URL Image Importer – Import External Images to the Media Library from URL, CSV & XML
Import external images into your WordPress Media Library from any URL, CSV, XML export, or Google Drive link. Bulk import, site migration ready.
Solid choice
URL Image Importer is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 weeks ago, and scores 72/100 on our health check.
- Actively developed — last update 2 weeks ago
- Momentum — downloads up 125.4% vs the previous 30 days
- Small user base (900+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
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 URL Image Importer stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| CSV Import | #39 |
| image import | #16 |
| images | >100 |
| media library | #63 |
| upload | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
About URL Image Importer
From the official readme · v1.2.4Description
URL Image Importer allows you to effortlessly import images from URLs, CSV spreadsheets, or WordPress XML export files directly into your Media Library. Simply paste one or multiple image links, upload a CSV file, or import your WordPress export file—and it will handle the rest, importing them all with ease!
The plugin fetches images directly from external links, validates them, and adds them to your Media Library—saving you time and effort. It’s perfect for quickly adding assets to your site without the hassle of downloading files to your computer and manually uploading them to WordPress.
URL Image Importer Plugin Features
- Import any image directly into your WordPress Media Library from a URL—no file uploads required.
- Import multiple images at once using a CSV spreadsheet with image URLs in bulk.
- Import public image files from Google Drive share links in the URL and CSV import tools.
- Import from WordPress XML export files to restore or migrate images between sites.
- Export a spreadsheet-ready URL mapping CSV (Old URL → New URL) after batch imports for database replacement workflows.
- Works seamlessly with any hosting environment or server setup.
- Automatically validate and save images, ensuring they’re ready to use in your content.
- Get smart recommendations based on available space in your temporary uploads directory.
- Works with any server or hosting provider.
- Upload any size file directly to a connected Infinite Uploads cloud account.
- Uploads directory disk utility for quickly analyzing storage usage in your media library.
Import Images to your Media Library
Paste in a publicly accessible URL with a compatible file extension, use a public Google Drive image file share link, or upload a CSV/XML file and enjoy media management ease.
Bulk Import Support
Allows you to paste multiple URLs, upload a CSV file, or use a WordPress XML export to import several images simultaneously without timing out. It processes one at a time, recursively importing them.
For dedicated high-speed servers, running imports in chunks of 500-2,000 URLs per run provides a strong balance of speed and reliability.
CSV Imports
Upload a CSV file containing one or more image URLs (and optional metadata). The plugin automatically processes each row and imports all valid images into your Media Library. Perfect for large-scale imports from spreadsheets or external asset lists.
Google Drive Image Imports
Paste a public Google Drive image file link into the URL importer or include one in your CSV. The file must be publicly downloadable without signing in, and URL Image Importer validates the downloaded file contents before importing it. Google Drive folders, private files, videos, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and other non-image items are skipped instead of imported.
XML Imports from WordPress Export Feature
Easily import images from a standard WordPress XML export file. The importer automatically parses the XML file, locates image URLs, and downloads them into your Media Library. This is ideal for restoring lost media or transferring content between sites.
Uploads Disk Utility
The URL Image Importer plugin includes a media library disk utility that shows a breakdown of the files in your uploads directory by type and size. See how many images, videos, archives, documents, code, and other files (like audio) there are and how much space they’re taking up.
FTP/SFTP Client-free File Uploading
Upload files right to the WordPress media library from URLs without additional credentials and settings. Skip the protocol settings, server names, port numbers, usernames, long passwords, and private keys. Grab the image & paste the URL in!
Compatible with Big File Uploads
Bypass the upload limits on your server, set by your hosting provider, that prevent you from uploading large files to your media library.
Wanna make your media library infinitely scalable? Move your big files and uploads directory to the cloud.
Big File Uploads is built to work with Infinite Uploads to make your site’s upload directory infinitely scalable. A large WordPress media library can slow down your server and run up the cost of bandwidth and storage with your hosting provider. Move your uploads directory to the Infinite Uploads cloud to save on storage and bandwidth and improve site performance and security. Learn more about Infinite Uploads cloud storage and content delivery network.
Privacy
This plugin does not collect or share any data. Site admins can optionally subscribe to email updates which is subject to our Privacy Policy.
About Us
Infinite Uploads builds WordPress plugins and is a premium cloud storage provider and content delivery network (CDN) for all your WordPress media files. Learn more here:
infiniteuploads.com
Learn how to manage large files on our blog:
Infinite Uploads Blog, Tips, Tricks, How-tos, and News
Enjoy!
Contact and Credits
Maintained by the cloud architects and WordPress engineers at Infinite Uploads.
Installation
- After installing and activating the plugin, navigate to Media > Import Image from URL in the WordPress admin panel.
- Enter the URL of the image you want to import, or upload a CSV or XML file.
- Submit the form. If successful, the image(s) will be added to the Media Library, and you’ll get a link to edit them.
Frequently asked questions
What file types can be uploaded?
• JPEG/JPG (.jpeg, .jpg) • PNG (.png) • GIF (.gif) • ICO (.ico) • WebP (.webp) (since WordPress 5.8) • SVG (.svg)
Can I import images using a CSV file?
Yes! You can upload a CSV file with one or multiple image URLs listed in a column, and the plugin will automatically import them all.
Can I import images from Google Drive?
Yes, in the URL importer and CSV importer, if the Google Drive link points directly to a public image file that can be downloaded without signing in. Google Drive folders, videos, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, private files, and other non-image files are not supported. Google API credentials and OAuth are not required.
Can I import images from a WordPress XML export?
Yes! You can upload a WordPress XML export file, and the importer will detect all image attachments and import them into your Media Library.
How are attachment titles and slugs generated for imported images?
Imported images automatically use the filename without its extension as the attachment title and slug — for example, sunset.jpg becomes the title “sunset” — matching how WordPress names files you upload manually. This applies to every URL, CSV, and WordPress XML import and happens automatically; there is no checkbox to enable or disable.
Can videos (mp4) be uploaded?
Not at the moment. URL Image Importer currently imports image files only.
How large of a file can I import?
As large as your maximum upload size is set to, or however much your server can support.
Is it compatible with Big File Uploads & Infinite Uploads?
Yes.
Is Infinite Uploads required for URL Image Importer to work?
No. Infinite Uploads is an optional service to offload your media files to the cloud and make your WordPress website storage infinitely scalable. Perfect for sites that need to store many large file uploads.
How do I report a security vulnerability?
You can report security bugs through the Wordfence Vulnerability Disclosure Program. The Wordfence team helps validate, triage, and handle any security vulnerabilities. Report a vulnerability.
Changelog
1.2.4 – 09/29/2026
- Fixed: subscribing to tips from the storage analysis scan now returns you to your results instead of leaving you on the signup confirmation page.
1.2.3 – 07/23/2026
- Security: hardened the URL, CSV, XML, and Google Drive image importers against Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF). Remote images are now fetched through WordPress’s safe HTTP client together with an explicit host check that rejects any URL resolving to an internal, private, loopback, link-local, or reserved address (including the 169.254.169.254 cloud metadata endpoint), re-validated on every redirect hop. Thanks to Pierre Rudloff for the responsible disclosure.
- Fixed: a “Constant UPLOADBLOGSDIR already defined” PHP warning that could appear on WordPress Multisite, or alongside other plugins that define the same constant.
1.2.2 – 07/13/2026
- Redesigned the storage analysis tool with a cleaner, more modern layout — run a free scan of your Media Library to see total usage and a breakdown by file type.
- Refined the importer screens for a more polished, consistent interface.
- Fixed: the storage analysis could display two panels at once after a scan finished.
- Fixed: re-running a scan no longer re-prompts for your email once you’ve dismissed it.
- Fixed: some buttons could lose their rounded corners after being clicked.
1.2.1 – 06/13/2026
- Improved ability to import large Google Drive images.
1.2 – 05/27/2026
- Added support for importing public Google Drive image file links from the URL importer and CSV importer.
- Added content-based validation for Google Drive downloads so non-images, private/login pages, folders, videos, and Google Workspace document links are skipped instead of imported.
- Improved CSV handling so Google Drive share links without image file extensions are accepted for import preview and validated during import.
- Fixed CSV preview behavior for already-imported URLs so duplicates can be handled by the batch importer and URL mapping export.
1.1 – 05/15/2026
- Cleaner image titles: imported images now use the filename without the “.jpg” or “.png” extension as the image’s title and URL handle in your Media Library, matching what WordPress does for a manual upload. Applies to URL, WordPress XML, and CSV imports.
- New URL mapping spreadsheet: after a batch import, you can download a CSV that pairs each original web URL with its new location in your Media Library — handy for find-and-replacing old image links across your posts. Only users with media upload permission can download the file.
- Fixed: the “Download URL Mapping CSV” button could fail in some browsers and show an error page instead of saving the file. The download now works reliably and the saved filename keeps non-English characters intact.
- Improved compatibility for sites running on Windows servers when verifying the mapping download.
- Cleanup: partial mapping files are removed when an import is canceled, and older mapping files are tidied up automatically after a day.
- Removed: a leftover developer test script that was accidentally included in earlier builds. It had no legitimate purpose after install and should not have shipped.
- Removed: an unused developer setup helper script that did not belong in a release.
Screenshots
For developers
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Best URL Image Importer alternatives
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FAQ
URL Image Importer: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 13, 2026
Is URL Image Importer free?
Yes. URL Image Importer is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is URL Image Importer safe to use in 2026?
URL Image Importer is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 weeks ago, and scores 72/100 on our health check.
How many websites use URL Image Importer?
URL Image Importer is active on 900+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 10,063 times since it launched in February 2025. It was downloaded 1,280 times in the last 30 days.
Does URL Image Importer work with WordPress 7.1?
URL Image Importer is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.7, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does URL Image Importer need?
URL Image Importer requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was URL Image Importer last updated?
The latest version, 1.2.4, was released on September 29, 2026 (2 weeks ago).
Who makes URL Image Importer?
URL Image Importer is developed and maintained by Infinite Uploads.
What are the best alternatives to URL Image Importer?
The most popular alternatives to URL Image Importer are WP All Import (50K+ installs), WP All Import (20K+ installs) and Content Egg (10K+ installs).
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