WordPress Import – Media Files in Limbo

How to Fix Missing Media in the Library

?? Issue Overview

The WordPress Import plugin sometimes uploads media files and correctly registers a post for the media file in the database. However, for unknown reasons, the post associated with the media file can end up in a limbo state, making it invisible in the media library.

Even though everything appears correct, the media file is not properly imported.

At this point, you might try different import tools, plugins, WP-CLI commands, or manual SQL fixes, but nothing seems to work. Instead of fixing the original media post, these methods create a new post with a new ID, breaking references across your WordPress site.

? Why This Causes Problems

1?? All post attachments will point to a different ID

• When you import media first and then import blog posts/pages, the imported posts still reference the old attachment ID.
• The imported content does not know about the new ID of the media file, leading to broken images.

2?? Multi-language issues (WPML, Polylang, etc.)

• If your site uses WPML, each attachment has a linked translation entry.
• Re-importing media creates new attachments without WPML relationships, breaking media in translated posts.

3?? Duplicate or corrupted media entries

• After some time, the original media files may reappear as duplicates, sometimes with corrupted thumbnails.
• This happens when WordPress fails to recognize existing attachments and creates new ones instead.

4?? Messy media library

• If you manage hundreds or thousands of images, leaving duplicates and broken references can make maintenance difficult.
• Clients will not appreciate an unorganized media library full of missing images and duplicates.

? The Simple Fix (No Plugins Required!)

The solution is embarrassingly simple – and it doesn’t require any extra tools. You don’t need to re-import anything or regenerate thumbnails.

Instead, just manually refresh the attachment post in WordPress.

?? Step-by-Step Fix

1?? Find the missing media file in your uploads folder

• Open wp-content/uploads/ and look for the missing file.

2?? Find the Media Post ID using WP-CLI or SQL

?? WP-CLI (Find Media Post by Filename)

wp db query "SELECT ID, post_title, post_status FROM wp_posts WHERE post_type = 'attachment' AND post_title LIKE '%your-filename%'"

(Replace your-filename with the actual media file name, without the extension.)

?? SQL Query (Find Media Post by File Path)

SELECT ID, post_title, post_status, guid

FROM wp_posts WHERE post_type = 'attachment'

AND guid LIKE '%your-image.jpg%';

(Replace your-image.jpg with the actual media file name.)

Example Output:

3?? Open the Media Post in WordPress Admin

• Use the ID you just found to open the attachment post in your browser:

https://your-site.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1184&action=edit&lang=en

(Replace 1184 with your actual media post ID.)

4?? Click “Update”

• Do not change anything – just click “Update” in the editor.
• Instantly, the media file will become visible in the Media Library ??

? Summary

Issue:

• WordPress Import sometimes uploads media files but leaves them in a limbo state (not visible in the media library).
• Importing the media again creates new IDs, causing broken attachments and duplicate media entries.

Solution:

1?? Find the missing media file in your uploads folder
2?? Locate the media post ID using WP-CLI or SQL
3?? Open the post in WordPress Admin (post.php?post=ID&action=edit)
4?? Click “Update” – the media will now appear in the Media Library

No plugins, no extra tools – just a simple manual refresh! ??

PS! Special thanks to ChatGPT for helping refine this post, structure the explanation, and fact-check my findings. Even though AI didn’t directly solve the problem, it helped me articulate the solution more clearly and efficiently. ??