About this plugin
TruceGuard builds a complete reference index of your media library so you always know where a file is used, whether it is safe to delete, and why.
Unlike simple “unused image” detectors, TruceGuard is built around a confidence-scored reference engine. It never claims certainty it does not have: every assessment tells you what was scanned, how the reference was detected, and how confident the detection is.
What it scans
- Post and page content (Block Editor and Classic Editor)
- Custom post types
- Featured images and gallery shortcodes
- Block attributes (images, galleries, covers, media & text)
- Post meta, including serialized data
- Elementor page data
- WooCommerce product galleries and category images
- ACF image, gallery and file fields (when ACF is active)
- Widgets and media widgets
- Theme mods, custom logo, site icon and Customizer settings
- Taxonomy term images
Key features
- Reference index – every usage of every media file, stored with source, context and confidence.
- Safe Delete Score – each file gets a 0–100 safety score with human-readable reasons.
- Delete protection – deleting a file that is still in use is blocked with a full list of usages and an explicit “Delete anyway” confirmation.
- Background scanning – batched, resumable scans that never slow down your site. Uses Action Scheduler when available, WP-Cron otherwise. Works on libraries from 100 to 500,000 files.
- Live index – references update automatically as you edit and save content.
- Media library integration – a Usage column shows at a glance which files are in use.
- Accessibility signal – see how many images are missing ALT text.
- REST API – versioned, permission-checked endpoints for status, scanning and per-file assessments.
- WP-CLI – wp truceguard scan, wp truceguard status, wp truceguard report.
TruceGuard Pro
The Pro version adds Replace Media Everywhere, predictive breakage detection, visual duplicate detection, version history with rollback, and automatic backups before delete. You can start a Pro trial from the plugin dashboard or directly here: Start your Pro trial. The free version is fully functional and never requires an account.
Privacy
TruceGuard makes no external requests, collects no data, and includes no tracking or telemetry. All scanning happens on your own server. The only external link is the optional Pro upgrade page, opened only when you click it.