# An Automatically Updating Gallery

**Here’s the scenario:**
You need a gallery view for a WordPress website. However, the photographer whose images will be displayed should not have access to the backend. Nevertheless, the images they prepare should be automatically displayed as a gallery without any action on your part.

**Not possible? *Yes, it is!***

## It’s all about the combination

**We need:**

- [CatFolders – WP Media Folders](https://de.wordpress.org/plugins/catfolders/)
- [External Files in the Media Library](https://de.wordpress.org/plugins/external-files-in-media-library/)
- A directory where the photographer stores the images. This can be located on the website’s own hosting server or be accessible via FTP or Google Drive.

First, we’ll install the two WordPress plugins. This is quick—neither requires any further configuration.

## The Setup

**Now let’s go through the following steps (and yes, it looks like a lot, but once you’ve done it once, the process is clear):**

1. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Media > Media Library and create a folder using the options provided by CatFolder. It’s best to name it so that you know exactly what it’s for. I’ll call it "Photographer Images" here.
2. Now go to Media > "Directory Archives" in the WordPress dashboard. Click the "Add Directory Archive" button there.
3. Select the data source. In my example here, I’m simply using an FTP connection.
4. Log in to the interface via FTP. After a few moments, you should see a list of the photos already in the directory.
5. Click "Save as Directory Archive" above the list. In the confirmation window, you’ll receive a link to the list of directory archives—follow that link.
6. You’ll now see your entry for the external connection in the list of directory archives. Click the "Configure" button here.
7. In the new flyout, you’ll see an option where you can select the destination folder. Now select the folder you created in the first step. In this case, I’ll select "Photographer Images." Save the setting—and you’re done.

![](https://plugins.thomaszwirner.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/externe_dateien_in_mediathek_verzeichnisarchiv-1024x173.png)    ## Interim Summary

The basic setup is now complete. We’ve established the connection to the external source and created a folder where the images will be stored.

All that’s left is to test the synchronization, verify that the images appear in the frontend, and ensure the process runs automatically. So let’s get started.

## Testing the Connection

Under Media > Directory Archives, you’ll see your connection to the external source. Click "Now" in the "Synchronize" column. Confirm the prompt and wait for the next response. Ideally, the *External Files in the Media Library* plugin will immediately retrieve the images from the directory and add them to the media library as external files.

Next, check under Media > Media Library to see if the images have been added to the folder you created.

![](https://plugins.thomaszwirner.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/catfolder.png)    ## Create a Gallery

The Catfolders plugin provides a nice block that you simply need to select in the editor to display the images from a folder. But first things first:

1. Go to Pages and select the page where you want the gallery to appear. Create a new page for this purpose if necessary.
2. In the Block Editor, search for the "CatFolders" block and insert it where you want it.
3. In the sidebar on the right, select the folder you created for the images. In my case, that’s "Photographer Images."
4. You should immediately see the images that have already been synced.
5. Save the page—done.

## Test Synchronization

Now, of course, it’s worth testing what happens when a new image is added. To do this, I’d recommend the following steps:

1. Upload a new image to the external source folder.
2. Then, in the WordPress backend, go to Media > Directory Archives and click "Now" next to your connection.
3. Wait until the synchronization is complete.
4. Next, go to the page in the frontend where the gallery is displayed. You’ll see the newly added images there.

## Setting Up Automatic Synchronization

The very last step is to enable automatic synchronization so it happens on its own without any action on your part. To do this, you’ll need to configure a few more settings:

1. Go to Media > Directory Archives and click "Configure" next to your connection.
2. In the "Time Interval" field, select the desired time interval at which WordPress should start the synchronization.
3. Confirm the setting by clicking "Save."
4. Now, in the “Synchronize” column, simply click “On” to enable automatic synchronization.

![](https://plugins.thomaszwirner.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/externe_dateien_in_mediathek_konfiguration.png)    ## Conclusion

For some use cases, a plugin alone isn’t the solution. But when combined, plugins can certainly provide powerful solutions. My plugin *External Files in the Media Library*, with its synchronization feature available starting with version 4.0.0, offers a versatile tool that can be used in a wide variety of situations, even those completely different from the intended use.