WordPress builds a separate section called Media Library for users to store all their media files, including images, audio, videos, and other documents.
Still, it isn’t enough to serve the user’s increased demands of managing files. While some want to create folders for the library, others try to compress and optimize images there. Another large group of site owners also look for a solution to replace a file in the library.
There may be times when you plan to add categories to your WordPress media library. They can be public or private ones, depending on your usage. Similar to categories of posts, they help you organize related images and videos better.
This article will spell out the need for creating private WordPress media categories, as well as effective ways to protect them.
Why Creating a Protected Media Category in WordPress
You want to have everything in one place for easier management. This is acceptable if you have a few photos and videos on your site. What if you have thousands of them, from screenshots of blogs, videos for landing pages, to customers’ documents, how can you handle all of them?
The assistant comes to categories that allow us to organize things better, for sure. You can even create normal and private categories for your media files. The protected categories won’t be accessible to unauthorized users until you give them permission.
Besides, categorizing your private images and videos comes in handy when you plan to classify your files. This saves you a lot of time to separate which ones are secured and which can be view by the publish among the long media file compilations in the library.
To create a protected media category, you have to go through the process of 2 steps: adding a new category to files in your library and then protect all files in that category.
How to Add Categories to WordPress Media Library
You have 2 ways to create categories and tags for your library, either adding code to your theme file or taking advantage of WordPress plugins.
The former method requires you to create a child theme to back up your site before making any changes. If you don’t take this minor step, it’ll affect your entire site performance.
The latter, meanwhile, frees you from getting used to technical knowledge if you’re not tech-savvy. There are hundreds of plugins enabling you to create categories for your media files that are available in the WordPress directory. To separate the wheat from the chaff, we’ve sorted out and come up with the 5 best media library management plugins for you to choose from.
We pick the FileBird plugin for our guide due to its simple UI and powerful drag and drop capabilities. Trusted by over 100 thousand users around the world, this plugin does a great job in organizing WordPress media library folders.
Follow 5 steps below to get started with the FileBird plugin:
- Go to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress admin dashboard
- Type “filebird” in the keyword box
- Install and activate the plugin. Upon activation, all your files will be organized in the Uncategorized folder.
- Head to the Media Library then hit the New Folder button at the top of the page and enter the new folder name, such as “Protected”, “Private”, or Premium Files”, etc.
- Check your desired files in the library then drag and drop them to the newly created category. You can also upload files to your new folder too.
How to Protect Your WordPress Media Category
You need help from the Prevent Direct Access (PDA) Gold plugin to create a private media category. The plugin assists you in securing your WordPress files, from images, PDF guides, to audio and videos. Unauthorized users won’t be able to see them even though they have the correct file URLs.
You can easily create commercial ebooks, premium even photos, or training videos without worrying about thieves stealing your files.
This instruction shows you how to use the plugin for your private media library category:
- Download the PDA Gold plugin via a zip file format
- Open Plugins → Add New then click Upload Plugin and choose the zip file you’ve just downloaded
- Enter the license key to activate the plugin
- Go to the new category you just created in the Media Library. You should set your library in the list view status. Then click Files to choose all files at a time.
- Hit Bulk Actions and select “Protect files” then click the Apply button
That’s it! All your file becomes protected now. Only admins have permission to see them via the original URLs, by default.
Ready to Categorize Your Private Media Library?
Protected media categories let you organize your private files better, in case you have to manage a lot of file types in the library. You don’t need to take time to look for private commercial images in the long list of client’s PDF documents or videos.
You can use the FileBird plugin to quickly add new folders to your library without affecting your server. It permits you to drag and drop files from a folder to another within seconds.
To protect your folders, make use of the PDA Gold plugin to secure all your files at once with a click. All you need to do is install the plugin, select all files, and click protect.
Still have a question about how to add categories to your WordPress media library or how to protect it? Let us know in the comment section below.
