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In today’s digital landscape, incorporating media into your website’s content is crucial for increasing user engagement and enhancing the overall browsing experience. Adding media such as images, videos, and documents to your WordPress posts and pages can help improve readability, while also making your content more visually appealing. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of adding various types of media to your WordPress site, as well as how to manage and optimize your media library for the best performance. With this lesson by Go4them, you can learn how to add media to your posts and pages.

Understanding User Roles and Privileges

Before diving into the process of adding media to your WordPress site, it’s essential to understand the different user roles and privileges within the site. In order to add or update content and/or media on a WordPress website, you must have Administrator, Editor, Author, or Contributor privileges. Each user role has varying levels of access and capabilities, so it’s important to ensure you have the appropriate permissions before attempting to add media to your site.

Preparing Your Media Files

Before uploading media files to your WordPress site, it’s essential to ensure they are optimized for web use. Images should be saved in RGB mode, with the sRGB color profile, and in the .png format for the best results. Animated GIFs will not display unless they are displayed at 100% full size. Additionally, it is not recommended to upload or link to .doc files, as they may not be accessible to all users. Instead, consider using file formats such as .jpg, .gif, .png, and .pdf.

Uploading Media Files to Your WordPress Site

To upload media files to your WordPress site, follow these simple steps:

1. Log into your WordPress website.
2. Click on Media (left navigation) > Add New.
3. Either drag and drop the media files you wish to use on your website to the space inside the dotted lines, or click on ‘Select Files’ to browse and upload files from your computer. You can upload file types such as .jpg, .gif, .png, and .pdf.

Once your files have been uploaded, you can edit them, add alternate text, and take note of the file URL for future use. Be sure to click ‘Save all changes’ to keep your files in the system.

Deleting Media Files

If you no longer wish to have a media file in your system, follow these steps to delete it:

1. Click on Media > Library.
2. Hover over the name of the file you wish to delete. Three options will appear: ‘Edit’, ‘Delete Permanently’, and ‘View’.
3. Click on ‘Delete Permanently’. A pop-up window will appear.
4. Click on ‘Ok’. Your file will now be permanently deleted and no longer available or in an archive.

Keep in mind that when a file is deleted, there is no back-up and it is not retrievable. It is crucial to be sure that when a file is deleted, it is done intentionally and with care.

Finding a Media File’s URL

To find the URL of a media file, follow these steps:

1. Click on Media > Library.
2. Hover over the name of the file you wish to find the URL for. Three options will appear: ‘Edit’, ‘Delete Permanently’, and ‘View’.
3. Click on ‘Edit’. A page with all associated data will appear.
4. At the bottom of the page is ‘File URL’ and a URL. This is your file’s URL.
5. Click on ‘Update Media’ to return to the Library page. Alternatively, you can simply navigate away from this page. If you have made any changes to the information, you will lose those changes if you do not click ‘Update Media’ to save them.

Linking to Media Files

To link to a media file (e.g., a PDF or ZIP file) from a page or post, follow these steps:

1. Open up the Page or Post you wish to add the media file to.
2. Highlight the text you’d like to use as a hyperlink.
3. Click on the chain icon in the area above the text field you’re using. A pop-up box will appear.
4. Enter the URL of your file (see above ‘How to find a media file’s URL’).
5. Optional: Click ‘Open link in a new window/tab’. Only links to PDF files should open up in a separate window; images, videos, and web pages should not.
6. Click on ‘Add Link’. You will be returned to your original Page or Post, and the text you made into a hyperlink will now be underlined and a different color than your regular text.

Inserting an Image into a Page or Post

To insert an image into a Page or Post, follow these steps:

1. Open up the Page or Post you wish to insert the image file into.
2. Click on ‘Upload / Insert’. A new window will appear.
3. If your image has not yet been uploaded, stay on the default ‘From Computer’ tab and proceed as directed in the “Uploading Media Files” section above; If your image is already uploaded to the website, click on the ‘Media Library’ tab at the top of the window and continue as described below.
4. Find the image you wish to use, and click on ‘Show’ (on the right). The section will expand to show all details associated with the image.
5. If Alternate Text has not yet been written, fill in that field.
6. Click on where on the page the image should be aligned. Right alignment is recommended.
7. Select the appropriate size for your image. If the image was sized before uploading, click on ‘Full Size’.
8. Click on ‘Insert into Post’. The window will close and you will be returned to your page or post.

Embedding a Video or Slideshow from an Online Service

To embed a video or slideshow from an online service, follow these steps:

1. Click on Settings > Media.
2. Under the ‘Embeds’ heading (middle of the page), set the ‘Maximum embed size’ width to 450 and the height to 800. The video or slideshow gallery will scale to fit the dimensions.
3. Go to the page or post you’d like to embed your video or slideshow on.
4. Insert the URL of the video or slideshow you want to embed on the page where you’d like it to appear. It should be a full URL, not a shortened or condensed version.
5. When ready, publish the page. The video or slideshow should appear, ready to be viewed by your visitors.

Editing Images in the Classic Editor

If you are using the Classic Editor in WordPress, you can edit your images to fit seamlessly with your content. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Place your cursor where you want your image to appear.
2. Drag your image from your computer to the editor.
3. Once the image is inserted, you can select it and choose the alignment you want.
4. To have images appear side by side on the same line, put the images next to each other and give them both either left or right alignment.
5. If you don’t want the text to wrap around your image, you can remove the left or right alignment from your images. Click the image and select the No alignment option. The text will then stop wrapping around your image.

Troubleshooting Media Issues

If you are experiencing issues with uploading or displaying media on your WordPress site, consider checking out these troubleshooting resources:

• Troubleshooting Images
• Browser Issues

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively add media to your WordPress posts and pages, improving the overall user experience and engagement on your site. Don’t forget to optimize your media files for the web and ensure you have the proper user permissions before getting started. Happy media uploading!