How to Fix Missing Images
First, we will talk only about images, which are physically copied to target sites. Don’t forget that images in post content aren’t transferred by default and are used from the original posts.
Second, if ALL images are missing, then most likely, your target site blocks it on the server level. It must be resolved in the server configuration, firewall, etc.
The main reason why some images may be missing
Let’s say that you have a “Hello World” post and you use mountain.jpg as its featured image. After you crosspost this post to a target site, we know that its featured image will be copied physically as well. But what is really important is that the ID of the same image across different sites will be different.
So, for example:
| Site name | Image ID (the same image) |
|---|---|
| Site A | 123 |
| Site B | 51 |
It means that when you’ve crossposted an image mountain.jpg to “Site B”, but after that, you may have removed or reuploaded it – its ID will be changed after that.
But “Site A” still remembers that mountain.jpg image has the same ID – 51, which, in fact, doesn’t exist anymore!
It is exactly how the missing images appear.
Method 1. Fixing missing images by reuploading them
If your mountain.jpg image is only used in the “Hello World” post on “Site A”, then the easiest way to fix it on “Site B” is to reupload it and then sync the post again.
The step-by-step will be the following:
- Delete
mountain.jpgon “Site A”. - Upload it again and set it as the featured image of the post (or whatever way you used it)
- Crosspost the post “Hello World” to “Site B” again.
That’s pretty much it.
Method 2. Fixing missing images by reconnecting them
However, sometimes the image management can be really chaotic. For example, when you manage multiple WordPress sites, and each site has different people who manage the content there.
In that case, reuploading may help, but it will probably not be enough for some scenarios, for example:
- When an editor on “Site A” removes
mountain.jpgand then uploads it again, but this time straight from “Site B”. Obviously, the image ID will not be the same. - When using third-party plugins that are used to export and import images between sites.
In that case, it is better to use an add-on, Simple WP Crossposting – Post Connections, that works great for media files as well. Basically, everything you need to do is install this add-on, then go to the Media > Library page, switch to the List view, select the images you need, and use bulk actions:
