# Does external URL images in post get saved a copy on my server?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/does-external-url-images-in-post-get-saved-a-copy-on-my-server/158301
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [20 juli 2020 om 18:28 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/does-external-url-images-in-post-get-saved-a-copy-on-my-server/158301 "2020-07-20T18:28:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![needhelp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/fbc32d/32.png) [@needhelp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/needhelp)
#### Post date: [20 juli 2020 om 18:28 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/does-external-url-images-in-post-get-saved-a-copy-on-my-server/158301/1 "2020-07-20T18:28:32Z")

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Hi All,

Correct me if I am wrong, I vaguely remember that one of the wonderful features of Discourse is that if someone posts an external URL image link in his post, the image will not only appear in the post, but a copy of the image will also get saved on my server.

Is this true? And how do I verify that copies of these external url images are being saved on my server? Where do I go on my server to locate these images?

Thanks in advance.

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### Author: ![maiki](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/maiki/32/233950_2.png) [@maiki](https://meta.discourse.org/u/maiki)
#### Post date: [20 juli 2020 om 20:16 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/does-external-url-images-in-post-get-saved-a-copy-on-my-server/158301/2 "2020-07-20T20:16:16Z")

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Search for “images” in your settings (`/admin/site_settings/category/all_results?filter=images`), there are any image-related settings, including the one that downloads copies. It saves them where you normally store files when a user would upload them.

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### Author: ![Falco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/falco/32/179432_2.png) [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [20 juli 2020 om 20:53 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/does-external-url-images-in-post-get-saved-a-copy-on-my-server/158301/3 "2020-07-20T20:53:56Z")

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> [@needhelp](#):
>
> Is this true?

Yes.

You can disable it using the setting `download remote images to local` if necessary.

> [@needhelp](#):
>
> Where do I go on my server to locate these images?

They go under `/var/discourse/shared/standalone/uploads/default/`

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### Author: ![Edgar\_Schwarz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/edgar_schwarz/32/482588_2.png) [@Edgar\_Schwarz](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Edgar_Schwarz)
#### Post date: [27 februari 2025 om 09:25 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/does-external-url-images-in-post-get-saved-a-copy-on-my-server/158301/4 "2025-02-27T09:25:58Z")

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> [@maiki](#):
>
> /admin/site\_settings/category/all\_results?filter=images

I agree that that’s a wonderful feature. Because as we all know. The Internet can “forget”.