R
Rishtaara
WordPress Fundamentals
Lesson 14 of 32Article15 min

Media Library (Add, Insert, Edit, Delete & Settings)

Go to Media → Library to see every image, video, and document ever uploaded to your site. You can drag-and-drop files directly onto this screen, or upload while writing a post via the Image block.

Uploading and browsing media

Go to Media → Library to see every image, video, and document ever uploaded to your site. You can drag-and-drop files directly onto this screen, or upload while writing a post via the Image block.

The library shows file type, upload date, and which post (if any) each file is attached to — helpful for cleaning up unused files later.

Real-life example: The Media Library is a shared photo album for your whole website — once a picture is uploaded, any post or page can reuse it without re-uploading.

Inserting and editing media in content

While editing a post, add an Image block, click Upload/Media Library/Insert from URL, then pick or upload your file. After inserting, click the image to access alignment, size, and a basic crop/rotate editor.

Always fill in the Alt Text field for every image — it describes the image for screen readers and helps search engines understand your content.

Tip: Compress images before uploading (or use a plugin like Smush/ShortPixel). Large uncompressed photos are one of the top causes of slow WordPress sites.
Good vs poor alt text
<!-- Poor: -->
<img src="img1234.jpg" alt="image" />

<!-- Good: describes the actual content -->
<img src="wordpress-dashboard-screenshot.jpg"
     alt="WordPress dashboard showing the Posts menu highlighted" />

Deleting media and managing settings

Deleting a file from the Media Library permanently removes it from your server — WordPress will warn you if it is currently used inside a post or page.

Under Settings → Media, you control the pixel dimensions WordPress automatically generates for Thumbnail, Medium, and Large image sizes whenever you upload a photo.

  • Media settings control auto-generated image sizes (thumbnail, medium, large)
  • Deleting an in-use image can leave a broken image icon on your site — check first
  • Organize media with descriptive filenames before upload (not IMG_2031.jpg)