Do I have to leave the post editor to use it?

No. In the block editor, use the GuardaFoto panel in the sidebar; in the classic editor, use the GuardaFoto meta box beside the content. The GuardaFoto page in wp-admin covers importing when you are not writing a post.

Where does the photo go when I import it?

Into your own site's Media Library, like a normal upload. Nothing is imported until you click one of the import actions.

Can I publish any photo it finds?

The photo still belongs to its owner. Importing a file does not transfer any rights — get permission before using somebody else's photo publicly or commercially.

Add a Spotify, YouTube or TikTok photo to a WordPress post — without leaving the editor

You are writing a post and need the artist photo from Spotify, the thumbnail or channel picture from YouTube, or the profile photo or cover from TikTok. Instead of five tabs and a downloads folder: paste the public link inside WordPress with the GuardaFoto plugin, and put the photo where it belongs.

Install GuardaFoto from WordPress.org

Or install it by hand with the same package: download the GuardaFoto .zip (v1.1.2).

What you need: a WordPress site, the public link — and permission to use the photo. The plugin can import the file; it cannot give you the rights to it.

Step 1 — Install the plugin

In wp-admin, go to Plugins → Add New and search for GuardaFoto.
Install and activate it. There is no settings page and nothing to configure.
Installed the .zip instead? Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose the file, then activate.

Step 2 — Open the post and paste the link

Open the post you are writing.
In the block editor, open the GuardaFoto panel in the sidebar. In the classic editor, find the GuardaFoto meta box.
Paste the Spotify, YouTube or TikTok link, run the lookup, and check the photo that comes back is the one that belongs to that link.

Not writing a post yet? The GuardaFoto page in wp-admin does the same lookup on its own, so you can stock the Media Library first.

Step 3 — Pick the action that matches the job

Action	Use it when
Import to Media Library	You want the file saved on your site, for this post or a later one.
Import and set featured image	The photo is the post's main image — an artist portrait for a review, a cover for a release post.
Import and insert into content	The photo belongs in the body of the text, next to the paragraph that talks about it.

Step 4 — Finish the image properly

Write a useful alt text: name the person, release or video, not “image1”.
Add a caption or credit when the source asks for one.
Preview on mobile: if the photo is portrait-shaped and your theme crops featured images hard, check the face is not cut off.

If the lookup finds nothing

Make sure the link is public and complete. Private posts and private accounts cannot be imported.
YouTube: a video link gives the thumbnail; a channel link gives the channel picture and banner. Spotify: an artist link gives the photo; album, track and playlist links give the cover.
TikTok: try the video link itself for its cover, or the profile link for the author's photo.

The same plugin also puts the visitor tool on your public site with a block or the [guardafoto] shortcode — details on the WordPress plugin page.

Questions

Do I have to leave the post editor to use it?: No. In the block editor, use the GuardaFoto panel in the sidebar; in the classic editor, use the GuardaFoto meta box beside the content. The GuardaFoto page in wp-admin covers importing when you are not writing a post.
Where does the photo go when I import it?: Into your own site's Media Library, like a normal upload. Nothing is imported until you click one of the import actions.
Can I publish any photo it finds?: The photo still belongs to its owner. Importing a file does not transfer any rights — get permission before using somebody else's photo publicly or commercially.