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Shelfmark — Media Library Folders

Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 1 review.

by Fernwick Studio Verified New

in Media management

Image 1 / 13

New

Nested, colour-coded folders for the Media Library with drag and drop, bulk move, a media picker filter and a gallery block and shortcode.

Version
1.0.0
Updated
Sales
New
Compatibility
WordPress 5.8 - 7.1, PHP 7.4 - 8.2

About

Shelfmark - Media Library Folders — Organise the WordPress Media Library in nested, colour-coded folders with drag and drop, and show any folder as a gallery.

Shelfmark turns a long, flat Media Library into folders you can actually find things in. A folder panel sits next to the library in both list and grid view. Create nested, colour-coded folders, drag files onto them, and uploads go straight into the folder you have open.

The same folders are available where you pick images: the media picker in the editor and in page builders gets a Folder filter, and every file has a Folder field in its details. When you want to show a folder on the site, the Folder Gallery block and the [shelfmark_gallery] shortcode print its images as a responsive, accessible grid.

Folders are only labels. Files stay where they are on the server and keep their URLs, so reorganising never breaks a page, and deleting a folder never deletes a file. Who it is for: agencies, editors and shops with hundreds or thousands of images who want order without changing how WordPress stores media.

What you get

  • Nested folders up to six levels deep, with a colour for each folder and counts next to the names
  • Folder panel in the Media Library, in list view and in grid view, with "All files" and "Unassigned" views
  • Drag and drop files onto folders, including several selected files at once
  • Bulk action in the list view: "Move to folder" for any folder, or remove from folder
  • Uploads go into the folder you have open (can be switched off)
  • Folder filter in the media picker of the block editor, classic editor and page builders that use the WordPress media modal
  • A Folder field in the attachment details, in the media modal and on the edit screen
  • Create, edit, recolour, move and delete folders from the panel. Deleting a folder keeps its files and moves subfolders up
  • Choose who can manage folders: everyone who can upload, editors and administrators, or administrators only
  • Folder Gallery block and [shelfmark_gallery] shortcode: columns, image size, links, captions, sort order, limit and optional subfolder images
  • Responsive, accessible gallery markup with lazy loaded images, real alt text and no jQuery
  • Keeps your files and URLs untouched. Folders are stored in a private taxonomy with no public URLs
  • Translation ready, keyboard accessible controls and a clean uninstall option

How it works

Create and arrange folders. Press "New folder" in the panel, choose a name, a parent and a colour. Hover a folder to add a subfolder, edit it or delete it. Click the arrow to expand or collapse a folder with subfolders.

Move files. Drag a file (or several selected files) onto a folder. In the list view you can also tick files and choose "Move to folder: ..." from the bulk actions, or open a file and pick a folder in its details. "Unassigned" lists every file that is not in a folder yet, which is the quickest way to tidy up an existing library.

Upload into a folder. Open a folder and upload as usual: new files are put into that folder. Uploads from the post editor stay unassigned unless you choose a folder in the Folder filter of the media picker first. You can turn this behaviour off in the settings.

Find images in the editor. Wherever WordPress opens the media picker you get a Folder filter next to the other filters. Choose a folder to see only its files (including its subfolders unless you switch that off).

Show a folder as a gallery. Add the "Folder Gallery" block and choose a folder, or use [shelfmark_gallery folder="holiday-2025" columns="3" size="medium" link="file" captions="yes" orderby="date" order="DESC" limit="60" subfolders="yes"]. The folder can be given as an id, a slug or a name. Only images are shown. Link can be none, file or attachment.

Permissions. Under Media > Folder settings choose who can create, rename and delete folders. Anyone who can upload files can see folders and move the files they are allowed to edit.

Not included (so there are no surprises)

  • Moving files on the server or changing upload paths and URLs. Folders are labels in the database.
  • Putting posts, pages, products or other post types in folders. Shelfmark organises media files only.
  • ZIP export or download of a folder.
  • Cloud storage, CDN offloading or syncing with external services.
  • A file in several folders at once. A file lives in one folder at a time.
  • Image editing, optimisation or lightbox effects. Gallery links open the image file or its attachment page.

Install in minutes

  1. In your WordPress admin open Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin and choose the downloaded zip (the one named shelfmark-media-folders-v1.0.0.zip).
  2. Click Install Now, then Activate.
  3. Open Media > Library. The folder panel appears next to your files. Press "New folder" to create the first folder.
  4. Drag files onto a folder, or use Bulk select > "Move to folder" in the list view.
  5. To show a folder on a page, add the Folder Gallery block or paste [shelfmark_gallery folder="your-folder"].
  6. Optional: review Media > Folder settings for who can manage folders and what happens on removal.

What is in the download

  • The ready-to-upload WordPress plugin (shelfmark-media-folders), organised in namespaced PHP classes
  • readme.txt in WordPress.org format, a full HTML documentation page in docs/ and a CHANGELOG.md
  • license.txt (GNU GPL v2) and a translation template in languages/
  • A careful uninstall: your data is kept when you delete the plugin, unless you tick the "delete data" option in the plugin settings first. Your media files are never deleted.

About the screenshots

The gallery shows the plugin running on a private test site ("Brookline Supply Co.") with sample images generated for the screenshots, not a public demo. There is no hosted live demo for this plugin.

Third-party product and network names mentioned (WordPress, WooCommerce and others) are trademarks of their respective owners. This plugin is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

Author’s detailed specifications

Additional package and setup details from the author. The purchase options and marketplace license terms govern your order.

Requirements

  • WordPress 5.8 or newer (tested up to 7.1)
  • PHP 7.4 or newer (tested on PHP 8.2)
  • Any theme. The gallery block needs the block editor, the shortcode works everywhere

Licensing

The plugin source is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2 or later (see license.txt), as for every WordPress plugin. What you buy here is the packaged, supported release: the download, updates published on this listing and author support through the marketplace.

  • Regular — one end product, for your own site or a single client site, where end users are not charged for access.
  • Extended — one end product you may charge customers for, for example a paid membership site or a client service you resell.

These marketplace licence terms describe who the support and update entitlement covers. They do not take away the rights the GPL grants you.

Features

  • Nested folders up to six levels deep, with a colour for each folder and counts next to the names
  • Folder panel in the Media Library, in list view and in grid view, with "All files" and "Unassigned" views
  • Drag and drop files onto folders, including several selected files at once
  • Bulk action in the list view: "Move to folder" for any folder, or remove from folder
  • Uploads go into the folder you have open (can be switched off)
  • Folder filter in the media picker of the block editor, classic editor and page builders that use the WordPress media modal
  • A Folder field in the attachment details, in the media modal and on the edit screen
  • Create, edit, recolour, move and delete folders from the panel. Deleting a folder keeps its files and moves subfolders up
  • Choose who can manage folders: everyone who can upload, editors and administrators, or administrators only
  • Folder Gallery block and [shelfmark_gallery] shortcode: columns, image size, links, captions, sort order, limit and optional subfolder images
  • Responsive, accessible gallery markup with lazy loaded images, real alt text and no jQuery
  • Keeps your files and URLs untouched. Folders are stored in a private taxonomy with no public URLs
  • Translation ready, keyboard accessible controls and a clean uninstall option

Your purchase includes

Compatibility

Works with
WordPress 5.8 - 7.1, PHP 7.4 - 8.2
Supported software
WordPress 5.8+, PHP 7.4 - 8.2
Platform
Self-hosted WordPress
Framework
WordPress

Tags: Media Library Media Folders File Manager Gallery Organize Media Drag And Drop Folders

Browse more in Media management, or see all items by Fernwick Studio.

FAQ

Common questions about this listing.

Does it move my files on the server or change their URLs?

No. Folders are labels stored in the database. Files stay in your uploads folder, keep their URLs and keep working everywhere they are already used, so reorganising is safe.

What happens to the files when I delete a folder?

Nothing happens to them. Deleting a folder keeps its files, which become unassigned, and moves its subfolders up one level. Shelfmark never deletes a media file.

Can I put a file in more than one folder?

No. A file lives in one folder at a time, which keeps the tree simple and the counts honest. Use the gallery shortcode to show the same image in several places.

Does it work in the editor and with page builders?

It adds a Folder filter to the standard WordPress media picker, which the block editor, the classic editor and builders that open the WordPress media modal use. Builders with their own custom media screens are not covered.

Can I drag files into folders in the media picker?

Drag and drop works in the Media Library itself. In the media picker you filter by folder and change a file's folder in its details.

Does it handle thousands of files?

Folder counts come from a single indexed query and the library itself is still loaded page by page by WordPress. Folders are limited to 500 so the panel stays fast.

Who can create and delete folders?

You choose under Media > Folder settings: everyone who can upload files, editors and administrators (the default), or administrators only. Anyone who can edit a file can move it between folders.

How do I show a folder on my site?

Use the Folder Gallery block, or the [shelfmark_gallery folder="..."] shortcode. The folder can be an id, a slug or a name. You can choose columns, image size, links, captions, sort order, a limit and whether subfolders are included.

Is the gallery accessible and fast?

Images use their alt text from the Media Library, lazy loading and the sizes WordPress already generated. Linked images get an accessible name even without alt text, and the focus outline is visible. There is no JavaScript on the front end.

Does it have a lightbox?

No. Gallery images can link to the image file or the attachment page. Use your theme or another plugin if you want a lightbox.

Is it translation ready?

Yes. All text is translatable and a .pot file is included in the languages folder.

What happens to my folders when I delete the plugin?

Nothing, by default: the folders and which files are in them are kept, so reinstalling is painless. To remove them, tick "Delete all folders and settings when the plugin is deleted" under Folder settings first. Your media files are never deleted either way.

Version history

Release notes for this item, newest first.

Current v1.0.0

  1. v1.0.0

    Current
    Initial release.
    Buy to download this version

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Reviews

5.0

1 review

5 stars 1
4 stars 0
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1 review

Folders in the media library, files left alone

Ingrid Solberg Reviewed v1.0.0

A magazine site with years of uploads. Nested folders, colours, and drag-and-drop of several files at once are in the grid and the list view, and new uploads land in the folder I have open. The media modal filter works in the block editor, which is where the editors actually are. URLs did not change, because the folders are a private taxonomy. The gallery shortcode was a bonus for one landing page.

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About the author

Small, privacy-minded WordPress plugins

Fernwick Studio Verified New

Fernwick Studio builds small, focused WordPress plugins that stay fast and respect visitor privacy: no trackers, no phoning home, no jQuery unless it is really needed. Every plugin is original work released under the GPL v2 or later, built with the WordPress coding standards and tested on current WordPress releases and PHP 8.2.

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Shelfmark — Media Library Folders

USD 39.00