Media Restriction

Media Restriction is a lightweight and powerful WordPress plugin that gives site admins full control over who can see what in the Media Library. Restrict access by user role so that users only see their own uploads, exclude trusted individuals from the restriction, and keep a full audit trail of every upload, deletion, and library view — all from a clean, modern settings panel.

Whether you manage a multi-author blog, an online course platform, a membership site, or a client project — Media Restriction ensures your media library stays tidy, private, and secure.

What makes v2.0.0 different: Version 2.0.0 is a complete rebuild. The settings page has been redesigned with a tabbed interface and instant role toggles (no page reloads). A new Activity Log records every media event with user, file name, IP address, and timestamp. REST API protection closes the Gutenberg and headless bypass that most similar plugins miss entirely. And a critical bug affecting excluded users in the grid view has been resolved.

🌟 Features

Core restriction ✅ Restrict media library access by user role ✅ Works in both grid view (media modal) and list view (Media Library screen) ✅ Administrators always have full access — no configuration needed ✅ Exclude specific users from restriction — grant bypass access to trusted individuals regardless of their role ✅ REST API protection — /wp/v2/media respects the same restriction rules, covering Gutenberg and headless setups

Settings & admin ✅ Modern tabbed settings page — Roles & Users and Activity Log in one place ✅ Instant role toggles — enable or disable restriction per role without a page reload ✅ Live status badges on each role card showing user count and restriction state ✅ Header summary showing how many roles are restricted and users excluded

Activity log ✅ Tracks all upload, delete, and view events automatically ✅ Records user, file name, IP address, and timestamp for every event ✅ Displays the latest 30 entries in a clean admin table ✅ One-click clear log with confirmation prompt

Compatibility & clean code ✅ Works with default WordPress roles and any custom roles (LMS, membership, WooCommerce, etc.) ✅ Compatible with Gutenberg block editor, classic editor, and headless setups ✅ Restricted users can still upload and manage their own files — restriction is visibility only ✅ No impact on existing media files — the plugin never modifies or deletes files ✅ Clean uninstall — removes all plugin options and database tables on deletion

🧠 Use Cases

Online Learning Platforms (LMS): Prevent instructors from seeing or using each other’s uploaded course files. Exclude trusted course managers so they retain full access.

Client Sites & Freelancers: Limit clients to only their own media uploads, keeping your own assets private and the library uncluttered.

Multi-Author Blogs: Ensure each contributor only sees their own images and uploads. Exclude editors who need to manage all media.

Membership or Community Sites: Allow members to upload profile or content images but restrict them from browsing admin or other members’ uploads.

Agencies & Teams: Give designers and content editors restricted media access while allowing project leads or account managers full visibility.