Set featured image to be specific URL, rather than a filename - php

Question

I'm a C# programmer - but trying to get into PHP.
I'm using a plugin to import Amazon products into a website.
My host however, blocks me from importing the images - which would normally be used as the featured image.
The code below sets the featured image when trying to import the images.
How can I change it to set the featured image, but to use the full URL to the original Amazon image link (I assume it's $image_url):
function set_featured_image( $post_id, $image_url ){
require_once(ABSPATH . "wp-admin" . '/includes/image.php');
require_once(ABSPATH . "wp-admin" . '/includes/file.php');
require_once(ABSPATH . "wp-admin" . '/includes/media.php');
$upload_dir = wp_upload_dir();
$image_data = file_get_contents($image_url);
$filename = basename($image_url);
$filename_ar = explode('.', $filename);
$filename = sanitize_file_name( $filename_ar[0] ).'.'.$filename_ar[1];
if(wp_mkdir_p($upload_dir['path']))
$file = $upload_dir['path'] . '/' . $filename;
else
$file = $upload_dir['basedir'] . '/' . $filename;
file_put_contents($file, $image_data);
$wp_filetype = wp_check_filetype($filename, null );
$attachment = array(
'post_mime_type' => $wp_filetype['type'],
'post_title' => sanitize_file_name($filename),
'post_content' => '',
'post_status' => 'inherit'
);
$attach_id = wp_insert_attachment( $attachment, $file, $post_id );
require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/image.php');
$attach_data = wp_generate_attachment_metadata( $attach_id, $file );
wp_update_attachment_metadata( $attach_id, $attach_data );
set_post_thumbnail( $post_id, $attach_id );
}
Or do I manually have to import the image and link to it locally?
Thanks for any help,
Mark

Answer 1

Is it an option to consider hot-linking the image? Keeps it from sapping bandwidth and storage on your site, and avoids the issue of needing to obtain and store a local copy of the image altogether.