WP Attachment Export for WordPress

So I was digging through an old client site last week that was running WordPress 4.2, and they needed to move their media library to a new install. I reached for WP Attachment Export for WordPress like I’d done a dozen times before - and it worked fine. But then I checked the current version of WordPress, and holy crap, this plugin hasn’t been necessary since 4.4. The core export tool now handles media just as well, if not better.

The good stuff

Back when it mattered, it did one thing really well: let you export all your images, PDFs, videos - basically everything in the media library - into a WXR file. No fuss, no coding. You’d go to Tools > Export, pick “Media,” and boom, you had a clean XML file ready to import elsewhere. It was especially helpful when migrating from super old setups where plugins were sketchy or the database was a mess. I remember using it to save a client’s entire photo archive during a site overhaul - saved me hours.

The not-so-good

Here’s the kicker: if you’re on WordPress 4.4 or later, this plugin is redundant. And honestly? It’s kind of a ghost in the machine now. The developer doesn’t seem active, there’s no license info, and no downloads listed. That’s a red flag. If you’re still on an older version of WordPress, sure, it might work - but why risk it? Better to just upgrade or use the built-in export instead. Also, no support for custom media types or advanced filtering. Just plain old media export. Nothing fancy.

Bottom line

If you’re on WordPress 4.4 or newer, don’t waste your time with WP Attachment Export for WordPress. The native export does everything it did - and more. If you’re stuck on an older version, maybe give it a try, but know it’s not going to get updates. For everyone else, skip it. It’s not worth the clutter, especially when the core feature’s already baked in.