WP: Insert attachment from URL

wp_insert_attachment_from_url.php

<?php

/**
 * Insert an attachment from a URL address.
 *
 * @param  string   $url            The URL address.
 * @param  int|null $parent_post_id The parent post ID (Optional).
 * @return int|false                The attachment ID on success. False on failure.
 */
function wp_insert_attachment_from_url( $url, $parent_post_id = null ) {

	if ( ! class_exists( 'WP_Http' ) ) {
		require_once ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-http.php';
	}

	$http     = new WP_Http();
	$response = $http->request( $url );
	if ( 200 !== $response['response']['code'] ) {
		return false;
	}

	$upload = wp_upload_bits( basename( $url ), null, $response['body'] );
	if ( ! empty( $upload['error'] ) ) {
		return false;
	}

	$file_path        = $upload['file'];
	$file_name        = basename( $file_path );
	$file_type        = wp_check_filetype( $file_name, null );
	$attachment_title = sanitize_file_name( pathinfo( $file_name, PATHINFO_FILENAME ) );
	$wp_upload_dir    = wp_upload_dir();

	$post_info = array(
		'guid'           => $wp_upload_dir['url'] . '/' . $file_name,
		'post_mime_type' => $file_type['type'],
		'post_title'     => $attachment_title,
		'post_content'   => '',
		'post_status'    => 'inherit',
	);

	// Create the attachment.
	$attach_id = wp_insert_attachment( $post_info, $file_path, $parent_post_id );

	// Include image.php.
	require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/image.php';

	// Generate the attachment metadata.
	$attach_data = wp_generate_attachment_metadata( $attach_id, $file_path );

	// Assign metadata to attachment.
	wp_update_attachment_metadata( $attach_id, $attach_data );

	return $attach_id;

}

can i use path which is outside from my sever.

that really did the job right :) thanks

Works perfectly, thanks :)

It worked with url with format: name.jpg, name.png ...
Not worked with url format look like:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTDzrO9gxiS8hLYHKAH2AOfTAVGGQgtSkWUafoCApCIZ1vy1zo4
Also It's only add to media library, not attach to the post

The $http->request( $url ) can return a WP_Error, so the if on line 20 will throw a Fatal Error when trying to use the WP_Error as an array.
Adding a is_wp_error check before could be a solution
if( is_wp_error( $response ) || $response['response']['code'] != 200 )

It worked with url with format: name.jpg, name.png ...
Not worked with url format look like:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTDzrO9gxiS8hLYHKAH2AOfTAVGGQgtSkWUafoCApCIZ1vy1zo4
Also It's only add to media library, not attach to the post

public function download_attachment($post_id, $attachment_url)
{
if (filter_var($attachment_url, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL) !== FALSE) {

        $upload_dir = wp_upload_dir();
        $image_data = file_get_contents($attachment_url);
        $filename = $post_id . '_' . rand(10000, 99999) . '.jpg';
        if (wp_mkdir_p($upload_dir['path'])) {
            $file = $upload_dir['path'] . '/' . $filename;
        } else {
            $file = $upload_dir['basedir'] . '/' . $filename;
        }
        file_put_contents($file, $image_data);
        $wp_filetype = wp_check_filetype($filename, null);
        $attachment = array(
            'guid' => $upload_dir['url'] . '/' . $filename,
            'post_mime_type' => $wp_filetype['type'],
            'post_title' => sanitize_file_name($filename),
            'post_content' => '',
            'post_type' => 'listing_type',
            'post_status' => 'inherit',
        );
        $attach_id = wp_insert_attachment($attachment, $file);
        require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/image.php');
        $attach_data = wp_generate_attachment_metadata($attach_id, $file);
        wp_update_attachment_metadata($attach_id, $attach_data);
        return $attach_id;
    }
}

I would simply use for images media_sideload_image( $file, $post_id, $desc = null, $return = 'html' )

Or this for other attachments:

function add_attachment_from_url( $file ) {
        $file_array         = array();
        $file_array['name'] = wp_basename( $file );

        // Download file to temp location.
        $file_array['tmp_name'] = download_url( $file );

        // If error storing temporarily, return the error.
        if ( is_wp_error( $file_array['tmp_name'] ) ) {
            return $file_array['tmp_name'];
        }

        // Do the validation and storage stuff.
        $id = media_handle_sideload( $file_array, 0, null );

        return $id;
    }

I'd be so very grateful if you could give me the snippet for uploading videos to the media attachment. I'm using a external uploader and saving the data to a form field, which saves the URL to the custom field and then executes the above function but it doesn't seem to work.

`add_action('cred_save_data', 'my_save_data_action',10,2);
function my_save_data_action($post_id, $form_data)
{
// if a specific form
if ($form_data['id']==3799810)
{
if (isset($_POST['wpcf-original-video']))
{
$file = $_POST['wpcf-original-video'];
function add_attachment_from_url( $file ) {
$file_array = array();
$file_array['name'] = wp_basename( $file );

    	// Download file to temp location.
    	$file_array['tmp_name'] = download_url( $file );

    	// If error storing temporarily, return the error.
    	if ( is_wp_error( $file_array['tmp_name'] ) ) {
        return $file_array['tmp_name'];
    	}

    	// Do the validation and storage stuff.
    	$id = media_handle_sideload( $file_array, 0, null );

		add_post_meta($post_id, 'wpcf-attached-video-id', $id, true);

    	}
}

}
}`

Hey there, I'm using following functions to set Woo-commerce featured image 👍

$product = wc_get_product( $product_id);
$image_id = media_sideload_image("$img_url_base/main.jpg", $product->get_id(), $product->get_title(), 'id');
if (!is_wp_error($image_id) && is_numeric($image_id)){
   $product->set_image_id($image_id); // add featured image of product
   $product->save();
}

Thankyou!
Very useful

I'm really new to this but was wondering where I should insert this snippet into? Another file or save the whole php file into a certain folder.

Works perfectly, thanks bro ^^

Very very very nice work!
Thanks bro!

Thanks alot!!!

Genial, funcionó perfecto!!!! Gracias

This is killer. Thank you!

if facing function error. you need to include these two files.

    include(ABSPATH . "wp-includes/pluggable.php");
    include_once( ABSPATH . '/wp-admin/includes/image.php' );

In addition add a slash to the class instance if you are on a namespaced class

$http = new \WP_Http();

if facing function error. you need to include these two files.

    include(ABSPATH . "wp-includes/pluggable.php");
    include_once( ABSPATH . '/wp-admin/includes/image.php' );

In addition add a slash to the class instance if you are on a namespaced class

$http = new \WP_Http();

I've haven't work with Wordpress in quite a while, but if I'm not mistaken, if you are facing this issue its because you are running the script somewhere where the necessary wordpress functions are not being included. The solution shouldn't be to include the scripts manually, but to run it in the correct environment. Whish I could be of more help, but I'm rusty with Wordpress atm .

hand down thanks