My images aren't loading
What to do when images show as broken icons or blank spaces on your website pages.
Broken images — those little squares with an X or a missing picture icon — make your site look unprofessional. The good news is that the cause is usually straightforward to identify. This guide walks you through the most common reasons and what to do about each one.
Quick summary
First, hard refresh the page and check in another browser. If images are missing everywhere, it may be a hosting or SSL issue. If it's just one image, it was probably deleted or moved. Note which images are broken, on which pages, and contact us with a screenshot.
Step 1 — Rule out a browser display problem
Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) to hard refresh the page.
Try in a different browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
Check on your phone using mobile data (not Wi-Fi).
If images load fine on your phone or in a different browser, your browser cache needs clearing.
Step 2 — Identify the scope of the problem
The pattern of broken images tells you a lot.
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| All images on every page are broken | Hosting issue, domain change, or SSL problem |
| All images in the header/footer | A template or theme file issue |
| One or two images on one page | Those specific files were deleted or moved |
| Images broken only on mobile | A responsive image setting issue |
| Images broken after a migration | Paths (file locations) didn't update correctly |
Step 3 — Check if images load at all on the site
Go to your WordPress media library — log in to your dashboard and click Media in the left menu.
Find one of the affected images. Can you see it in the library? Click on it.
Click "View attachment page" or copy the file URL. Try loading that URL directly in your browser. If it shows a 404 error ("page not found"), the file is missing from the server.
Don't delete and re-upload images used in many places
An image can appear on multiple pages. If you delete it and re-upload it, the old pages will still show broken links. Contact us — we can re-link the image properly.
Step 4 — Check for an SSL or URL mismatch
If your site recently switched from HTTP to HTTPS (the secure version of a web address), older images may still be pointing to the old HTTP address. This causes them to be blocked by modern browsers.
Signs of this problem:
- Images are broken on the live site but appear fine in the WordPress editor
- The browser shows a "mixed content" warning in the address bar
This requires a site-wide URL update. Contact us and we'll handle it safely.
Step 5 — Check after a recent migration or domain change
If your site was recently moved to a new host, or your domain changed, image file paths may need updating.
Note the date of the migration or domain change.
Check if images were loading before the change.
Contact us with this information. A database search-and-replace operation will fix the paths — but it must be done carefully.
What to send us
- Your site URL
- Screenshots showing which images are broken and on which pages
- Whether all images are broken or just specific ones
- Whether this started after a specific change (migration, domain update, etc.)
- Any error messages in the browser — right-click a broken image and choose "Inspect" (or "Inspect Element"), then look at the Console tab for red error messages
Images broken after a major update or migration?
Do not attempt to fix file paths or run database operations yourself. Doing this incorrectly can break far more than the images. Contact us — we have the right tools and will back up first.
Common questions
Related guides
- How to clear your cache & hard refresh
- My site looks broken
- My website is down
- Image basics for your website
- Info to gather before contacting support
Need a hand?