrus)
 * [1 day, 14 hours ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/the-two-replacement-options/#post-18998021)
 * Hello [@persist9](https://wordpress.org/support/users/persist9/) ,
 * Thank you for your message and for using our plugin! 🙂
 * I’ll explain the difference below:
 * **Just replace the file**
   The new file takes over the old file’s name, so the
   image URL stays exactly the same. Every page that uses that image picks up the
   new version automatically, because nothing about the link has changed. The only
   requirement is that the new file must be the same file type as the old one (e.
   g. replacing a JPG with a JPG).
 * **Replace the file, use the new file name, and update all links**
   The new file
   keeps its own filename, which means the image URL changes. Because that would
   break every existing reference, the plugin then searches your database and rewrites
   the old URL to the new one in your posts, pages, and custom fields.
 * You’d only need the second option if:
    - You’re replacing an image with a **different file type** (e.g. a JPG with 
      a PNG), or
    - You specifically want the new filename to be used (for example, a more descriptive
      name for SEO).
 * One tip either way: if you don’t see the new image right away, it’s usually just
   caching. Clear your caching plugin and CDN cache (and try a hard refresh in your
   browser with Ctrl+F5 / Cmd+Shift+R), and the new version will show up.
 * Hope that helps, let us know if anything’s unclear!
 * All the best,

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)

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## Tags

 * [Replacement](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/replacement/)

 * 1 reply
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Adrian](https://wordpress.org/support/users/adrianrus/)
 * Last activity: [1 day, 14 hours ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/the-two-replacement-options/#post-18998021)
 * Status: resolved