Title: Shared media files
Author: WordPress VIP Documentation
Published: September 21, 2020
Last modified: January 1, 2026

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 1. [VIP File System](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-file-system/)
 2. Shared media files

#  Shared media files

Media files that are uploaded or imported to a WordPress production environment 
are automatically shared with and available to that application’s associated non-
production environments. This behavior eliminates the need to copy media between
environments as long as the development workflow follows [code moving up, and content moving down](https://docs.wpvip.com/development-workflow/code-moves-up-content-moves-down/).

Once uploaded to a production environment, a media file can load at a URL with the
domain of any of an application’s environments, as long as it has the same file 
path beginning with `/wp-content/uploads/`.

As an example, if a file is uploaded to an application’s production environment 
and available at this URL:
`https://example.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/
image.jpg`

The application’s non-production environment will also have access to that image
at this URL: 
`https://example-preprod.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/image.
jpg`

Additional default behavior:

 * After [a data sync from a production environment to a non-production environment](https://docs.wpvip.com/databases/data-sync/)
   has completed, shared media files enable the contents of the Media Library of
   the target environment to be identical to the production environment.
 * Shared media files are read-only when accessed from non-production environments,
   protecting them from being altered unintentionally.
 * On a non-production environment it is possible to upload or import a file that
   has the same name and path as a file shared by production. In that case, the 
   site will only override the file on the non-production environment, and the original
   file uploaded to production remains intact. If the file on the non-production
   environment is deleted (and [the page cache for that file URL is cleared](https://docs.wpvip.com/caching/page-cache/purge-urls/)),
   the URL for the file will fall back to the file with the same name on production.
 * Shared media files follow the same [caching rules](https://docs.wpvip.com/caching/page-cache/)
   on all application environments.

## Limitations

 * Files can only be shared from a production environment to its associated non-
   production environments. Files uploaded to a non-production environment cannot
   be shared with the production environment.
 * The non-production environment cannot delete a file originally uploaded to the
   production site. The operation will not error, but the production file will not
   be affected and will remain available.
 * If a file uploaded to production is _deleted_, it will no longer be available
   to non-production environments.

## Shared media files and the WordPress Media Library

Media files that are uploaded to a site’s [WordPress Media Library](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/media-library-screen/)
have attachment data that is stored in the site’s database. Media files will not
appear in a site’s WordPress media library unless that attachment data exists in
the database.

Though media files are automatically shared from a production environment to a non-
production environment, a [data sync from a production environment to a non-production environment](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-dashboard/data-sync/)
must occur in order for the WordPress Media Library of the non-production environment
to load the media files as expected.

Last updated: January 01, 2026