Haychdev Media Library
File-explorer folders for the WordPress media library. Drag-and-drop organisation, bulk move, search, and folder counts — free up to 5 levels deep.
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Haychdev Media Library is a WordPress media-organisation plugin that adds a Finder-style folder tree to the media library. Drag-and-drop file organisation, bulk move, search, persistent state. Files stay flat on disk — fully non-destructive.
Why Haychdev Media Library
- Finder-style folder tree
A clean Finder/Explorer-style sidebar inside Media → Library. Click to filter. Drag to reorganise. Search by name. Keyboard-driven.
- Drag and drop everywhere
Drag files from the grid into folders, drag folders to re-parent, drag files from your desktop directly onto a folder to upload there. Selection-aware multi-move.
- Non-destructive
Files stay flat on disk. Folders are stored as a hidden taxonomy. Deactivate the plugin and your media library is exactly as it was.
- Pro — modal sidebar
With a Pro license, the same folder sidebar appears inside the Insert Media modal when authoring posts — the screen every author uses dozens of times a day.
- Pro — smart folders
Pro adds three preset smart folders that surface useful slices of your library automatically — Unattached files, Large PNGs over 1 MB, and Recent uploads used in published posts (last 30 days).
Screenshots
Free vs Pro
Free
- Folder tree sidebar in Media → Library
- Nested folders up to 5 levels deep
- Drag-and-drop files into folders and reorder folders
- Folder file counts
- Search and filter by folder name
- Bulk "Move to folder…" for selected files
- Keyboard shortcut to create a new folder
- Persistent expand/collapse state
- "Unsorted" virtual folder for files not in any folder
Pro
Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited folder nesting depth
- Smart folders (auto-filtered views: Unattached, Large PNGs, Recent in posts)
- Folder sidebar inside the Insert Media modal
- Per-role folder visibility permissions
- Bulk regenerate thumbnails by folder
- Folder color, emoji icon, and cover thumbnail labels
How Haychdev Media Library compares
Them: Popular folder plugin, but bulk operations, custom post-type folders, and several conveniences need a paid license.
Ours: Five levels of nesting, drag-and-drop, and bulk move are all in the free version.
Them: Capable, but several of its organizing tools sit behind a paid tier.
Ours: Five levels free, taxonomy-based folders, and files never move on disk.
FAQ
- Does this move files on disk?
- No. Files stay in WordPress's standard year/month directories. Folder organisation is stored in a hidden taxonomy. If you deactivate the plugin, your file URLs are unchanged.
- Does the custom order or folder show up on the frontend?
- No. The media_folder taxonomy is `public => false` — no archives, no rewrite rules, no frontend impact.
- What happens when I delete a folder with files in it?
- The folder is removed. Files inside it become "Unsorted" (no folder assignment). Subfolders move to the deleted folder's parent. The files themselves are never deleted by a folder operation.
- How deep can folders go?
- Free tier — up to 5 levels. Pro — unlimited.
- Does it work in the post-editor "Add Media" modal?
- Yes, with a Pro license. The same folder sidebar appears inside the Insert Media modal so you can filter the picker by folder.
- Is this a free alternative to FileBird?
- Yes. The free version includes a finder-style folder tree, drag-and-drop, and nesting up to five levels deep — and it never moves your files on disk.