Sometime back we have discussed about bringing featured images via URL and then automatically saving them to your WordPress media library. Today in this tutorial we are discussing about a new plugin that shows featured images from external URL without saving them in your server.
As you know, WordPress already provided you feature to display external images inside your posts, pages and custom post types etc. That is a simple HTML code used for embedding external images but there is no such option for featured images in WordPress.
Hence, by default WordPress only allows you to first upload and then set the image as your featured post thumbnail. Here comes the use of a plugin. Featured Images via URL plugin lets you simply paste image URL and then it automatically saves it to your media libray and makes it your post’s featured thumbnail.
Now there one more plugin called Nelio External Featured Image that works the same way but it never saves the image locally on your website.
Nelio External Featured Image Plugin For WordPress
Simply install and activate Nelio External Featured Image plugin. Upon activation the plugin adds ‘External Featured Image’ metabox in your post edit screen. To use the plugin, visit your admin area dashboard Posts -> Add New screen or open any post for editing.
Scroll a little bit down and you will be noticing external featured image metabox on the right. Now what all you have to do is paste the image URL and UPDATE/PUBLISH the post. That’s it.