Unattach
Allows detaching images and other media from posts, pages and other content types.
Consider an alternative
Unattach shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 4.9/5 and was last updated 9 years ago, and scores 39/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (900+ active installs)
- No update in 8 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.2 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Unattach stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| attachments | >100 |
| detach | #67 |
| media | >100 |
| unattach | #4 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.9 from 18 reviews
About Unattach
From the official readme · v1.2.2Description
Unattach is a very simple plugin which allows detaching images and other media from WordPress posts, pages and other content types.
As of WordPress 4.2 this functionality is built in. For previous versions, the only way to detach a media item from a post is to delete either the post or the media item. This plugin solves that by adding an ‘Unattach’ link below each media file in the Media Library admin list view.
Installation
- Go to your admin area and select Plugins -> Add new from the menu.
- Search for “Unattach”.
- Click install.
- Click activate.
Changelog
Version 1.2.2
- Added Serbian translation.
Version 1.2.1
- Added Dutch translation.
Version 1.2
- Maintain page and search term when unattaching.
- Check edit permissions on post and media item.
- Added German translation
Thanks to Ov3rfly, ramonqu, rpb1001 and jodzee for these contributions.
Version 1.1
- Added translation support
- Fixed CSRF bug
- Made capability configurable with
unattach_capabilityfilter.
Thanks to Ov3rfly for these contributions.
Version 1.0.1
- Fixed bug that prevented redirecting back to Media Library on some systems.
Version 1.0.0
- Initial release.
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Unattach alternatives
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FAQ
Unattach: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 15, 2026
Is Unattach free?
Yes. Unattach is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Unattach safe to use in 2026?
Unattach shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 4.9/5 and was last updated 9 years ago, and scores 39/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Unattach?
Unattach is active on 900+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 40,408 times since it launched in March 2011. It was downloaded 132 times in the last 30 days.
Does Unattach work with WordPress 7.1?
Unattach is officially tested up to WordPress 4.2.39, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Unattach last updated?
The latest version, 1.2.2, was released on November 28, 2017 (9 years ago).
Who makes Unattach?
Unattach is developed and maintained by tamlyn.
What are the best alternatives to Unattach?
The most popular alternatives to Unattach are Export media with selected… (40K+ installs), File Upload Types by WPForms (40K+ installs) and Lightbox with PhotoSwipe (20K+ installs).
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