Henzly Meghie
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Easy Attachments

Easy Attachments is a custom block editor plugin that brings the full Unsplash library directly into the WordPress sidebar. Content editors can search, preview, and download high-quality photos without leaving the editor.

At a Glance

GitHub – https://github.com/henzlym/bca-easy-attachments

What it is: A WordPress plugin that integrates Unsplash’s free photo library directly into the block editor sidebar, eliminating the need to switch between applications when adding images.

Who it’s for: WordPress content creators, bloggers, and marketing teams who publish frequently and need quick access to professional stock photography without interrupting their writing flow.

How it works: The plugin adds a sidebar panel to the WordPress editor where users can search Unsplash’s library, select image sizes, and insert photos directly into posts—either as content images, featured images, or downloads to the media library. All without leaving the editor.

Key benefit: Eliminates the traditional “search → download → upload” workflow and ensures proper licensing and attribution for free stock photos.

The Challenge: Chasing Images Across Tabs

Most WordPress editors follow the same painful routine when they need images:

  1. Open a new tab and go to a stock photo site (often Unsplash).
  2. Search for images, download a few options.
  3. Switch back to WordPress and upload each file to the media library.
  4. Insert the image, realize it’s too large or wrong orientation, repeat.

That process is slow, full of context switching, and easy to mess up—especially for non-technical content creators working under deadlines.

There are also licensing and UX concerns:

  • Editors aren’t always sure which sites are safe for commercial use.
  • Downloading “raw” or huge images by default can hurt page performance if they’re dropped into posts without optimization.

The result: content teams waste time hunting for assets, and developers worry about performance, and licensing. Easy Attachments was built to remove all of that friction by putting a safe, purpose-built Unsplash workflow inside the block editor.

The Solution: Easy Attachments in the Block Editor Sidebar

Easy Attachments is a block editor sidebar panel that exposes Unsplash search and actions directly in Gutenberg. Once the plugin is activated, editors get an “Easy Attachments” panel on the right-hand side of any post or page.

Core Capabilities

Inline Unsplash search

  • Search Unsplash in real time with a debounced query (500ms delay, 3-character minimum) to avoid spammy API calls.
  • Paginated results (10 images per page) so the UI stays fast and manageable.

Multiple one-click actions For any image, editors can:

  • Insert it directly into the current post or page
  • Set it as the featured image
  • Download it into the media library for reuse

Image size control

  • 5 size options: Raw, Full, Regular, Small, Thumb, with Regular (~1080px) recommended as the best balance of quality and performance.

Download tracking & persistence

  • Visual indicators show which images have already been downloaded.
  • This status persists across sessions, so editors don’t accidentally re-download the same asset.

Built-in attribution help

  • Photographer information is displayed with each image, making credit easy when teams want to add it (even though Unsplash doesn’t require it).

Architecture & Implementation Highlights

  • Editor-only footprint: The plugin only loads in the block editor context, so it has zero impact on front-end performance.

Modern WordPress stack:

  • PHP handles plugin registration and hooks into the block editor.
  • A JavaScript/React-based panel drives the sidebar experience (search, pagination, actions).
  • Styles are organized in SCSS and bundled via Webpack into the final assets.

API usage with guardrails:

  • Requests are routed to the Unsplash API from the editor UI.
  • Debouncing and pagination keep usage efficient.
  • No user accounts or keys are required to start using the plugin, lowering onboarding friction.

Data & privacy:

  • The plugin does not collect personal data; it simply fetches images from Unsplash.
  • Downloaded images are stored like any other WordPress media item and remain even if the plugin is removed.

Results & Key Takeaways

Even without formal analytics, the impact is clear from the workflow design:

  • Fewer steps per image: The old flow (“search in browser → download → upload → insert”) collapses into a single editor panel with direct actions.
  • Faster content production: Editors can stay in the block editor, browse photos in context, and drop them directly into blocks or featured images.
  • Performance-aware by default: The recommended Regular size encourages reasonable file weights, and the plugin’s logic never touches the front end, avoiding hidden performance penalties.
  • Lower onboarding friction: “No API key required” means marketing and content teams can start using the tool immediately after activation.

Key Takeaways for Other Teams

  • Bring external resources into the editor, not the other way around. If your users regularly context-switch to third-party tools (images, icons, snippets), consider integrating those flows into WordPress itself.
  • Editor-only plugins are a safe performance bet. Keeping your logic inside the block editor environment lets you improve authoring UX without risking front-end bloat.
  • Small UX touches add real value. Download indicators, persistent status, and size recommendations are simple, but they reduce confusion and duplicate work.
  • “No configuration” is a feature. Requiring no account or API key dramatically lowers the barrier to adoption—especially for non-technical teams.

If you’re running a content-heavy WordPress site and your editors are still bouncing between tabs to find images, a focused plugin like Easy Attachments is an example of how a small, well-designed integration can cleanly solve that “Where do I get images?” problem without adding technical debt to your theme.