How to upload images and files

Step-by-step instructions for uploading images, PDFs, and other files to your WordPress media library from your computer or mobile device.

Uploading a file to WordPress takes under a minute. Once a file is in your media library, you can add it to any page or post — or share a direct link to it.

Quick summary

Go to Media → Add Media File in your dashboard and drag your files onto the upload area, or click Select Files to browse your computer. Files appear in your media library immediately. You can also upload files while editing a page — WordPress will add them to the library automatically.

What you'll need

Author, Editor or Administrator access to your WordPress site (Contributors can't upload files)
The file saved on your computer or phone
A file that meets the size and type limits (see below)

File types WordPress accepts

WordPress accepts most common file formats. Here are the most useful ones:

Category	Accepted formats
Images	JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, AVIF, HEIC
Documents	PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX
Audio	MP3, WAV, OGG
Video	MP4, MOV, AVI (see note below)

For videos, use YouTube or Vimeo instead

Uploading large video files to WordPress uses a lot of storage and slows down your site. We strongly recommend uploading videos to YouTube or Vimeo, then embedding them — it's usually much faster for visitors. See how to embed a video.

File size limits

Every WordPress site has an upload size limit per file, set by the hosting server. The limit varies from host to host, and the upload screen shows yours ("Maximum upload file size"). If your file is too large, WordPress shows an error saying it exceeds the maximum upload size for this site.

If your images are very large, compress them before uploading. A tool like Squoosh (free, browser-based) can often shrink a large photo a lot without a visible drop in quality. See how to compress images for more detail.

How to upload from the media library

Go to Media → Add Media File in your dashboard. In the left sidebar, hover over Media and click "Add Media File."

Drag your files onto the upload box. Open a folder on your computer, then drag one or more files directly onto the upload area (the box with the dashed border). You can upload several files at once.

Or click "Select Files." This opens your computer's file picker. Navigate to your file, select it, and click Open.

Watch the progress bar. Each file shows a progress bar as it uploads. Wait for all files to finish before navigating away.

Your files are ready. Once uploaded, they appear in your media library. Click any file to add alt text or other details.

How to upload while editing a page or post

You don't have to go to the media library first. You can upload directly while you're editing content.

Open the page or post you're editing. See how to edit a page if you need a refresher.

Add an Image block. Click the + icon to add a new block, then choose Image (or Gallery for multiple images).

Click "Upload." This lets you select a file from your computer. The file uploads and is inserted into the page at the same time.

The file is now in your media library. Any file uploaded this way also appears in the media library for future use.

Tips for naming your files

Before you upload, rename your files to something descriptive. WordPress usually uses the file name as the file's starting title in your media library, which helps you find files later — and Google says a descriptive file name gives it a small clue about what an image shows.

Good names:

team-photo-office-2024.jpg
spring-menu-pdf.pdf
company-logo-horizontal.png

Names to avoid:

IMG_4823.jpg
Document1.docx
final_final_v3.pdf

Use hyphens between words (not spaces or underscores). Keep names lowercase.

Right-click the file and choose "Rename." Type the new name and press Enter. Then upload to WordPress as normal.

Common questions

I get an error saying the file is too large. What do I do?

The file exceeds your server's upload limit. Compress the image first using a free tool like Squoosh, or ask us about raising the limit — it's set in your hosting configuration, so what's possible depends on your host.

Can I upload multiple files at once?

Yes. Drag a selection of files onto the upload area together, or hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) while selecting files in the file picker.

I uploaded the wrong file. How do I delete it?

Go to your media library, find the file, switch to list view, hover over it, and click "Delete Permanently." Note that this is permanent. If the file is used somewhere on the site, it will show a broken image. The "Uploaded to" info in the file detail panel only names the one page or post the file is attached to (if any), not every place it's used, so check the pages where you've used it before deleting.

Can visitors download files I upload?

If you add a link to a file (such as a PDF) on a page, visitors can download it by clicking the link. Even without a link, every uploaded file has its own web address (the File URL in its details). Anyone who has that address can usually open the file, whether or not you've linked to it anywhere. Don't upload anything you need to keep private.

Why does my image look different after uploading?

WordPress automatically creates smaller copies of your image (for thumbnails and different display sizes). It may also apply some compression. See image sizes, cropping & alt text for more detail.

Need a hand?

If you're stuck, email support@chykalophia.com and we'll help. Include your website address and a screenshot if you can.