Images are a big and important part of a modern website. They help visitors and readers visualize things and also break up long posts. So it's no surprise that you should use images and other media on your WordPress website to keep visitors on your site longer.
That's why we'll explain everything you need to know about images and media within WordPress.
The WordPress Media Library
All images and media are stored in the WordPress media library, provided you use the integrated function for uploading images and media.
When uploading images, WordPress saves your image on the server and at the same time creates an entry in the database, which contains the name of the image, further information, and the exact storage location.
You can find the media library in the dashboard in the left-hand menu in third place, provided that no other plugin is occupying this space. You can also access the media library via the following link: yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/upload.php
Within the WordPress media library, all uploaded images and media are displayed either as tiles or as a list. You can customize this option yourself according to your preferences. To do this, simply select one of the icons at the top left.
If you are looking for a specific image, there is a search function within the media library that allows you to search not only by file name but also by descriptions that you have entered.
If you can't find what you're looking for, you can also filter the contents of the WordPress media library by month and media type, which may make it easier to find what you're looking for.
How to upload images and media to WordPress
If you want to upload images or other media, there are different ways to do this. The fastest way is via the media library, where you will find an "Add file" button at the top. Once you have selected this, you can either drag and drop images and media into the window or search your hard drive.
In addition to this method, you can also upload images and media directly while writing posts or pages. We explain how to do this in the Gutenberg editor or the Classic Editor below.
Where are images stored in WordPress?
When you upload images via the WordPress media library, they are automatically stored in a directory on your server. The directory is sorted by year and month.
To find your images on the server, open the "wp-content" folder, then navigate to the "Uploads" folder, where you will find folders sorted by year, which then contain the individual months.
If you open a folder, you will quickly notice that your images are saved in different versions or sizes. This is related to the settings in your template or plugins—more on that later.
Can I also upload images to WordPress via FTP or SFTP?
Yes, but it's not quite that simple.
As mentioned above, WordPress creates a database entry for each image you upload and then crops the image. If you upload your images via FTP or SFTP, they will be on your WordPress server, but WordPress itself will not know about them and you will not be able to find the image in the media library.
To create these database entries retrospectively, you either need to be well versed in WP-CLI or use a pluginsuch as Media Register, which then registers the images.
But beware: each of these plugins requires a lot of server capacity, which is why you may see error messages if your server is overwhelmed. We recommend our Managed WordPress Hosting service, which does not have this problem.
How large should uploaded images be?
Images always take up the most space on a server. Even when your WordPress site is accessed by a visitor, images often cause the page to load a little slower.
We always recommend "as big as necessary – as small as possible."
Always consider how large the images will ultimately appear when viewed on a computer or smartphone. In our case, the largest images are the cover photos on our blog.
With the developer tools that come with Google Chrome or Firefox, you can see for yourself how large the image that has just been loaded is. Our cover image is 768px x 432px, which is why images should not be larger than this.
However, there is one exception: if you want your posts to appear in Google Discover, the images must be larger. Google requires a minimum size of 1200px, which is why Techgarage uploads images with a size of 3360px x 1200px (16:9 format).
Why does WordPress create different sizes of my images?
WordPress automatically creates different sizes when uploading images. This feature ensures that the original image is not always displayed when its size is not required.
WordPress names the predefined sizes as follows:
- Thumbnails (preview images)
- means
- Large
You can adjust the dimensions of these sizes in the settings under Media.
In addition to these three, any installed plugin such as a template can add further image sizes. However, these cannot be viewed in the settings and cannot be easily changed.
For example, if you use a gallery plugin that wants to display images in 1920px x 1080px, it is quite possible that your images will be cropped to this size when you upload them.
If you have installed a new template or plugin and the images look a little strange, this is because your images are still in their old size. Images are only cropped when they are uploaded and not afterwards. To remedy this, it is best to use a small plugin such as Regenerate Thumbnails.
How to optimize your images before uploading them to the WordPress media library
Nowadays, websites need to be fast in order to 1. keep your visitors happy and 2. get good rankings on Google. Images are often a problem here, as they can be quite large or heavy. That's why it's very important to optimize your images before uploading them.
We already mentioned above what the dimensions of your images should be. If you use a program to adjust your images, the program often has a "web export function," which slightly reduces the quality of the image.
Photoshop and Pixelmator for Mac both have this feature. Another program for Mac isImageOptim, which optimizes your images for free, allowing you to save a few more kilobytes. There is also an online version available for Windows.
If you don't feel like doing this, there are countless WordPress plugins that optimize your images when you upload them. Keep in mind, however, that these often come at a cost and could also slow down your website.
One service + plugin that we are happy to recommend is Shortpixel.
Inserting and uploading images while writing in the Classic Editor
If you are still writing your posts or pages in the Classic Editor, which you should definitely retire, you can insert images using the button above the editor. Either select one from the media library that has already been uploaded, or upload a new one to the media library.
Once the image is in the editor, you can move it to a new line by pressing the Enter key if your cursor is still on the text line when you insert the image.
Since inserting and moving images in the Classic Editor is a bit of a hassle, you should switch to the Gutenberg Editor, which was introduced with WordPress 5.0.
Insert and upload images while writing in the Gutenberg Editor
With the Gutenberg Editor, uploading and inserting images while writing is a breeze. Simply select the image block using the + sign. Here you now have the option of either selecting an image from the media library or uploading a new one.
Once the image has been inserted, you can move it further up or down using the arrows. You can also adjust the style and alignment of the image using the "Block menu" on the right-hand side.
The featured image
Blog posts should contain great images as well as great text. To ensure that readers want to click on the article at first glance, you should always upload a featured image.
You can find the option for the featured image in the editor on the right-hand side under "Post." Quite far down, there is an item called "Featured image." Upload your image here.
By the way, if you use an SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO, your featured image will automatically be included in the meta tags so that it is also visible as a preview on Facebook and Twitter.
How to delete an image from the WordPress media library
If you want to tidy up your media library, you can delete images at any time. Simply go to your media library and select the image you want to delete. The image will open and you can click on "Delete permanently" at the bottom right.
By the way, if you ever want to clean up your entire media library, we recommendreading our article"How to clean up your WordPress media library ."
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