Carl Alberto

<p><strong>Uploads Relay</strong> makes local WordPress development easier and lightweight by automatically proxying missing upload files from a remote server. No need to download gigabytes of media just to work on a site locally.</p>
<h4>Features</h4>
<ul>
<li><strong>Proxy Missing Files</strong> — Automatically serve missing upload files from a remote server.</li>
<li><strong>Always Remote Mode</strong> — Rewrite all upload URLs to point to the remote server for the fastest setup.</li>
<li><strong>Optional Local Caching</strong> — Cache proxied files locally so subsequent requests are served from disk.</li>
<li><strong>Security First</strong> — Path traversal protection, host allowlisting, and file extension validation.</li>
<li><strong>Environment Guard</strong> — Only active when WordPress environment type is set to “local”.</li>
<li><strong>Zero Configuration on Remote</strong> — No changes needed on the remote/production server.</li>
</ul>
<h4>How It Works</h4>
<ol>
<li>A visitor or developer requests an upload file (e.g., an image in a post).</li>
<li>If the file does not exist locally, WordPress returns a 404.</li>
<li>The plugin intercepts the 404, fetches the file from the configured remote server, and serves it.</li>
<li>Optionally, the file is cached locally for faster subsequent loads.</li>
</ol>
<h4>Use Cases</h4>
<ul>
<li>Local development of large WordPress sites without syncing media.</li>
<li>Staging environments with partial media libraries.</li>
<li>Quick site clones for debugging or testing.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Requirements</h4>
<ul>
<li>WordPress 6.0 or higher</li>
<li>PHP 7.4 or higher</li>
<li><code>WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE</code> must be set to <code>local</code> (the plugin will not function in production environments)</li>
</ul>
<h4>External Service</h4>
<p>This plugin sends HTTP requests to a <strong>remote server that you configure yourself</strong> in order to fetch upload files missing from your local environment. <strong>No requests are made until you explicitly enter a remote URL and enable the proxy in Settings <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Uploads Relay.</strong> By enabling the plugin and providing a remote URL, you consent to these requests being made.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>What is sent:</strong> HTTP GET requests for specific media file paths (e.g., <code>/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/photo.jpg</code>).</li>
<li><strong>When it is sent:</strong> Only when a requested upload file does not exist locally, the proxy is enabled, and the environment type is <code>local</code>.</li>
<li><strong>Where it is sent:</strong> Only to the remote server URL you have configured. This is typically your own production or staging server.</li>
<li><strong>No data is collected, stored, or transmitted</strong> to any third-party service, analytics provider, or external server other than the one you configure.</li>
<li><strong>No telemetry, tracking, or usage data</strong> is collected by this plugin.</li>
</ul>
<p>Since the remote server is your own, its terms of service and privacy policy are governed by your own hosting provider.</p>


Uploads Relay for Local Development by Carl Alberto

Proxy missing upload files from a remote server during local development. No need to download the entire uploads folder.

Samuel Parsons

<p>If you’re running WordPress behind a proxy, chances are that the IP address of the user browsing your site won’t show up, instead WordPress will see the IP address of your proxy server. Proxy Real IP sets this straight by looking at the HTTP headers that the proxy sends.</p>
<p>Proxy Real IP looks in the following HTTP headers:<br />
X-FORWARDED-FOR, X-FORWARDED, FORWARDED-FOR, FORWARDED, X-REAL-IP</p>
<p>Proxy Real IP sets the user’s IP address to the first HTTP header defined that matches a simple regular expression of an IP address (123.123.123.123).</p>
<p>Proxy Real IP also sets the $_SERVER[‘HTTPS’] variable correctly when running behind a proxy so that WordPress can determine whether or not the proxy connection is over HTTPS. It looks to the HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO PHP server variable to determine this.</p>


Proxy Real IP

Proxy Real IP is a simple plugin that sets user's IP addresses correctly when running WordPress behind a load balancer or other proxy.

Uploads Relay for Local Development by Carl Alberto vs Proxy Real IP