Serve Photo Gallery Images Fast, Without Filling Up Your Hosting Plan
Photo Gallery by 10Web keeps every image in its own folder as an original, a display copy, and a thumbnail. Infinite Uploads syncs that folder to cloud storage and serves it from a global CDN, with AVIF and WebP on the Business plan. Test one gallery first.
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Photo Gallery and Infinite Uploads: Gallery Images Off Your Own Server, Tested First
Photo Gallery by 10Web is built for image-heavy sites. Instead of using only the Media Library, it runs its own file manager and writes each image, display copy, and thumbnail into a folder under uploads. A busy portfolio grows fast, and every new gallery makes that folder bigger.
Infinite Uploads has no exclusion for that folder, so it syncs to cloud storage and its image URLs are served from a global CDN. Image Optimization, on the Business plan, converts images to AVIF and WebP. Video you host yourself goes to the Video Library and streams from Video Cloud, included on every plan.
Because Photo Gallery writes its files directly, test before you commit. Sync, add one gallery, confirm it loads from the CDN, and try the watermark and thumbnail tools before you free up local storage. Then you get one predictable bill and a hosting plan that stops growing with your portfolio.
Four Problems Infinite Uploads Solves for a Photo Gallery Site
Most offload plugins move files and stop. These are the parts that matter when the files are your galleries.
Every Image Is Stored Up to Three Times
Photo Gallery keeps an original in a hidden .original folder, a display copy, and a thumbnail for each image. A 2,000 photo archive becomes thousands of files on your disk. Infinite Uploads syncs the whole folder to cloud storage so you can free up local storage.
A Folder the Media Library Never Manages
Photo Gallery's file manager writes to uploads/photo-gallery, outside normal attachment handling. Infinite Uploads scans that folder like the rest of uploads, hidden subfolder included, and serves its image URLs from the CDN. Run a sync after bulk adds.
Image-Heavy Pages Served From the Edge
A gallery page is mostly images, so every visit leans on your server. From a global CDN, thumbnails and display copies load from the edge nearest the visitor. Image Optimization, on the Business plan, converts them to AVIF and WebP at the CDN.
Self-Hosted Video Without a Platform Bill
Photo Gallery's video items are embeds from YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion. For video you host, upload to the Video Library and add it to the page with the Infinite Uploads block. Video Cloud streams it adaptively from the CDN, included on every plan.
Why Photographers and Agencies Pair Photo Gallery With Infinite Uploads
One Bill Instead of Several
Cloud storage, CDN bandwidth, and video streaming are one monthly price. No separate image CDN, no video host, no surprise bandwidth invoice after a gallery goes viral. Free up local storage once your test passes.
Move an Existing Gallery Archive
The first sync scans the whole uploads folder, photo-gallery and its subfolders included, and rewrites URLs to the CDN. Your gallery settings are untouched, and Download & Disconnect brings files back to local storage if you ever leave.
Every Site on One Account
Agencies running Photo Gallery on client sites connect all of them to one account. Unlimited sites on every plan, one usage dashboard, and no cloud credentials to hand over when a client site changes hands.
What Works, Feature by Feature
Feature
What you get
Gallery images in the photo-gallery folder
Nothing in the default exclusions matches this folder, so originals, display copies, and thumbnails sync and serve from the CDN.
Works
Image Optimization (AVIF and WebP)
Conversion happens at the CDN as each image is requested, so synced gallery images are eligible. Image Optimization is on the Business plan.
Works
Files Photo Gallery writes directly
Its file manager skips the WordPress attachment hooks, so new files reach the cloud on a sync pass. Sync after a bulk add and check the CDN URL.
Test first
Import from the Media Library
Imported images are copied into Photo Gallery's folder. The Media Library original and the copy both offload and both count toward storage.
Copy in both places
Thumbnails and .original copies
Photo Gallery stores up to three files per image: original, display copy, and thumbnail. All of them sync and count toward storage.
Up to three files
Watermarks, Recreate thumbnails, Reset
These tools rewrite files in the folder and read them from disk. Run each on one gallery before you free up local storage.
Rewrites files
YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion items
These are embeds that stay on the platform that hosts them. They add nothing to your storage and nothing to sync.
Stays external
Self-hosted video on Video Cloud
Upload to the Video Library and embed with the Infinite Uploads block or shortcode on the page. Adaptive streaming in the customizable player, on every plan.
Works, Video Cloud
WordPress Multisite networks
Every site in the network offloads to the same account, and each site's Photo Gallery folder syncs with its own uploads.
Works
Up and Running in Three Steps
1. Connect and Sync
Install Infinite Uploads, connect your account, and run a sync. The photo-gallery folder, thumb and .original subfolders included, uploads to cloud storage.
2. Test One Gallery
Add an image through Photo Gallery's file manager, sync again, and confirm the front end loads it from the CDN. Then try Recreate thumbnails and Set watermark.
3. Free Up Local Storage
Once the test passes, remove local copies from Infinite Uploads settings. Your hosting plan gets its space back and images keep serving from the CDN.
Good to Know Before You Switch
Photo Gallery writes to its own folder, so test one gallery before a full migration. It creates uploads/photo-gallery with thumb and .original subfolders and writes there directly. After the first sync, add one image and confirm it loads from the CDN domain on the front end.
Check three tools before you free up local storage. Recreate thumbnails, Set watermark, and Reset images read files from the folder on disk. Run each on one test gallery after you free space. If one fails, restore local copies from Infinite Uploads settings.
Older installs may use a custom images directory. The default folder is wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery, but older sites could change the images directory in Photo Gallery's options. If yours points outside uploads, move it inside first, because Infinite Uploads only syncs the uploads folder.
How We Checked
- Read the current Photo Gallery source from WordPress.org: upload folder, file manager, thumbnail, and watermark code.
- Read Photo Gallery's readme and 10Web help pages on importing, embedding, and watermarking.
- Read the Infinite Uploads source for its default exclusions, folder scan, and URL rewriting.
- Matched the photo-gallery folder against those exclusions and reviewed the compatibility scan rows for Photo Gallery.
- Compared Photo Gallery's video items against the Video Cloud and Media Library video rules.
Result: by source review the folder syncs and serves from the CDN. We have not run it live, so test one gallery first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Photo Gallery store images in the Media Library?
Mostly no. It uses its own file manager and writes to uploads/photo-gallery, with thumb and .original subfolders. You can import from the Media Library, but that copies the file into its folder.
Will Infinite Uploads sync that folder?
Yes. Nothing in the default exclusions matches photo-gallery, so it is scanned and synced like the rest of uploads, hidden .original subfolder included. Run a sync after bulk adds.
Do I need a Folder Exclusion for it?
No. The folder holds images, thumbnails, and original copies, which you want in the cloud. Add a Folder Exclusion in Infinite Uploads settings only if a specific subfolder must stay on your server.
What happens to watermarks?
Set watermark rewrites the display images in the folder, and Reset restores them from the .original copy. Both tools read files from disk, so test them on one gallery before you free up local storage.
Can I keep YouTube and Vimeo items in galleries?
Yes. Photo Gallery embeds YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion as gallery items, and they stay on those platforms. For video you host, upload to the Video Library and embed it with the Infinite Uploads block or shortcode.
Will visitors notice anything different?
Faster gallery pages, mainly on image-heavy layouts and for visitors far from your server. Image Optimization, on the Business plan, converts images to AVIF and WebP at the CDN.
What if my original photos are huge?
Add our free Big File Uploads plugin to lift the Media Library upload limit. Large originals can then reach the Media Library, and you can import them into Photo Gallery from there.
Does this work on a Multisite network?
Yes. Infinite Uploads supports WordPress Multisite on every plan. Every site in the network, and each site's Photo Gallery folder, offloads to the same account and one storage pool.
More Gallery Plugins That Work With Infinite Uploads
- Infinite Uploads and Envira Gallery
- Infinite Uploads and FooGallery
- Infinite Uploads and Modula
- See all integrations
Try Infinite Uploads on the Free Plan
No cloud accounts. No access keys. Install the plugin, connect your site, and gallery images, thumbnails, and watermarked copies start moving to the cloud automatically.
Free plan, no credit card. Paid plans from $8.25/mo. Unlimited sites.