Luxa File Manager — Frequently Asked Questions

Is Luxa File Manager really free, or is it a limited trial?

It’s genuinely free, with no trial period and no feature countdown. Browsing, creating, renaming, deleting, uploading, downloading, and editing files all work fully in the free plugin, for as long as you use it. Luxa File Manager Pro is a separate, optional add-on for teams that need bulk actions, search, Trash, and access control — you’re never required to buy it.

Who can access File Manager?

By default, only users with the upload_files capability can open it — Administrators and Editors on a standard WordPress install. With Pro, you can further restrict access to specific roles, and even to specific folders.

Is it safe to use on a production site?

Yes, with the same care you’d give any tool that can edit server files. Access is restricted by capability, every request is verified with a WordPress nonce, and every file path is resolved and checked against the WordPress root before any operation runs, to block directory traversal. As always, only grant File Manager access to people you trust.

Does it work with WordPress Multisite?

Yes, on both the network level and individual sites.

Can I use it on shared hosting?

Yes. It works on shared, VPS, and managed hosting. Some actions — like Zip/Unzip — require the PHP ZipArchive extension, which is enabled on the large majority of hosts by default.

Can I translate the plugin?

Yes. Every user-facing string is translation-ready, with full .pot/.po/.mo support. Add your language with a tool like Poedit or Loco Translate.

Is there a file size limit for the code editor?

Yes — files larger than 2 MB can’t be opened in the editor, to avoid the browser struggling with very large text blobs. Download the file instead if you need to inspect something larger.

Does Find in file support regular expressions?

No — it’s a plain, case-insensitive text search, in both the free plain-text editor and Pro’s syntax-highlighted editor.

What file types get syntax highlighting?

With Pro active, PHP, HTML, CSS/SCSS/LESS, JavaScript/JSX, JSON, XML/SVG, SQL, and YAML are highlighted. Other text file types still open and edit fine — just without color highlighting.

Can I upload multiple files at once?

Yes, select or drag multiple files into the Upload control. If any of them already exist in the destination folder, you’ll be asked whether to replace them or skip just those.

Does deleting a file always go to Trash?

Only when Luxa File Manager Pro is active and licensed. Without Pro, every delete is immediate and permanent, since there’s no Trash to hold items in.

Can I skip Trash and delete something permanently right away?

Yes — the delete confirmation dialog includes a “Skip Trash and delete immediately” checkbox when Trash is available. Leave it unchecked to use Trash (the safer default), or check it for an immediate, permanent delete.

How long do items stay in Trash before being permanently removed?

30 days by default. This is adjustable by a developer via the lxfmp_trash_retention_days filter, or disabled entirely by setting it to 0.

Can I recover something after I’ve emptied Trash or manually deleted it from Trash?

No — permanently deleting an item, whether individually or via “Empty Trash,” removes it from the server for good. This is separate from your regular WordPress and hosting backups, which are unaffected either way.

Where are trashed files actually stored?

Inside wp-content/uploads/lxfm-trash/, protected from direct web access. It’s hidden from the normal file browser to prevent it from being modified outside of the Trash screen’s Restore/Delete flow.

What exactly does Pro add?

Bulk copy/move, Zip/Unzip, Trash/Recycle Bin, global search across the entire server, bookmarks, image previews, syntax highlighting in the code editor, and role/folder access restrictions. See the User Guide for details on each.

Do I need Pro to use List/Grid layout or the Light/Dark theme?

No — both are part of the free plugin.

If I stop renewing Support & Updates, does Pro stop working?

No. An expired Support & Updates period only means you stop receiving new updates and support responses — every feature you already have keeps working. See the Installation & License Setup Guide for the difference between license expiry and Support & Updates.

How many sites can I use one license on?

Each license has an activation limit shown on the product page and again on your Pro Settings screen once activated. You can move a license between sites at any time by deactivating it on one and activating it on another — see Moving a license to a different site.

What happens to my Pro features if the license server is temporarily unreachable?

Nothing — they stay active. Luxa File Manager Pro only disables features on a definitive rejection from the license server (an invalid, suspended, or expired key), never because of a network hiccup on either end.

I don’t see the File Manager menu at all.

Your account doesn’t currently have the required capability (or role, if Pro’s access restrictions are configured). Ask your site administrator.

The menu is visible, but I get “Access denied” when I click it.

Make sure you’re on the latest version — this was a bug in versions before 2.1.1. If it persists on a current version with a custom role, check that role’s upload_files capability.

Uploading a very large file times out.

This is usually a server-level PHP limit (upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, or max_execution_time), not a plugin limit. Check with your host or adjust these in your server’s PHP configuration.

I get a “ZipArchive is not available” error.

Your server’s PHP build doesn’t have the ZipArchive extension enabled. Ask your host to enable it, or use FTP/your hosting file manager for zip operations in the meantime.