Wordpress plugin can't save media from external API

Question

I am making a plugin that gets data from an external API and store it in the database. The reason I am going for a custom plugin is that I couldn't find any existing plugin that did what I needed. I have a function that authenticates the requests and get the desired data from the API get_latest_data(), and it is storing the data inside the database. But the problem comes when I am trying to save images. Inside the database I can see a file being creates and inside the Media tab of WordPress Dashboard I can see a file but the images don't load or render. The following is my function that should store the image:

function save_media_as_attachment($media_url, $post_id) {
    require_once(ABSPATH . "wp-admin" . '/includes/image.php');
    require_once(ABSPATH . "wp-admin" . '/includes/file.php');
    require_once(ABSPATH . "wp-admin" . '/includes/media.php');

    if (empty($media_url)) {
        return false;
    }

    $temp_file = download_url($media_url);

    if (is_wp_error($temp_file)) {
        return false;
    }

    $file_name = basename($media_url);

    $file_extension = pathinfo($file_name, PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
    $post_mime_type = 'image/jpeg'; // Default to JPEG

    if (strtolower($file_extension) === 'jpg' || strtolower($file_extension) === 'jpeg') {
        $post_mime_type = 'image/jpeg';
    } elseif (strtolower($file_extension) === 'png') {
        $post_mime_type = 'image/png';
    } elseif (strtolower($file_extension) === 'mp4') {
        $post_mime_type = 'video/mp4';
    }

    $attachment = array(
        'post_title' => sanitize_file_name($file_name),
        'post_content' => '',
        'post_status' => 'inherit',
        'post_mime_type' => $post_mime_type,
    );

    $attachment_id = wp_insert_attachment($attachment, $temp_file, $post_id);

    if (!is_wp_error($attachment_id)) {
        $attachment_data = wp_generate_attachment_metadata($attachment_id, $temp_file);
        wp_update_attachment_metadata($attachment_id, $attachment_data);

        update_post_meta($attachment_id, '_wp_attached_file', $file_name);

        @unlink($temp_file);

        return $attachment_id;
    }
    @unlink($temp_file);

    return false;
}

I have double checked the media I am receiving from the API and the are fine. I have also checked MIME type and file permissions.

Answer 1

i have faced that issue on various projects. I am sharing the functions i usually use to handle this below.

<?php

function handle_attachment_from_url( $url, $attachment_title ) {
    $attachment = wp_remote_get( $url, array( 'timeout' => 300 ) );

    if ( is_wp_error( $attachment ) ) {
        return $attachment;
    }

    return upload_attachment( $attachment, $attachment_title );
}

function upload_attachment( array $data, string $filename ) {
    if ( empty( $data['body'] ) ) {
        return new WP_Error( 'empty-response', 'Empty response body!' );
    }

    $response_code = (int) $data['response']['code'] ?? 400;

    if ( $response_code > 299 ) {
        return new WP_Error( 'invalid-code', 'Response code was ' . $response_code . '!' );
    }

    $filename_parts = explode( '.', $filename );

    $filename_extension = count( $filename_parts ) > 1 ? end( $filename_parts ) : false;

    if ( $filename_extension && ! in_array( $filename_extension, array( 'pdf', 'zip', 'jpg', 'png', 'gif', 'mp4', 'wav', 'mpeg' ), true ) ) {
        $filename_extension = false;
    }

    if ( ! $filename_extension ) {
        switch ( $data['headers']['content-type'] ) {
            case 'application/pdf':
                $filename .= '.pdf';
                break;
            case 'application/zip':
                $filename .= '.zip';
                break;
            case 'image/jpeg':
                $filename .= '.jpg';
                break;
            case 'image/png':
                $filename .= '.png';
                break;
            case 'image/gif':
                $filename .= '.gif';
                break;
            case 'video/mp4':
            case 'audio/mp4':
                $filename .= '.mp4';
                break;
            case 'audio/vnd.wave':
                $filename .= '.wav';
                break;
            case 'audio/mpeg':
                $filename .= '.mpeg';
                break;
            default:
                return new WP_Error( 'invalid-file-type', 'Invalid file type!', $data['headers']['content-type'] );
        }
    }

    $upload = wp_upload_bits( $filename, null, $data['body'] );

    if ( ! empty( $upload['error'] ) ) {
        return new WP_Error( 'failed-upload', 'Attachment failed to be uploaded!', array( $filename, $upload ) );
    }

    $actual_file_path_parts = explode( '/', sanitize_file_name( $upload['file'] ) );
    $actual_file_name       = end( $actual_file_path_parts );

    $attachment = array(
        'post_mime_type' => $upload['type'],
        'post_title'     => $actual_file_name,
        'post_content'   => '',
        'post_status'    => 'inherit',
    );

    $attach_id = wp_insert_attachment( $attachment, $upload['file'], 0, true );

    if ( ! $attach_id || is_wp_error( $attach_id ) ) {
        return is_wp_error( $attach_id ) ? $attach_id : new WP_Error( 'failed-update', 'Attachment failed to be inserted!' );
    }

    require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/image.php';

    $attach_data = wp_generate_attachment_metadata( $attach_id, $upload['file'] );

    wp_update_attachment_metadata( $attach_id, $attach_data );

    return $attach_id;
}

$example_url_to_upload = 'https://www.example.com/example.pdf';

// You could also give a dynamic file title, like
// $dynamic_filename = explode( '/', $example_url_to_upload );
// handle_attachment_from_url( $example_url_to_upload, end( $dynamic_filename ) );
// that would be handle_attachment_from_url( 'https://www.example.com/example.pdf', 'example.pdf' );
$attachment_id = handle_attachment_from_url( $example_url_to_upload, 'Example PDF' );
if ( is_wp_error( $attachment_id ) ) {
    // Handle error
    return;
}

// If no error...
// You could set it as thumbnail in a post like this assuming $post_id is the ID of the post you want to set the thumbnail for.
update_post_meta( $post_id, '_thumbnail_id', $attach_id );