A plugin and article by ChatGPT.

Managing a growing WordPress media library shouldn’t mean scrolling through an endless wall of files.

Media Bridge for Etch brings Etch Collections directly into WordPress, giving content teams a faster and more organized way to manage images, build collection-powered galleries, and keep media synchronized with popular folder plugins.

Manage Etch Collections inside WordPress

Media Bridge adds a dedicated media workspace to the WordPress dashboard. From one streamlined interface, you can:

  • Create, rename, move, and delete collections
  • Organize collections into a two-level hierarchy
  • Upload new media directly into a collection
  • Assign images to multiple collections
  • Move several files at once using bulk actions
  • Search and filter by media type, file extension, and upload date
  • Choose between automatic loading and numbered pagination
  • Adjust thumbnail sizing for a compact or highly visual workspace

The interface supports light and dark appearances and can be renamed to match the terminology used by your organization or clients.

Use Etch Collections without another folder plugin

Media Bridge can use Etch Collections as the primary organization system for the WordPress media library.

This means you don’t need a separate media-folder plugin simply to organize files. Your collections remain native to Etch while being fully manageable from WordPress.

For existing sites, Media Bridge also supports Wicked Folders and HappyFiles. Its synchronization engine keeps folder structures and media assignments aligned as you transition to Etch Collections or continue using your preferred provider.

Build galleries that update themselves

The Collection Gallery block turns an Etch Collection into a dynamic WordPress gallery.

Choose a collection once, and the gallery automatically reflects changes made to that collection. Add or remove an image from the collection, and the published gallery updates without requiring you to edit every page where it appears.

Available layouts include:

  • Standard grids
  • Tiled mosaics
  • Circular images
  • Square tiles
  • Tiled columns

You can also control columns, spacing, image resolution, cropping, aspect ratio, image limits, random ordering, titles, captions, and child collections.

The gallery and its shortcode are enabled by default but can be switched off when a site does not need them.

Preview and edit galleries directly in Etch

Media Bridge 1.5 introduces an Etch passthrough experience for the Collection Gallery block.

Instead of seeing an empty or generic placeholder, you can view the real server-rendered gallery inside the Etch builder. A focused settings panel lets you change the collection, layout, image behavior, captions, lightbox options, spacing, and other important settings without leaving Etch.

Changes are saved back to the original Gutenberg block, preserving compatibility with the WordPress editor while providing a much more natural Etch workflow.

Give images a polished viewing experience

Collection Gallery includes a purpose-built lightbox with support for:

  • Image titles and captions
  • Horizontal or vertical thumbnail navigation
  • Fullscreen viewing
  • Image zoom
  • Configurable image resolution
  • Custom colors and typography
  • Information above or below the image
  • Keyboard navigation
  • Accessible focus management and status announcements

You can also use the native WordPress lightbox or disable image interaction entirely.

Designed with accessibility in mind

Accessibility is treated as part of the interface—not an optional finishing step.

The Etch gallery settings provide high-contrast controls, visible focus indicators, properly associated labels, keyboard focus containment, accessible saving announcements, and reliable focus restoration.

The custom gallery lightbox also supports keyboard navigation, focus trapping, slide announcements, and returning visitors to the thumbnail that opened it.

Built for real editorial workflows

Media Bridge is useful anywhere images need to be organized once and reused consistently:

  • Agency and client websites
  • Photography portfolios
  • Property and vehicle galleries
  • Product collections
  • Event archives
  • Editorial image libraries
  • Documentation and knowledge bases
  • Membership and educational websites

Because galleries are connected to collections instead of manually assembled image lists, content teams can maintain visual content without repeatedly rebuilding pages.

Start organizing your Etch media library

Media Bridge for Etch is available from the WordPress Plugin Directory.

Install the plugin, activate Etch, and open Media → Etch Collections to begin organizing your library. The Collection Gallery is available immediately and can be used in WordPress or edited visually inside Etch.

Download Media Bridge for Etch from WordPress.org