# Why does the system download local copies of images?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-does-the-system-download-local-copies-of-images/260204
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [April 1, 2023, 10:31am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-does-the-system-download-local-copies-of-images/260204 "2023-04-01T10:31:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![VSCPlays](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/vscplays/32/351146_2.png) [@VSCPlays](https://meta.discourse.org/u/VSCPlays)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2023, 10:31am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-does-the-system-download-local-copies-of-images/260204/1 "2023-04-01T10:31:03Z")

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I made a [topic](https://devforum.roblox.com/t/2269718) in the [DevForums](https://devforum.roblox.com), but I’ve encountered this:

![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/6/a/9/6a9ac450a444ed12fa148e0257a71b9cad77696d.png)

and I have questions:

1. Why they automatically download local copies of images?
2. Why it always start with `upload://` and ends with `.png`?
3. What is it meant to be used in Discourse?

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### Author: ![EricGT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f1d935/32.png) [@EricGT](https://meta.discourse.org/u/EricGT)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2023, 11:45am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-does-the-system-download-local-copies-of-images/260204/2 "2023-04-01T11:45:23Z")

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> [@VSCPlays](#):
>
> Why they automatically download local copies of images?

I am sure there are many but in checking the Discourse settings for a site found

#### download remote images to local

Convert remote (hotlinked) images to local images by downloading them; This preserves content even if the images are removed from the remote site in future.

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### Author: ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2023, 2:35pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-does-the-system-download-local-copies-of-images/260204/3 "2023-04-01T14:35:27Z")

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> [@VSCPlays](#):
>
> - Why they automatically download local copies of images?

Because downloading images from other web sites is unreliable (they might get deleted) and rude (you’re using their bandwidth).

> [@VSCPlays](#):
>
> - Why it always start with `upload://` and ends with `.png`?

Unless images are really small (there is a site setting defining small) they get processed into a `.png` to save space. They start with `upload://` because that’s the way to refer to those uploads in markdown.

> [@VSCPlays](#):
>
> 1. What is it meant to be used in Discourse?

I don’t understand this question.

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### Author: ![VSCPlays](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/vscplays/32/351146_2.png) [@VSCPlays](https://meta.discourse.org/u/VSCPlays)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-does-the-system-download-local-copies-of-images/260204/4 "2023-04-01T15:18:07Z")

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> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> I don’t understand this question.

I mean “why is it meant to be used in discourse”

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### Author: ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/system/32/443519_2.png) [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-does-the-system-download-local-copies-of-images/260204/5 "2023-05-01T15:19:04Z")

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