# Clarification on \`create thumbnails\` setting
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/clarification-on-create-thumbnails-setting/254686
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 9, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clarification-on-create-thumbnails-setting/254686 "2023-02-09T21:05:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@rahim123](https://meta.discourse.org/u/rahim123)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clarification-on-create-thumbnails-setting/254686/1 "2023-02-09T21:05:26Z")
Hi there, I just wanted to confirm that the `create thumbnails` setting for lightboxes and thumbnails only applies to uploaded images, not hotlinked images? Basically, my forum has a lot of hotlinked images, and I don’t want Discourse them to download them locally. (I also disabled the specific option for that feature.) Thanks!
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### Author:  [@Canapin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Canapin)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clarification-on-create-thumbnails-setting/254686/2 "2023-02-10T21:02:15Z")
Yes, it only applies to local images. 🙂
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### Author:  [@rahim123](https://meta.discourse.org/u/rahim123)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clarification-on-create-thumbnails-setting/254686/3 "2023-02-10T21:02:56Z")
Many thanks for confirming!