Title: wp media import Published: February 5, 2018 Last modified: October 11, 2026 --- # 󠀁[wp media import ](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/media/import/)󠁿 Creates attachments from local files or URLs. ## In this article * [Options](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/media/import/?output_format=md#options) * [Examples](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/media/import/?output_format=md#examples) * [Global Parameters](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/media/import/?output_format=md#global-parameters) [ Back to top](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/media/import/?output_format=md#wp--skip-link--target) [ ⌊GitHub⌉ ](https://github.com/wp-cli/media-command) [ View Open Issues (1) ](https://github.com/login?return_to=%2Fissues%3Fq%3Dlabel%3Acommand%3Amedia-import+sort%3Aupdated-desc+org%3Awp-cli+is%3Aopen) [ View Closed Issues (43) ](https://github.com/login?return_to=%2Fissues%3Fq%3Dlabel%3Acommand%3Amedia-import+sort%3Aupdated-desc+org%3Awp-cli+is%3Aclosed) [Create New Issue](https://github.com/wp-cli/media-command/issues/new) > **Note:** The following options are not part of a stable WP-CLI release yet: `-- > destination-dir`, `--skip-duplicates`. To use them now, [switch to the nightly build](https://make.wordpress.org/cli/handbook/guides/installing/#updating-wp-cli) > with `wp cli update --nightly`. If you installed the command as a separate package, > updating that package may be enough. Options added later: `--post_name` (2.8.0), `--file_name` (2.10.0). ### 󠀁[Options](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/media/import/?output_format=md#options)󠁿 See the [argument syntax](https://make.wordpress.org/cli/handbook/references/argument-syntax/) reference for a detailed explanation of the syntax conventions used. … Path to file or files to be imported. Supports the glob(3) capabilities of the current shell. If file is recognized as a URL (for example, with a scheme of http or ftp), the file will be downloaded to a temp file before being sideloaded. Use ‘-‘ to read file data from STDIN. [–post_id=] ID of the post to attach the imported files to. [–post_name=] Name of the post to attach the imported files to. [–file_name=] Attachment name (post_name field). [–title=] Attachment title (post title field). [–caption=<caption>] Caption for attachment (post excerpt field). [–alt=<alt_text>] Alt text for image (saved as post meta). [–desc=<description >] “Description” field (post content) of attachment post. [–skip-copy] If set, media files (local only) are imported to the library but not moved on disk. File names will not be run through [wp_unique_filename()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_unique_filename/) with this set. When used, files will remain at their current location and will not be copied into any destination directory. [–destination-dir=<destination-dir>] Path to the destination directory for uploaded imported files. Can be absolute or relative to ABSPATH. Ignored when used together with –skip-copy, as files are not moved on disk in that case. [–preserve-filetime] Use the file modified time as the post published& modified dates. Remote files will always use the current time. [–featured_image] If set, set the imported image as the Featured Image of the post it is attached to. [–skip-duplicates] If set, media files that have already been imported will be skipped. [–porcelain[=<field>]] Output a single field for each imported image. Defaults to attachment ID when used as flag. — options: – url — ### 󠀁[Examples](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/media/import/?output_format=md#examples)󠁿 ``` # Import all jpgs in the current user's "Pictures" directory, not attached to any post. $ wp media import ~/Pictures/**\/*.jpg Imported file '/home/person/Pictures/landscape-photo.jpg' as attachment ID 1751. Imported file '/home/person/Pictures/fashion-icon.jpg' as attachment ID 1752. Success: Imported 2 of 2 items. # Import a local image and set it to be the post thumbnail for a post. $ wp media import ~/Downloads/image.png --post_id=123 --title="A downloaded picture" --featured_image Imported file '/home/person/Downloads/image.png' as attachment ID 1753 and attached to post 123 as featured image. Success: Imported 1 of 1 images. # Import a local image, but set it as the featured image for all posts. # 1. Import the image and get its attachment ID. # 2. Assign the attachment ID as the featured image for all posts. $ ATTACHMENT_ID="$(wp media import ~/Downloads/image.png --porcelain)" $ wp post list --post_type=post --format=ids | xargs -d ' ' -I % wp post meta add % _thumbnail_id $ATTACHMENT_ID Success: Added custom field. Success: Added custom field. # Import an image from the web. $ wp media import https://s.w.org/style/images/wp-header-logo.png --title='The WordPress logo' --alt="Semantic personal publishing" Imported file 'https://s.w.org/style/images/wp-header-logo.png' as attachment ID 1755. Success: Imported 1 of 1 images. # Get the URL for an attachment after import. $ wp media import https://s.w.org/style/images/wp-header-logo.png --porcelain | xargs -I {} wp post list --post__in={} --field=url --post_type=attachment http://wordpress-develop.dev/wp-header-logo/ # Import an image from STDIN. $ curl http://example.com/image.jpg | wp media import - --title="From STDIN" Imported file 'STDIN' as attachment ID 1756. Success: Imported 1 of 1 items. ``` ### 󠀁[Global Parameters](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/media/import/?output_format=md#global-parameters)󠁿 These [global parameters](https://make.wordpress.org/cli/handbook/config/) have the same behavior across all commands and affect how WP-CLI interacts with WordPress. | **Argument** | **Description** | | `--path=<path>` | Path to the WordPress files. | | `--url=<url>` | Pretend request came from given URL. In multisite, this argument is how the target site is specified. | | `--ssh=[<scheme>:][<user>@]<host\|container>[:<port>][<path>]` | Perform operation against a remote server over SSH (or a container using scheme of “docker”, “docker-compose”, “docker-compose-run”, “vagrant”). | | `--ssh-args=<args>` | Pass additional arguments to SSH (or other tools specified by –ssh scheme). | | `--http=<http>` | Perform operation against a remote WordPress installation over HTTP. | | `--user=<id\|login\|email>` | Set the WordPress user. | | `--skip-plugins[=<plugins>]` | Skip loading all plugins, or a comma-separated list of plugins. Note: mu-plugins are still loaded. | | `--skip-themes[=<themes>]` | Skip loading all themes, or a comma-separated list of themes. | | `--skip-packages` | Skip loading all installed packages. | | `--require=<path>` | Load PHP file before running the command (may be used more than once). | | `--exec=<php-code>` | Execute PHP code before running the command (may be used more than once). | | `--context=<context>` | Load WordPress in a given context. | | `--[no-]color` | Whether to colorize the output. | | `--debug[=<group>]` | Show all PHP errors and add verbosity to WP-CLI output. Built-in groups include: bootstrap, commandfactory, and help. | | `--prompt[=<assoc>]` | Prompt the user to enter values for all command arguments, or a subset specified as comma-separated values. | | `--quiet` | Suppress informational messages. | | `--alias=<name>` | Name of the alias to use. Aliases can reference local WordPress installations or remote SSH connections. Aliases are defined in the wp-cli.yml file. | | `--assume-https` | Set $_SERVER[‘HTTPS’] to make WordPress treat the site as HTTPS. Use when WordPress is behind an HTTPS proxy or load balancer. | _Command documentation is regenerated at every release. To add or update an example, please submit a pull request against the corresponding part of the codebase._