Membership & community plugin with user profiles, registration & login, member directories, content re...
Free
200k+ installs 4.4★ (1,444)
BP Local Avatars
A BuddyPress plugin that creates Gravatar avatars for any user or group without one, and stores them locally.
The facts
- Rating
- 4.1★ from 7
- Active installs
- 100+
- Price
- Free
- Last updated
- 17 Apr 2026
- Added
- Feb 2015
- Requires WP
- 4.0
- Tested up to
- WP 6.8.8
- Downloads
- 10,987
Our analysis
AI-assistedBP Local Avatars is a WordPress plugin designed for BuddyPress sites. It generates and stores Gravatar Identicon avatars locally for users and groups that do not have an avatar, eliminating the need for calls to Gravatar.com. The plugin supports user creation, registration, login, and allows for bulk generation of avatars for users and groups.
The plugin integrates with the existing BuddyPress avatar directory structure and conforms to the defined sizes for BuddyPress avatars. Users can still upload their own avatars, and groups can manage their avatars through the Group settings.
Best for: This plugin is suitable for BuddyPress sites looking to manage user avatars more efficiently.
What it does well
- ✓Generates local avatars for users without them
- ✓Supports bulk generation for users and groups
- ✓Integrates with BuddyPress avatar directory structure
- ✓Allows users to upload their own avatars
Where it falls short
- •Limited information on additional features
- •Requires configuration in wp-admin to activate
Verdict
BP Local Avatars provides a straightforward solution for managing avatars on BuddyPress sites, particularly for users lacking avatars. It may require some initial setup, but it effectively reduces reliance on external services.
From the developer
shanebp's own description of BP Local Avatars, lightly tidied.
BP Local Avatars is a BuddyPress plugin.
Do you have members or groups on your BuddyPress site who do not have an Avatar?
And you do not want to show the generic default avatar?
Or maybe you do not want each page view to include a lot of calls to gravatar.com to load avatars?
- This plugin will create a Gravatar Identicon avatar, thumb and full versions, for any user who does not already have an Avatar, and save it locally.
- Supports user creation, user registration, user login, and Bulk Generation for user and groups.
- Uses the existing BuddyPress avatar directory structure.
- Conforms to the defined sizes for BuddyPress thumb and full avatars.
- Users can still upload an avatar via their profile.
- Groups can still upload an avatar via Group > Manage > Photo.
Usage:
-
Provides an option in wp-admin under:
Settings -> Discussion > Default Avatar > BuddyPress Identicon (Generated and Stored Locally). -
Select and Save. Otherwise this plugin will not do anything.
-
After saving, you will see a link to ‘Bulk Generate’ avatars for all users and groups who do not have a local avatar. If a user already has their own Gravatar, it will save it locally.
For more BuddyPress plugins, please visit PhiloPress
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