Using a custom directory structure

By default, files will be stored inside a directory that uses the id of its Media-object as a name. Converted images will be stored inside a directory named conversions.

media
---- 1
------ file.jpg
------ conversions
--------- small.jpg
--------- medium.jpg
--------- big.jpg
---- 2
------ file.jpg
------ conversions
--------- small.jpg
--------- medium.jpg
--------- big.jpg
...

Putting files inside their own folders guarantees that files with the same name can be added without any problems.

To override this default folder structure, a class that conforms to the PathGenerator-interface can be specified as the path_generator in the config file. The given class will be loaded through the Laravel Service Container, so feel free to type-hint any dependencies in the constructor.

Let's take a look at the interface:

namespace Spatie\MediaLibrary\Support\PathGenerator;

use Spatie\MediaLibrary\MediaCollections\Models\Media;

interface PathGenerator
{
    /*
     * Get the path for the given media, relative to the root storage path.
     */
    public function getPath(Media $media): string;

    /*
     * Get the path for conversions of the given media, relative to the root storage path.
     */
    public function getPathForConversions(Media $media): string;

    /*
     * Get the path for responsive images of the given media, relative to the root storage path.
     */
    public function getPathForResponsiveImages(Media $media): string;
}

There aren't any restrictions on how the directories can be named. When a Media-object gets deleted the package will delete its entire associated directory. To avoid tears or worse, make sure that every media gets stored its own unique directory.

The media-library:clean command treats every top-level directory below the configured media prefix that is not used by a current media path as orphaned. Use a dedicated disk or prefix for media, and run the command with --dry-run before deleting files when introducing a custom path generator.

Model-specific Custom Path Generators

In addition to setting a global path generator in the config file, You can also define a CustomPathGenerator class for specific models directly inside the model's booting() method or within a service provider:

use Spatie\MediaLibrary\Support\PathGenerator\PathGeneratorFactory;
use Spatie\MediaLibrary\Tests\Support\PathGenerator\CustomPathGenerator;

class YourModel extends Model
{
    protected static function booting(): void
    {
        PathGeneratorFactory::setCustomPathGenerators(static::class, CustomPathGenerator::class);
    }
}

This allows you to customize the directory structure on a per-model basis.

Keep in mind that path generators set in the model override those defined in the config file.

Defining a Custom Path Generator Inside a Model or Service Provider

This approach allows for fine-grained control over the media directory structure on a per-model basis, without affecting global configuration.

Are you a visual learner?

Here's a video that shows custom paths:

Want to see more videos like this? Check out our free video course on how to use Laravel Media Library.