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Marketing: Media Library

Article Contents: This Article Explains What The Media Library Is, Where To Find It, And How To Upload, Edit, Delete, And Use Media Files Across Your WordPress Site.

 

What is the Media Library?
The Media Library is the part of your WordPress website where all uploaded images, videos, audio files, PDFs, and documents are stored. Think of it as your website’s digital filing cabinet for anything visual or downloadable.
Once a file is uploaded to your Media Library, it can be reused anywhere across your site — in pages, blog posts, sliders, galleries, and popups.

 
Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Where to Find the Media Library:
Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. In the left-hand menu, click Media. You’ll see two sub-options:
Library – to view, edit, and manage existing files.
Add New – to upload new files.



Step 2: Media Library View Modes:
At the top of the Media Library screen, you can switch between two views:

Grid View - Shows thumbnails of your media in a gallery layout.
Great for visually browsing photos and graphics.

List View - Displays media files in a table format with file name, date, author, and more.
Better for bulk file management or detailed file info.


You can toggle between views using the icons in the top left corner.

 

Step 3: Uploading Files and File Size Limit:
Option 1: Drag and Drop
From your computer, drag files (like images or PDFs) directly into the Media Library screen.
WordPress will automatically upload and save them.

Option 2: Manual Upload
Click Add New (top of the screen or side menu).
Click Select Files and choose files from your computer.
Files upload automatically and appear in the Media Library.

File Size Limit - WordPress typically has a file upload limit (e.g., 2MB or 8MB). This is set by your hosting provider.
For larger files (videos or high-res PDFs), you may need to compress them or ask your web admin to increase the limit.

 

Step 4: Editing a Media File:
Click on any file in the Media Library to open the Attachment Details screen. Here you can:

Change File Info
Title – Shown when users hover or for screen readers.
Caption – Appears under the image when inserted into content.
Alt Text – Describes the image for accessibility and SEO (important!).
Description – Rarely used, but available.

Replace or Edit Image
You can’t directly replace a media file in the Media Library, but you can:
Use a plugin like “Enable Media Replace” to swap files.
Upload a new version, then manually update any pages/posts where the old one was used.

Edit Image Button (For image files only)
Click “Edit Image” to:
Crop
Rotate
Flip horizontally or vertically
Resize to exact pixel dimensions
Save a new version of the image
This is great for quick, minor image changes without using Photoshop.





Step 5: Deleting Media Files:
To delete one item:
Click on the file. In the Attachment Details panel, click Delete Permanently (bottom right). Confirm the deletion.

To delete in bulk:
Switch to List View. Check the boxes next to multiple files.
Use the Bulk Actions > Delete Permanently dropdown and click Apply.

 

Warning: Once deleted, files cannot be recovered unless you have a backup.

 

Tips for Managing Media Files:
- Use descriptive filenames (e.g., fall-golf-outing-banner.jpg) so you can find files later.
- Always fill out alt text for accessibility and SEO.
- Compress large images before uploading using tools like TinyPNG or [ImageOptim].
- Avoid uploading videos directly — instead, upload to YouTube or Vimeo and embed the link. This keeps your site fast.
- Keep your library clean: delete unused files when possible.

 

Step 6: Using Media in Your Content and Media Settings:
Using Media in Your Content - You can insert media directly into:
- Pages & Posts (using the WordPress editor’s "Image" or "Media" block)
- Galleries
- Sliders
- Widgets
- Custom Popups
- Navigation Menus (for logos/icons)

Steps to Insert Media into a Page/Post:
- Open a page or post.
- Click the “+” Add Block button and select Image, Gallery, or File.
- Click Media Library, choose your file, and click Insert.
- Adjust alignment, size, or add links using the toolbar above the block.

Media Settings (Optional Advanced)
Go to Settings > Media in the sidebar.
Here you can:
- Set the default sizes for:
- Thumbnail
- Medium
- Large
These sizes are used when you insert an image and choose the size dropdown.
Usually, you don’t need to change these unless you have a specific design request.