Fix image upload issues in WordPress
Image upload issues in WordPress refer to problems that occur when you try to upload images to your website through the WordPress media library or editor, resulting in failure to upload, display or manage images as expected. You can troubleshoot image upload issues by using the solutions listed below.
Check file size
1. Confirm the file size you are uploading is permitted by WordPress. To confirm the size of your image, right click on the image, click Get Info and then look next to the Size: column
2. If too large, you should compress your image before uploading it – there are several free image compression tools available online, such as: TinyPNG / TinyJPG, ImageOptim, Compressor.io – keep in mind these are external software programs and should be assessed before use
Check the file type
1. Confirm the file type is permitted by WordPress, the media library supports JPEG, PNG, GIF by default. To confirm the file type of your image, right click on the image, click Get Info and then look next to the Kind: column
2. If you do not have a compatible file type, you can convert your image using an image converter – there are several free image conversion tools available online, such as: Online-Convert.com, Zamzar, Convertio – keep in mind these are external software programs and should be assessed before use
3. If you are unable to convert your image to a compatible file type, you could opt to use a different image with a compatible file type
Delete the information on your database upload path
Information in your website database upload path can sometimes block images from uploading correctly to your WordPress website. To remove the block, you have to remove the information inside the database upload path.
1. Open and follow all of the steps in this guide: View WordPress website database name
2. Once you know your website database name, from your hosting control panel, click on the phpMyAdmin button
3. When phpMyAdmin opens, your databases will be displayed on the left-hand side. Locate your database. In our example, we have only one database, named skystrahelp_wp988
4. Click on your database name to expand its tables
5. Inside of your tables, find the table with the suffix _options. Keep in mind that the prefix will always be different per database, for example, in our database, the options table is called: wpks_options
6. Scroll to the bottom and locate the Number of Rows dropdown, select it and click on 500
7. Once all of the rows are showing, you need to scroll and locate a row called upload_path
8. On the upload_path row, click on ✏️ Edit
9. Go to the option_value section
10. Delete any text you see in the Value field and click the Go button to apply changes, here is an example:
11. Re-attempt your image upload
Increase PHP memory threshold
Image upload issues can happen when your website has exhausted its PHP memory threshold. Follow the steps below to increase the threshold.
1. Open this guide: Manage PHP options
2. Locate the memory_limit dropdown
3. On the dropdown, select the highest threshold value available
4. Re-attempt your image upload
Load your website in Incognito or Private mode
Sometimes an image upload issue can occur because of the browser being used. Re-attempt your upload from a Incognito or Private window
Google chrome:
1. Click the three-dot menu in the top right corner of your browser
2. Select New Incognito Window
3. Log in to your WordPress admin from the Incognito window and re-attempt the image upload
Safari:
1. Click File from the menu at the top of the screen
2. Select New Private Window
3. Log in to your WordPress admin from the private window and re-attempt the image upload
Mozilla Firefox:
1. Click the three-line menu in the top right corner of your browser
2. Select New Private Window
3. Log in to your WordPress admin from the private window and re-attempt the image upload
If the problem is still happening on Incognito and Private, the next step is to try the upload from a different browser completely.
Use a different browser
1. Open a different internet browser (different from the one you normally use)
2. Log in to your WordPress admin from the new browser and re-attempt the image upload