Table of Contents
Problem Description #
When the plugin is active, the WordPress admin (especially media modal or library) may become slow or hang, due to a heavy database query executed on each page load.
Common symptoms #
- Admin media library loads slowly, or “Add Media” modal is delayed.
- Query monitor (or similar debugging plugin) lists a slow query related to the plugin. WordPress.org
Cause #
The plugin runs a database query to collect all attachment dates (grouping by year/month) to populate media library filters , this can be heavy on large sites with many media items. The plugin developers acknowledged this issue and fixed it in a recent update.WordPress.org+1
Solution (step‑by‑step) #
- Update Rename Media Files to the latest version, updates since ~11 months ago include fixes for slow query. WordPress.org+1
- Clear any caches (object cache, op‑cache) and re-test admin performance.
- If slowness persists and you manage a large media library, consider disabling background media‑renaming features or limit rename actions to manual/bulk only.
- Alternatively, use a different plugin optimized for large media libraries if rename-on-upload for many items is critical.
Prerequisites #
- Latest plugin version installed.
- WordPress + server environment supported.
Additional Notes #
- For very large sites (thousands of media items), avoid bulk rename all at once; break into small batches.
- Always backup before large-scale operations.
