Module 2 of 6
Training / WordPress basics / Lesson 5 of 7
The Media Library is the storeroom for every image and document on your website. Anything you upload stays here until you delete it.
You'll learn
How to upload images and find them again later
Takes
About 4 minutes
You'll need
One or two photos saved on your computer
Watch: “Using the Media Library”, an official video from WordPress. It shows the same job on their own demo site, so your screen may look a little different. The written steps below are the ones to follow.
1
In the menu on the left, click Media. You’ll see all your images as a grid of small pictures.
2
Click the Add button at the top of the page, then Select Files, and pick the image from your computer. You can also drag images from a folder straight onto the page.
3
Click the image you’ve uploaded. On the right, type a short description into Alt Text. This is read out to people who can’t see the screen, and it helps Google understand the picture.
4
Use the Search box at the top right and type part of the file name. This is why sensible file names matter.
5
Click the image, then Delete permanently. Only do this if you’re sure it isn’t used on a page, because it will vanish from there too.
The file is probably too big. Shrink it first using the lesson on preparing images.
Upload it again and swap it back in using the lesson on changing a photo.
It does no harm. Delete the spare one if you’re sure which is in use.
Tell us which page it’s on and what you’re trying to do. We can talk you through it or make the change for you.
