Missing media on Simple Sites after the files.wordpress.com > wp-content/uploads path change

[pauljacobson]

UPDATE May 9, 2024: Read before Reporting

Please investigate the missing image issue you're dealing with before reporting on this thread.

Current escalation thread: p1715271974999929/1715265147.089629-slack-C02FMH4G8

(Possible) Current Symptoms

• Images can't be seen on Calypso, wp-admin and live site
• Primary domain is set to external name servers, or has only been recently pointed to WP.com (so still propagating)
• Sometimes we can repro, sometimes we can't
• Privacy settings on the site might be set to Coming Soon/Private

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Previous Symptoms:

This is exclusive to the issue triggered by the change of the file paths on Simple Sites from files.wordpress.com to /wp-content/uploads/.

• Images load for users on the media library and the editor, but not on the frontend
• Images load for HEs correctly while proxied
• User report discrepancies between the file paths they can see X what they can't see (files.wordpress.com X /wp-content/uploads/)

Updates

• Initial escalation thread: p1708425842573889-slack-C02FMH4G8
• An initial fix was issued around Feb 20
• A second fix for .blog subdomains was issued around March 20.
• New escalation thread: p1711639735891989-slack-C02FMH4G8

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Quick summary

I noticed that there are a number of reports of missing images or other media on a number of WordPress.com sites. The sites seem not to be plugin-enabled sites. Opening this issue to track reports.

My first encounter of this issue was in 7766785-zen where the user reported that all media save for the most recent two posts are no longer loading, and the relevant media is not displaying in the Media library.

Steps to reproduce

According to @vinnykaur , we haven't been able to reproduce this on our side. See p1708426096835589-slack-C02FMH4G8

What you expected to happen

Media should load consistently.

What actually happened

Media seems to be removed or is not loading for older content.

Impact

Some (< 50%)

Available workarounds?

No and the platform is unusable

Platform (Simple and/or Atomic)

Simple

Logs or notes

Other reports:

• 7766855-zen
• Photos disappearing – media library problems | WordPress.com Forums

[vinnykaur]

Just to add, users reported missing images from media or errors while uploading images or "this image has an empty alt attribute" message in their media.

[github-actions[bot]]

Support References

This comment is automatically generated. Please do not edit it.

• [ ] 7766785-zen
• [ ] 7766855-zen
• [ ] https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/photos-disappearing-media-library-problems
• [ ] 7766858-zen
• [ ] 7765648-zen
• [ ] 7767112-zen
• [ ] 7765578-zen
• [ ] 7764793-zen
• [ ] 7764843-zen
• [ ] 7766266-zen
• [ ] 7765226-zen
• [ ] -zen
• [ ] 7764756-zen
• [ ] 7764441-zen
• [ ] 7765382-zen
• [ ] 7764757-zen
• [ ] 7765525-zen
• [ ] 7765153-zen
• [ ] 7765260-zen
• [ ] 7765731-zen
• [ ] 7764334-zen
• [ ] 7765479-zen
• [ ] 7766596-zen
• [ ] 7765844-zen
• [ ] 7767212-zen
• [ ] 7766817-zen
• [ ] 7767210-zen
• [ ] 7767223-zen
• [ ] 7767297-zen
• [ ] 7766774-zen
• [ ] 7766141-zen
• [ ] 7764604-zen
• [ ] 7764527-zen
• [ ] 7764791-zen
• [ ] 7764487-zen
• [ ] 7767434-zen
• [ ] 7766540-zen
• [ ] 7765087-zen
• [ ] 7765037-zen
• [ ] 7766337-zen
• [ ] 7764838-zen
• [ ] 7764894-zen
• [ ] 7765045-zen
• [ ] 7765284-zen
• [ ] 7765646-zen
• [ ] 7765874-zen
• [ ] 7764421-zen
• [ ] 7767082-zen
• [ ] 7765837-zen
• [ ] 7767038-zen
• [ ] 7767291-zen
• [ ] 7765827-zen
• [ ] 7767450-zen
• [ ] 7767454-zen
• [ ] https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/images-broken-2
• [ ] https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/media-unable-to-upload-or-display
• [ ] 7766035-zen
• [ ] 7766036-zen
• [ ] 7693912-zen
• [ ] 7766000-zen
• [ ] 7591495-zen
• [ ] 7764943-zen
• [ ] 7767484-zen
• [ ] 7767473-zen
• [ ] 7765521-zen
• [ ] 7764491-zen
• [ ] 7769902-zen
• [ ] 7765663-zen
• [ ] 7766455-zen
• [ ] 7800303-zen
• [ ] 7895587-zen
• [ ] 7901134-zen
• [ ] https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/images-dont-appear-on-my-blog-3
• [ ] 7902800-zen
• [ ] 7904723-zen
• [ ] 7910806-zen
• [ ] 7915935-zen
• [ ] 7914547-zen
• [ ] 7915598-zen
• [ ] 7915423-zen
• [ ] 7915566-zen
• [ ] 7914681-zen
• [ ] 7916706-zen
• [ ] 7924076-zen
• [ ] 7926128-zen
• [ ] 7943067-zen
• [ ] 7949253-zen
• [ ] 7910783-zen
• [ ] 7995736-zen
• [ ] 8111345-zen
• [ ] 8158029-zen
• [ ] 8162907-zen
• [ ] 8167335-zen
• [ ] 8159106-zen
• [ ] 8168642-zen
• [ ] 8168990-zen
• [ ] 8169014-zen
• [ ] 8165818-zen
• [ ] 8166005-zen
• [ ] 8165701-zen
• [ ] 8169923-zen
• [ ] 8170337-zen
• [ ] 8171596-zen
• [ ] 8173044-zen
• [ ] 8173998-zen
• [ ] 8178596-zen
• [ ] 8181844-zen
• [ ] 8180282-zen
• [ ] 8188942-zen
• [ ] 8169273-zen
• [ ] 8218015-zen
• [ ] 8227732-zen
• [ ] 8228750-zen
• [ ] 8230161-zen
• [ ] 8233739-zen
• [ ] 8303289-zen
• [ ] 8308379-zen

[pauljacobson]

Here is another report: 7766858-zen

Hello, I have a problem since today, when I create a post and upload a picture for this post, I can't see any pictures? Even the images in the media are not displayed! Wordpress also does not show if an image has been uploaded or not when uploading, images are not displayed either.

[rinazrina]

I got a report that seems related: 7765648-zd-a8c

I'm unable to place images into the text. It says,"This image has an empty alt attribute;"and then gives the file name. This just began out of the blue

Simple site. Theme: Adventure Journal. The user tried using Firefox and Chrome. Same issue.

I can't reproduce the issue when SU.

[AminMehrani]

7767112-zen 7765578-zen 7764793-zen 7764843-zen 7766266-zen 7766855-zen

[kkalam7757]

7765226-zen 7783758 -Zen: The user experiences issues with the classic editor when using Chrome but not when using Firefox. 7958329 -zen 8180596 -zen

[Neha93517]

Image issues: 7764756-zen 7764441-zen

Video not loading issue: (could be related) 7765382-zen 7764757-zen: The user reported this to be resolved after troubleshooting. I have requested information on which step worked for the user.

[AnjanaV93]

7765525-zen 7765153-zen 7765260-zen 7765731-zen 7764334-zen

[cselamor]

7765479-zen

[dev-sabbir]

7766596-zd-a8c

[rw-ye]

Another report: 7765844-zd-a8c

At the time of the chat, I had the user try a different network connection and the media library started working again.

[liviopv]

7767212-zd-a8c

Couldn't reproduce while proxied and unproxied on Chrome. User's browser info https://www.whatsmybrowser.org/b/5F39M

User cannot reproduce it while using mobile data.

[pauljacobson]

7766817-zen seems similar to 7766785-zen where the user also mentioned empty alt attributes:

Yesterday and this morning, I was unable to post a picture on my wordpress blog. Instead of the picture, the message "this image has an empty alt attribute" appears. When I attempt to add images from my wordpress images folder, I have the same problem.

WordPress Starter plan and using the retired MistyLook theme.

[ariel-maidana]

7767210-zen Reported originally on Chrome. User replicated partially on Edge. I couldn't reproduce the issue while proxied on Chrome and while unproxied on Firefox.

[dev-sabbir]

7767223-zd-a8c 7767297-zd-a8c

[pauljacobson]

7766774-zen

I am trying to upload an image in a post, but the editor gives me the message "the image has an empty ALT attribute" and the image is not displayed.

Site is on a WordPress.com Explorer plan

[sajjadsaeed]

7766141-zen (Explorer plan) 7764604-zen (Stater plan)

[sajjadsaeed]

7764527-zen

[sajjadsaeed]

7766266-zen

[saginpj]

• [ ] 7764791-zen
• [ ] 7764487-zen

[dev-sabbir]

7767434-zd-a8c

[deityjoyaira]

7766540-zd-a8c

[rajwpdev117]

7765087-zen

The user responded that the issue is resolved.

[ricklabsdotn8]

7765037-zen

[patilashlesha]

Video not loading issue- 7766337-zen 7764838-zen

Image related issue 7764894-zen 7765045-zen 7765284-zen 7765646-zen 7765874-zen 7764421-zen

[cherwinjayo]

Media not loading here: 7767082-zen

[patilashlesha]

7765874-zen: The user reported this to be resolved (According to the user the issue is given its replication on different platforms, so it doesn't seem to be a separate browser or device issue.)

[trixxmanaty]

7765837-zen (Starter Plan) The user is reporting that images uploaded on older posts are not showing.

[CacheMeOwside]

7765382-zen (Explorer plan) User reported that the videos are working now. They mentioned that they had tried multiple devices and multiple browsers, when they reported the issue.

7767038-zen : User reports images not displaying despite filling in alt attributes. Asked for device and browser info

[adrianigarcia]

Image related

7767291-zen 7765827-zen 7767450-zen 7767454-zen