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PHP Download Image Or File From URL

I’ll show you 3 php functions that download a particular file (ex: image,video,zip,pdf,doc,xls,etc) from a remote resource (via a valid URL) then save to your server.

Depending on your current php.ini settings, some functions may not work; therefore, let try which function is best for you.

Note: please ensure the folder you want to store the downloaded file is existed and has write permission for everyone or the web process.

Download file from URL with PHP

For all examples below, I assume that we’re going to download a remote image from URL: http://4rapiddev.com/wp-includes/images/logo.jpg and save it to a download sub folder with name: file.jpg.

1. PHP Download Remote File From URL With file_get_contents and file_put_contents

<?php
	function download_remote_file($file_url, $save_to)
	{
		$content = file_get_contents($file_url);
		file_put_contents($save_to, $content);
	}
?>

Example:

<?php
	download_remote_file('http://4rapiddev.com/wp-includes/images/logo.jpg', realpath("./downloads") . '/file.jpg');
?>

2. PHP Download Remote File From URL With CURL

<?php
	function download_remote_file_with_curl($file_url, $save_to)
	{
		$ch = curl_init();
		curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 0); 
		curl_setopt($ch,CURLOPT_URL,$file_url); 
		curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1); 
		$file_content = curl_exec($ch);
		curl_close($ch);
 
		$downloaded_file = fopen($save_to, 'w');
		fwrite($downloaded_file, $file_content);
		fclose($downloaded_file);
 
	}
?>

Example:

<?php
	download_remote_file_with_curl('http://4rapiddev.com/wp-includes/images/logo.jpg', realpath("./downloads") . '/file.jpg');
?>

3. PHP Download Remote File From URL With fopen

<?php
	function download_remote_file_with_fopen($file_url, $save_to)
	{
		$in=    fopen($file_url, "rb");
		$out=   fopen($save_to, "wb");
 
		while ($chunk = fread($in,8192))
		{
			fwrite($out, $chunk, 8192);
		}
 
		fclose($in);
		fclose($out);
	}
?>

Example:

<?php
	download_remote_file_with_fopen('http://4rapiddev.com/wp-includes/images/logo.jpg', realpath("./downloads") . '/file.jpg');
?>

Again, “download” folder must be exists and writable.

Hoan Huynh
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  • http://www.herculessport.com India Sports

    This is very great information about this articles..this is very informative post..

  • Pingback: PHP Get Image Width And Height | 4 Rapid Development()

  • http://www.google.com/ Evaline

    Gee wliilkres, that’s such a great post!

    • mladen

      I dont understand what exactly input in “$save_to” Here I try this:
      where is error?

  • mladen

    I dont understand what exactly input in “$save_to” Here I try this:
    where is error?

    thanx

    • hoanhuynh

      Hi mladen, you need to pass a real location to save the image on your server/computer to $save_to parameter, ex: D:/htdocs/download/file.jpg

  • mladen

    Ill replace “$save_to” with my link to folder on my server betwen ‘ ‘
    ‘http://www.c-bit.hr/1/ASBIS/download/’
    and download folder have permision 777
    file url is replaced with ‘http://cdn2.4rapiddev.com/wp-includes/images/logo.jpg’
    no result

    • hoanhuynh

      Hi,it shoud be a phiscical path on your server,not url path. Hope it helps. H2

  • mladen

    Thanx for answer
    but I dont know this path,, My directory “sranje” is in public_html folder and “skidaj.php” is also in public_html what is phisical path in my case
    (‘http://cdn2.4rapiddev.com/wp-includes/images/logo.jpg’, ‘./home/cbithr/public_html/sranje’ )
    Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING, expecting ‘&’ or T_VARIABLE in /home/cbithr/public_html/skidaj.php on line 2

    should I replace $content with name of image or what ? Im talking about first example

    • hoanhuynh

      Dear mladen,

      Let’s try with this:

      download_remote_file(‘http://cdn2.4rapiddev.com/wp-includes/images/logo.jpg’, ‘/home/cbithr/public_html/sranje/download/file.jpg’);

      … and also make sure you already added the function definition.

      Good luck,
      H2.

      • mladen

        Thanx hoanhuynh now works.
        In case a got several link and want to download all links(pictures.jpg) in one folder with existing names
        how to define $save_to link in this case ?
        Ill try replace $save_to with folder path but without result
        /home/cbithr/public_html/sranje/download/

  • mladen

    works with PHP Download Remote File With fopen
    /home/cbithr/public_html/sranje/download/.$name_of_string
    Thanx

  • Greg Newman

    Nice post – a quick additional related question: What can one do when the $file_url is not fully qualified and does not directly point to a file.zip but rather points to a page that itself forces download of a file.zip. My example URL is:

    http://ge.ssec.wisc.edu/modis-today/index.php?gis=true&filename=t1_12019_USA2_143_250m&date=2012_01_19_019&product=true_color&resolution=250m&overlay_sector=false&overlay_state=true&overlay_coastline=true

    Any help greatly approeciated!

    • hoanhuynh

      Hi Greg Newman,

      Thanks for your good question, below is a answer for your question:

      1. Download that file and name it whatever you want, for example: file.jpg. I tried with PHP CURL, option 2.

      2. Use PHP function: mime_content_type to determine its mine type.

      ———————
      echo mime_content_type(realpath(“./downloads”) . ‘/file.jpg’); //return: application/zip in this case
      ———————

      3. Base on its mine type, use another PHP function to rename it to a corresponding extension (zip).

      Hope it’s clear.

      H2.

  • Greg Newman

    Forgot to check Notify Me.

    • hoanhuynh

      Me again 😉

      Don’t understand your comment.

      H2.

      • Greg Newman

        Hi H2,

        Thanks for your insight (a[pologies for my cryptic second post). I’ll try as you suggest, using PHP CURL Option 2 to download the file. It is at this step that I think I am having trouble… is there specific header declarations that will be important for option 2 to force a download of the file from the webiste I listed?

        Again – thank you! More soon, Greg

  • Noemail

    Great! Thanks! 

  • Emraan Rehman

    Itz very Helpfull, Thank guys. Allah Bless u.

    • Amit Gupta

      ;okpl;lio

  • jiiva

    i cant understood this function , plz help me to send full coding with procedure

  • http://gencprogramci.net Windofelm

    Thanks a lot ..

  • Paras

    it’s store file with 0 bytes not download image please give me solution.

  • Sujal Jha

    I have simple way to download file & save it in folder:-

    “URL from which you want to download somethings”,
    “dir” => “Folder name where you want to save your downloaded file”,
    “filename” => “You Will rename your downloaded file”
    ),
    array(
    “url” => “URL from which you want to download somethings”,
    “dir” => “Folder name where you want to save downloaded file”,
    “filename” => “You Will rename your downloaded file”
    )
    );
    foreach ($products as $product) {

    $URL = str_replace(” “, “%20”, $product[‘url’]);
    $FileToSave = $product[‘dir’] . “/” . $product[‘filename’];
    $Content = file_get_contents($URL);

    if (file_put_contents($FileToSave, $Content)) {
    echo “Download Success = ” . $url = $product[‘url’] . “”;
    } else {
    echo “Download Failed = ” . $url = $product[‘url’] . “”;
    }
    }
    // Enjoy Coding
    ?>

Hoan Huynh

Hoan Huynh is the founder and head of 4rapiddev.com. Reach him at hoan@4rapiddev.com

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