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Apex Folders · free, forever

Folders for the WordPress Media Library. All of it, free.

Drag files into folders and subfolders, upload straight into a folder, and filter by folder inside the editor. Every feature is included. There is no Pro version, and there never will be.

Install from WordPress.org See what it does
The WordPress Media Library with the Apex Folders sidebar: All files, Unassigned, and folders for Blog images, Client work with two subfolders, and Logos, each with a file count.
What you get

Everything the paid folder plugins charge for.

Folders and subfolders

A folder sidebar next to your Media Library, with subfolders and live file counts. Make as many as you need.

Drag and drop

Drop any file onto a folder to move it. The folder lights up, the counts update, no page reload.

Bulk moves

Use the Media Library’s own Bulk select, then drag the whole selection onto a folder at once.

Upload into a folder

Pick the folder in the uploader, or just upload while you are viewing a folder. Every file in the batch lands there.

Folder filter in the editor

Filter by folder inside the media picker used by the block editor and classic editor, so you find the right image while writing.

Nothing moves on disk

Folders are virtual, built on WordPress’s own taxonomy system. File URLs never change and nothing on your site breaks.
The Apex Folders sidebar on its own: All files, Unassigned, Blog images, Client work with its subfolders Acme Co and Greenways, Logos, and an Add folder button.
Folders

A sidebar that reads like your file system.

Folders sit beside the Media Library in both grid and list view. Each one shows how many files it holds, hover a parent folder to see the total with its subfolders, and anything without a folder waits in Unassigned so nothing gets lost.

  • Folders and one level of subfolders
  • Live counts, updated as you move and upload
  • Rename, add a subfolder or delete from the sidebar
The Media Library uploader open, with an Upload to folder dropdown set to Blog images under the drop zone.
Upload

Files land in the right folder the first time.

Open a folder and upload, or choose a folder in the uploader. Every file in a multi-file upload is tagged as it arrives and appears in the folder as it finishes, so a 50-photo drop does not need sorting afterwards.

  • Defaults to the folder you are viewing
  • Works in the Media Library, the Add Media File screen and the editor’s upload tab
  • Files appear in the folder view as they upload
The editor’s media picker with the Filter by folder dropdown open, listing folders and subfolders with their counts.
In the editor

Filter by folder where you actually need it.

The media picker in the block editor gets a Filter by folder dropdown next to Filter by type and Filter by date. Pick a folder and the picker shows only those files, so adding the right image to a post takes one click instead of a scroll.

  • Block editor and classic editor
  • Subfolders listed under their parent
  • Counts in the dropdown stay current
Why free

Because the free versions of the others are demos.

Most Media Library folder plugins give you a taste for free and sell the rest: subfolders, bulk moves, or lifting a cap on how many folders you can make. Apex Folders is the whole tool. We built it for our own client sites, and we would rather you spend the money on the Apex tools that save you a day a week.

No Pro version

Every feature is in the one plugin on WordPress.org.

No account

Nothing to sign up for, no API key, no phone-home.

No lock-in

Folders are a WordPress taxonomy. Deactivate the plugin and your files are exactly where they were.
How it works

Installed and sorting in a minute.

1. Install it

Plugins → Add New → search “Apex Folders”. Activate.

2. Make folders

Click Add folder in the Media Library sidebar. Add subfolders from the hover menu on any folder.

3. Move and upload

Drag files onto folders, or Bulk select and drag many at once. Upload while viewing a folder and the files go straight in.
Questions

Before you ask

Does it move or rename my files?

No. Folders are virtual. Your uploads folder and every file URL stay exactly as they are.

Is there a Pro version?

No. Every feature is in the free plugin, and it will stay that way.

How many folders can I make?

As many as you like, each with its own subfolders.

Can I move many files at once?

Yes. Click Bulk select in the Media Library, select the files, and drag any one of them onto a folder. The whole selection moves.

Does it work with the block editor?

Yes. The media picker gets a Filter by folder dropdown, and uploads from the editor can go straight into a folder.

What happens if I uninstall it?

Your files are untouched. Folder assignments are kept unless you tick “Remove all folder data when plugin is uninstalled” under Settings → Media first.

Does it work with WooCommerce, page builders or other media plugins?

It works anywhere the standard WordPress media picker is used.

Is it open source?

Yes. It is GPL-2.0, and the code is on GitHub. It needs PHP 7.2 or newer and is tested up to WordPress 7.1.

Folders for your Media Library. Free, today.

Install it from the WordPress plugin directory in under a minute. Then have a look at what else Apex can take off your plate.

Install Apex Folders Meet the other Apex tools