WordPress Media Library: Managing Images and Files

The WordPress media library is where all your images, videos, and documents are stored. Good media management keeps your site fast and organized. In this guide, we explain everything.

Opening the Media Library

Via the Menu

1. Click on Media in the left menu
2. You'll now see all your uploaded files

From the Editor

1. Click on an image block
2. Choose Media Library
3. You can also upload directly here

Uploading Files

Method 1: Via the Media Menu

1. Go to Media > Add New
2. Drag files to the upload area
3. Or click Select Files to browse
4. Wait for the upload to complete

Method 2: From the Editor

1. Click on the + icon
2. Choose Image, Video, or File
3. Click Upload
4. Select your file

Method 3: Drag from Your Computer

1. Open the media library
2. Drag a file directly from a folder on your computer
3. The file uploads automatically

Supported File Types

Images

• JPG/JPEG
• PNG
• GIF
• WebP (from WordPress 5.8)
• SVG (with plugin)
• ICO

Video

• MP4
• MOV
• WMV
• AVI
• MPG

Audio

• MP3
• WAV
• OGG

Documents

• PDF
• DOC/DOCX
• XLS/XLSX
• PPT/PPTX
• TXT

Organizing Files

Search

1. Use the search bar at the top right
2. Search by filename or title

Filter

1. Click on All media items
2. Filter by:
   • Type (images, video, audio, etc.)
   • Date (month/year)
   • Uploaded by (if you have multiple users)

Adjust View

• Grid view: Thumbnail overview (default)
• List view: Detailed list with more info

Toggle via the icons at the top left.

Create Folders (with plugin)

WordPress doesn't have folders by default. With plugins it does:

Recommended plugins:

• FileBird
• Real Media Library
• MediaPress Folders

After installation:

1. Create folders in the sidebar
2. Drag media to folders
3. Filter by folder

Editing Files

Adjust File Details

1. Click on a file in the media library
2. On the right side you'll see:

Title: The name of the file (visible in admin).

Caption: Text that can be displayed below the image.

Alt text: Description for accessibility and SEO. Always fill this in!

Description: Longer description (rarely used).

File URL: Direct link to the file.

Edit Image

WordPress has basic image editing features:

1. Click on an image
2. Click Edit Image below the preview

Available options:

Crop:

1. Drag to make a selection
2. Click the crop icon
3. Or enter exact ratios (16:9, 4:3, etc.)

Rotate:

• 90 degrees left
• 90 degrees right

Flip:

• Horizontal
• Vertical

Scale:

1. Click "Scale Image"
2. Enter new dimensions
3. Proportions are maintained

Important: Edits are applied to:

• All sizes
• Thumbnail only
• Everything except thumbnail

Save Changes

• Save: Overwrites the original
• Save as new: Creates a copy

Image Sizes

WordPress automatically creates multiple sizes of each upload:

Default Sizes

• Thumbnail: 150 x 150 pixels (cropped)
• Medium: Max 300 x 300 pixels
• Large: Max 1024 x 1024 pixels
• Full: Original size

Adjust Sizes

1. Go to Settings > Media
2. Adjust the pixel values
3. New uploads will get these sizes

Note: Existing images won't be adjusted. Use the "Regenerate Thumbnails" plugin to update those.

Extra Sizes from Themes

Your theme may add extra sizes (e.g., for headers or portfolios). Check the theme documentation.

Optimizing Images

Large images make your site slow. Optimize for speed.

Before Uploading

Choose format:

• JPEG: Photos (good compression)
• PNG: Images with transparency
• WebP: Modern option (best compression)
• SVG: Icons and logos (infinitely scalable)

Adjust dimensions: Don't upload larger than needed. If your site displays max 1200px wide, don't upload 4000px images.

Compress: Use tools before upload:

• TinyPNG/TinyJPG (online)
• ImageOptim (Mac)
• Squoosh (online, Google)

After Uploading (with plugins)

Recommended plugins:

• ShortPixel
• Imagify
• Smush

These compress automatically on upload and can bulk-optimize existing images.

Replacing Files

With Plugin (recommended)

Enable Media Replace plugin:

1. Install and activate the plugin
2. Go to the media library
3. Click on the file
4. Click Upload a new file
5. Choose:
   • Replace the file (same name)
   • Replace and update links

Manually

1. Upload the new file
2. Edit all pages/posts where the old file is used
3. Replace the image blocks
4. Delete the old file

This is time-consuming - better to use the plugin.

Deleting Files

Delete Single File

1. Click on the file
2. Click Delete Permanently at the bottom
3. Confirm

Note: First check if the file is being used somewhere!

Bulk Delete

1. Click Bulk Select at the top
2. Select multiple files
3. Click Delete Permanently

Find Unused Media

With Media Cleaner plugin:

1. Scans your media library
2. Finds files not used anywhere
3. Delete safely in bulk

Always make a backup first!

Frequently Asked Questions

Increase maximum upload size? This depends on your hosting. Options:

• Ask your host to increase the limit
• Adjust php.ini (if you have access)
• Use "Big File Uploads" plugin

Can I customize the upload folder structure? Yes, via Settings > Media > "Organize my uploads into month- and year-based folders"

How do I find where an image is used? With the "Media Library Assistant" plugin, you can see which posts use an image.

Can I rename files? Not by default. Use the "Phoenix Media Rename" plugin.

Image not showing after upload? Check:

• File type is supported
• File is not corrupt
• No special characters in filename

Tips for Good Media Management

1. Name files descriptively before upload (team-photo-jan.jpg, not IMG_4532.jpg)

2. Always fill in alt text for accessibility and SEO

3. Optimize images for faster load times

4. Clean up regularly - delete unused files

5. Make backups before bulk-deleting

6. Use folders (with plugin) for large media libraries

Questions about WordPress? Feel free to contact us.

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• WordPress Duplicate Pages - Copy content quickly

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