Thumbnail Remover and Size Manager

by Mehdi Rezaei

Description

Thumbnail Remover and Size Manager 2.2 is a safer and more complete media-maintenance workflow for WordPress.

Instead of deleting thumbnails blindly, the plugin now helps you:

Preview cleanup results before removing files
Move thumbnails to plugin Trash instead of deleting permanently
Create a zip backup of the exact matching thumbnails before moving them to Trash
Restore trashed thumbnails later if needed
Process large libraries in batches with visible progress
Detect orphan thumbnails left behind on disk
Detect probably unused media items across post content, featured images, and common builder data
Regenerate missing image sizes in batches
Review per-size analytics including file counts, storage usage, missing sizes, and orphan counts
Review recent activity logs and reporting summaries for cleanup, restore, backup, and regeneration workflows
Disable selected image sizes for future uploads
Create zip backups for all uploads or a specific year/month folder
Schedule recurring cleanup runs with configurable frequency, size scope, and folder scope

This release is built for site owners, developers, agencies, and anyone trying to reduce thumbnail bloat without risking accidental data loss.

Features

Dry run / preview before cleanup
Trash and Restore workflow for safer deletion
Optional zip backup before moving matching thumbnails to Trash
Batch processing with real progress for scan, cleanup, and regeneration
Unused media detection
Orphan thumbnail detection
Regenerate missing sizes
Per-size analytics dashboard
Reporting and recent activity logs
Advanced filters for image format, usage status, and orphan-only cleanup
WebP variant generation for JPEG and PNG uploads
Media Library thumbnail summary column with per-image quick actions
Custom image size manager with visual previews
Bulk image optimization with TinyPNG-compatible API support
Size usage analysis based on content and stored meta references
Image size disable controls for future uploads
Media backup export to zip
Scheduled cleanup powered by WP-Cron

Custom Size Manager

Create, update, and remove custom image sizes directly from the plugin screen. The manager includes a simple visual preview so you can sanity-check new dimensions before you save them for future uploads.

Installation

Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/thumbnail-remover directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly.
Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress.
Go to Tools > Thumbnail Manager.
Run a full analysis before your first cleanup so you can review thumbnail usage, orphan counts, and unused media signals.
Configure scheduled cleanup if you want recurring maintenance.

Screenshots

Library analysis with per-size analytics and unused media results
Dry run preview before moving thumbnails to Trash
Trash and Restore workflow
Batch regeneration of missing image sizes

Faq

Does the plugin permanently delete thumbnails?

Not during cleanup. Version 2 moves matching thumbnail files into plugin Trash first so they can be restored later. To free disk space permanently, use Delete Permanently for one trash batch or Empty Trash for all batches in the Trash and Restore table.

What does Preview do?

Preview performs a dry run and shows how many files match your current selection, which sizes are involved, how much space can be recovered, and how many orphan thumbnails were found.

What are orphan thumbnails?

Orphan thumbnails are files such as image-300x300.jpg that still exist on disk but are no longer tracked in WordPress attachment metadata.

How does unused media detection work?

The plugin scans image attachments and checks for usage in featured images, parent attachments, post content, and stored builder/meta content. The results are best treated as “probably unused” so you can review them manually.

Can I disable image sizes for future uploads without deleting old files?

Yes. The size-disable settings prevent selected image sizes from being generated for future uploads only. Existing thumbnails are not removed unless you explicitly preview and move them to Trash.

Can I regenerate missing sizes after enabling a size again?

Yes. Use the Regenerate Missing Sizes section to rebuild missing image sizes in batches, switch to a full rebuild mode when needed, or use Media Library bulk actions for selected images.

Can I limit cleanup to only orphan thumbnails or probably unused media?

Yes. The advanced filters can narrow analysis, cleanup, and regeneration jobs by image format, attachment usage status, and whether the thumbnail files are metadata-tracked or orphaned.

Can the plugin generate WebP copies for existing media?

Yes. The WebP generation tool can create .webp copies for JPEG and PNG originals plus their registered thumbnail sizes when your WordPress image editor supports WebP output.

Can the plugin bulk-optimize images without deleting them?

Yes. You can connect a TinyPNG API key and run bulk optimization against original uploads, generated thumbnails, or both while keeping the files in place.

Is the plugin suitable for larger media libraries?

Yes. Analysis, cleanup, and regeneration are processed in batches with visible progress to reduce timeout problems on larger WordPress sites.

Can I back up my files before cleanup?

Yes. You can create a zip backup for all uploads or for a selected year/month folder, and cleanup can also create a zip backup of the exact matching thumbnails before they are moved to plugin Trash.

Can I restore only one cleanup batch instead of everything?

Yes. Each cleanup run creates its own Trash batch, so you can restore a specific batch independently.

How do I empty the plugin Trash?

Use Empty Trash in the Trash and Restore table to remove every batch, or use Delete Permanently for a single batch. This deletes the stored trash files and any backup stored with those batches, and it cannot be undone.

Does scheduled cleanup delete files permanently?

No. Scheduled cleanup uses the same plugin Trash flow as manual cleanup, so matching thumbnails can still be restored later.

What is included in Reporting and Logs?

The reporting section shows recent analysis, preview, cleanup, restore, regeneration, backup, and scheduled cleanup activity along with summary totals for recovered storage and other media operations.

Does the plugin detect thumbnails that exist on disk but not in metadata?

Yes. That is exactly what orphan thumbnail detection is for. These files are included in analysis and preview results so you can decide whether to move them to Trash.

Should I trust unused media results as a final delete list?

No. The plugin marks items as probably unused based on several WordPress relationships and content checks, but you should still review those results manually before broader media cleanup decisions.

Reviews

Changelog

Unreleased

Added a Media Library column showing thumbnail totals, storage, orphan counts, and missing-size hints per image
Added Media Library quick actions to move one image’s thumbnails to Trash or regenerate missing sizes
Added a custom size manager for registering, editing, and removing custom image sizes with visual previews
Added TinyPNG-compatible bulk optimization for originals and generated thumbnails
Added size-usage analysis so the analytics table reports which thumbnail sizes appear in content and meta references
Expanded thumbnail regeneration with missing-only vs full rebuild modes and Media Library bulk actions
Added batch WebP generation for JPEG and PNG originals plus registered thumbnail sizes
Added WebP generation controls for include-original and overwrite-existing behavior
Logged WebP generation runs in the Reporting and Logs section
Added permanent delete actions for individual Trash batches and for emptying all plugin Trash.
Added optional zip backups for matching thumbnails before they are moved to plugin Trash
Stored cleanup backup links with Trash batches so previous cleanup backups remain downloadable from the Trash and Restore table
Added advanced filters for image format, attachment usage, and orphan-only versus tracked cleanup
Reused the new filters across analysis, preview cleanup, and regeneration workflows
Updated the admin UI and documentation to explain the extra filtering controls

2.2.0

Added a Reporting and Logs section with recent activity history
Added summary cards for recovered storage, restored files, regenerated sizes, and backup runs
Logged manual operations and scheduled cleanup events in a bounded admin-visible activity history

2.1.0

Added WP-Cron scheduled cleanup with daily, weekly, and monthly frequency options
Added scheduled cleanup scope controls for image sizes and upload folders
Added scheduled cleanup status, next-run visibility, and last-result summaries in the admin UI
Kept scheduled cleanup on the same Trash and Restore workflow as manual cleanup

2.0.0

Added dry-run preview before cleanup
Added Trash and Restore workflow for thumbnail removal
Added batch processing with progress for analysis, cleanup, and regeneration
Added orphan thumbnail detection
Added probably unused media detection
Added missing-size regeneration workflow
Added per-size analytics dashboard
Refreshed admin UI for the new v2 workflow
Updated plugin description and documentation

1.1.5

Fixed a fatal error when disabling thumbnail sizes on PHP 8.x
Hardened settings and AJAX input handling for string-based values
Updated compatibility metadata for the latest WordPress release

1.1.4

Added new feature: Media file backup functionality
Improved user interface for backup options
Bug fixes and performance improvements