Duplicate Media Guard

Description

Duplicate Media Guard helps you maintain a well-organized WordPress Media Library. It identifies potential duplicate uploads and lets authorized users replace existing media files without creating a new attachment.

During upload, the plugin compares files with existing Media Library items. Filename checks identify matching names, exact hashing detects byte-identical images, and perceptual hashing can identify resized or recompressed images even when their filenames differ. When potential image matches are found, a pre-upload notice displays previews so you can review them, cancel the upload, or continue.

For example:

• logo.png and logo.png → Duplicate
• logo.png and logo.jpg → Duplicate (when extension check is disabled)
• banner.webp and banner.webp → Duplicate
• photo.jpg and a resized or recompressed copy.webp → Possible visual duplicate (when visually similar resized enable)

This helps reduce unnecessary duplicates and storage use while still allowing intentional uploads.

Features

• Review possible image duplicates with existing-media previews before uploading. (preview appear if Enable Image Hash Checks)
• Detect byte-identical images using exact file hashes.
• Identify resized or recompressed images using perceptual hashes.
• Match filenames with or without their file extensions.
• Enable or disable duplicate protection and image hash checks in the settings.
• Replace an existing media file while retaining its attachment ID.
• Use the standard WordPress Media Uploader.
• Index existing image fingerprints gradually in the background.

Duplicate Detection

1. Select an image through the WordPress Media Library.
2. The plugin checks the filename, exact file hash, and perceptual hash of indexed images.
3. If potential matches are found, a warning shows previews and lets you cancel or proceed. Files with no matches upload without a confirmation.
4. Files uploaded outside the standard Media Uploader retain the server-side filename duplicate check.

Use Enable Duplicate Protection to turn duplicate checks on or off. Use Enable Image Hash Checks to control exact and visual image matching. When image hash checks are disabled, filename duplicates use the standard WordPress upload notice and copy-URL action, while other files in the same bulk upload continue normally. Existing images are indexed gradually, so visual matching may be incomplete until indexing has progressed.

Replace Existing Media

Enable Enable Media Replace in the plugin settings to show the Replace media action in the Media Library. Users who can upload files and edit the selected media item can choose a replacement and select how it should be applied:

• Replace the file only keeps the existing filename, URL, and folder. The replacement must have the same file type.
• Replace the file, use the new file name, and update all links applies the uploaded filename and updates matching references in WordPress content and metadata. Links on external websites are not changed.

The attachment ID is retained in either mode. Under Upload Destination, choose whether to use today’s date or keep the existing media date. When using a new filename, this choice also determines the upload folder.