Frontend submission upload image via external url

Question

I have AJAX form to get movie data by movie id and post this data into new post.

This is my function, It's works very well, But i can't upload image via external URL.

// Image URL

$poster = '//domain.com/image.jpg';

// Submit Function
function movie_grabber() {
    if(isset($_POST['movie_nonce_field']) && wp_verify_nonce($_POST['movie_nonce_field'], 'movie_nonce')) {
        if(strlen(trim($_POST['title'])) < 1 || strlen(trim($_POST['overview'])) < 1) {
            $redirect = add_query_arg('post', 'failed', home_url($_POST['_wp_http_referer']));
        } else {
            $user_id = get_current_user_id();
            $yearlist = $_POST['year'];
            $posterurl = $_POST['poster'];
            $yearex = explode(',', $yearlist);
            $genrelist =$_POST['genres'];
            $genreex = explode(',', $genrelist);
            $actorlist =$_POST['actors'];
            $actorex = explode(',', $actorlist);
            $directorlist =$_POST['director'];
            $directorex = explode(',', $directorlist);
            $countrylist =$_POST['country'];
            $countryex = explode(',', $countrylist);
            $movie_info = array(
                'post_title' => esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['title'])),
                'post_type' => 'movie',
                'post_content' => esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['overview'])),
                'post_status' => 'pending',
                'author' => $user_id,
                'tax_input'     => array(
                    'movie_year' => $yearex,
                    'movie_genre' => $genreex,
                    'movie_actor' => $actorex,
                    'movie_director' => $directorex,
                    'movie_country' => $countryex,
                ),
            );
            $movie_id = wp_insert_post($movie_info);

            if($movie_id) {
                update_post_meta($movie_id, 'backdrop_path', esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['backdrop_path'])));
                update_post_meta($movie_id, 'poster_path', esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['poster'])));
                update_post_meta($movie_id, 'original_title', esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['original_title'])));
                update_post_meta($movie_id, 'imdb_id', esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['imdb'])));
                update_post_meta($movie_id, 'imdbrating', esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['imdbrating'])));
                update_post_meta($movie_id, 'imdbvotes', esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['imdbvotes'])));
                update_post_meta($movie_id, 'mpaa', esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['mpaa'])));
                update_post_meta($movie_id, 'runtime', esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['runtime'])));
                update_post_meta($movie_id, 'trailer_id', esc_attr(strip_tags($_POST['trailer_link'])));
                $redirect = add_query_arg('post', 'successfull', home_url($_POST['_wp_http_referer']));
            }
        }
        wp_redirect($redirect); exit;
    }
}
add_action('init', 'movie_grabber');

Answer 1

For upload from external url you should use media_sideload_image function. I assume $posterurl is url of external image, after wp_insert_post add below code in if($movie_id){} block. It will upload image from external url to this post and if you want to set this image as post feature image use set_post_thumbnail otherwiase comment that line. and save a image url as post meta field in poster_path meta key.

# $posterurl third party url
if(!empty($posterurl)) {
  require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/media.php');
  require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/file.php');
  require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/image.php');

  $attach_id = media_sideload_image($posterurl,$movie_id,'','id');
  # set post thumbnail for post
  set_post_thumbnail( $movie_id, $attach_id );
  # save meta field for poster path
  update_post_meta($movie_id, 'poster_path', esc_attr(strip_tags($posterurl)));
}