Haychdev Media Library
File-explorer folders for the WordPress media library. Drag-and-drop organisation, bulk move, search, and a Pro sidebar in the Insert Media modal.
Haychdev Media Library adds a Finder-style folder tree to the WordPress 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.
- Smart folders
Three preset queries that surface useful slices of your library without manual organisation — 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
- Unlimited folders, drag-and-drop reorder and re-parent
- Drag files from the grid into folders
- Bulk "Move to folder…" for selected files
- Filter media library by folder (incl. subfolders)
- "Unsorted" virtual folder for files not in any folder
- Search folder names, sticky toolbar
- Keyboard navigation (arrows, F2, Delete, /, Esc)
- Right-click context menu
- Persistent expand state and last-selected folder
- 5 levels of nesting
Pro
Everything in Free, plus:
- Folder sidebar in the Insert Media modal
- Smart folders: Unattached, Large PNGs, Recent in posts
- Folder colors and emoji icons
- Folder cover thumbnails
- Per-role folder visibility permissions
- Bulk regenerate thumbnails by folder
- Unlimited nesting
- Keyboard shortcuts N / Shift+N to create
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.