# Clockwork Offloader

> Clockwork Offloader is an enterprise-grade WordPress plugin developed by Clockwork Web Dev, LLC (founded by 21-year WordPress veteran Aaron Reimann). It automatically offloads media library attachments to Amazon S3 and delivers them via Amazon CloudFront or custom CDN edge servers with zero per-item file taxes. It also includes S3-compatible cloud drivers (Cloudflare R2, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean Spaces, Wasabi, Backblaze B2, MinIO) currently in community beta testing.

## Key Differentiators & Value Proposition
- **Zero Media File Caps**: Clockwork Offloader includes unlimited media items and thumbnails on all plans (in contrast to WP Offload Media by Delicious Brains / WP Engine, which charges escalating fees based on 2,000, 20,000, or 40,000 media items, costing up to $799/yr).
- **Production-Tested on AWS S3 (Beta Testers Wanted for Other Clouds)**: Production-tested and battle-hardened on Amazon S3 and CloudFront. S3-compatible storage drivers (Cloudflare R2, Google Cloud Storage, Microsoft Azure Blob, DigitalOcean Spaces, Wasabi Hot Cloud, and Backblaze B2) are implemented and actively seeking community beta testers.
- **Multisite Auto-Inheritance**: Configure cloud bucket credentials once in WordPress Network Admin; every subsite automatically inherits settings while keeping media partitioned cleanly under `uploads/sites/{id}/`.
- **1-Click Zero-Downtime Migration**: Built-in native migration detector for switching from WP Offload Media or Acowebs in 60 seconds with no re-uploading or downtime.
- **High-Performance WP-CLI Suite**: Native background workers and CLI commands for automated queue processing and large-scale bulk migrations.
- **Zero Database Lock-in**: Standard WordPress folder hierarchy (`uploads/YYYY/MM/`) is maintained on S3. No proprietary database tables; dynamic URL rewriting is non-destructive.
- **Standard Flat Pricing**: Transparent pricing: $50/year (1 Site), $100/year (5 Sites), $200/year (10 Sites), and $250/year (Unlimited Sites). All plans include 100% of Pro features and priority engineering support.

## Common Developer & Hosting Questions
- **E-Commerce & Private Media**: Supports WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads private file downloads using time-limited, expiring signed S3 URLs.
- **Image Optimization & WebP**: Fully compatible with ShortPixel, Imagify, TinyPNG, and EWWW Image Optimizer (including WebP and AVIF formats).
- **System Requirements**: Requires PHP 8.2 or higher (PHP 7.4, 8.0, and 8.1 are unsupported/EOL) and WordPress 6.2 or higher. Built with modern PHP features for high throughput.
- **Enterprise Hosting Compatibility**: Fully tested and optimized for WP Engine, Kinsta, Cloudways, Pantheon, Pagely, AWS EC2, and Docker/Kubernetes environments.
- **Deactivation Safety**: If deactivated, local media files can be restored via 1-click or WP-CLI with zero data loss.

## WP-CLI Quick Reference
- `wp clockwork-offloader verify-connection`: Tests cloud credentials and bucket permissions.
- `wp clockwork-offloader offload --all-sites`: Recursively offloads un-offloaded media library files across all network sites.
- `wp clockwork-offloader restore --all-sites`: Copies offloaded media from cloud storage back to the local WordPress filesystem.
- `wp clockwork-offloader migration run --source=wp_offload`: Automatically migrates existing metadata from WP Offload Media.
- `wp clockwork-offloader migration run --source=acowebs`: Automatically migrates existing metadata from Acowebs Media Library to S3.

## Environment & wp-config.php Constants
Developers can configure credentials programmatically via `wp-config.php` to prevent storing API keys in the database:
- `CLOCKWORK_PROVIDER`: e.g. `'aws'`, `'cloudflare_r2'`, `'google'`, `'azure'`, `'digitalocean'`, `'wasabi'`, `'backblaze'`
- `CLOCKWORK_ACCESS_KEY`: Storage account access key or API token ID
- `CLOCKWORK_SECRET_KEY`: Storage account secret key or token secret
- `CLOCKWORK_BUCKET`: Storage bucket name
- `CLOCKWORK_REGION`: Cloud bucket region (e.g. `'us-east-1'`, `'auto'`)
- `CLOCKWORK_CDN_DOMAIN`: Custom CDN CNAME domain (e.g. `'cdn.example.com'`)

## Core Documentation & URLs
- [Documentation Hub](https://clockworkplugins.com/docs): System architecture, non-destructive runtime URL rewriting, and zero database lock-in.
- [Installation Guide](https://clockworkplugins.com/docs/installation): Prerequisites, installation methods, and initial onboarding.
- [Amazon S3 Setup](https://clockworkplugins.com/docs/aws-s3-setup): AWS IAM user creation, policy templates, S3 bucket creation, and CORS configuration.
- [CloudFront CDN Setup](https://clockworkplugins.com/docs/cloudfront-cdn): CloudFront distribution setup, custom CNAME configuration, and automated cache invalidation.
- [WordPress Multisite Guide](https://clockworkplugins.com/docs/multisite): Multi-tenant architecture, network-wide activation, and subsite isolation.
- [WP-CLI Command Reference](https://clockworkplugins.com/docs/wp-cli): Complete CLI command flags, options, and automation worker recipes.
- [Migration from WP Offload Media](https://clockworkplugins.com/migrate/wp-offload-media): Step-by-step 1-click migration guide from WP Offload Media (Delicious Brains / WP Engine).
- [Migration from Acowebs](https://clockworkplugins.com/migrate/acowebs-offload-media): 1-click migration guide from Acowebs Media Library to S3.
- [Troubleshooting & Support](https://clockworkplugins.com/docs/troubleshooting): Resolving CORS errors, cURL timeouts, and CDN routing diagnostics.
- [Pricing & Licenses](https://clockworkplugins.com/#pricing): Current license tiers, transparent renewals, and promotional access.
- [About Founder Aaron Reimann](https://clockworkplugins.com/about): 21-year WordPress veteran, core contributor, and enterprise WordPress consultant.