Most users download information from websites, but sometimes they may need to upload something themselves. This can be an avatar image, an archive of documents, a song, a video, or an article in the .docx format.
WordPress programmers need to make sure that the visitor will be able to upload these files in the most convenient way. You can use a regular form and a PHP handler, but with the release of HTML5, other interesting features have appeared. Or if you want, you can go with a simple and intuitive file uploader, which also gives you an option to edit files.
How to Upload Images to WordPress?
Often, when posting content on a WordPress platform, you are required to upload various types of files and insert a link to them. For example, if you write an article about a mobile phone and want to add an image as well as a link to the user manual downloaded from the official website, WordPress tools will make it fast and easy.
The WordPress system has storage specifically for the purpose of ensuring file upload. It’s called the Media Library. Using it you can upload a file in order to attach it later. It supports almost any type: DjVu graphic format, Microsoft Word/Excel files, archives, audio, and video.
This tool can be accessed from the admin panel by clicking on the Media item. All files that you upload through it will be located there.
If you use this built-in feature by WordPress to upload images, you can sometimes experience certain issues. For example, you may get an error message while trying to upload the file on the WordPress site. As a rule, it is caused by inaccurate file permissions. Or, the images may simply disappear from the library. There are a few reasons for this: misconfiguration or an upgrade on the hosting server. The worst thing is that such errors occur by chance, making it nearly impossible to predict.
However, you can also face issues when using third-party image upload tools on WordPress platforms.
Common Problems with Image Uploaders [for WordPress]
Before proceeding to the list, note that there is something you can do to easily fix the problem before looking for a complex solution. The first thing you can do is clearing the cache and restarting your browser. Just to make sure, do it a few times, since some problems can be overlooked. If it doesn’t work, the problem might require a more sophisticated solution. Below are some of such problems:
- The “Call to undefined function” message from the uploader. It’s usually associated with failed upgrades. To resolve such a problem, you’ll need to delete all the uploaded files, including images, and upload all of them once again. Note, that this means even those files that are located in the root directory. If you forget or won’t be able to do it, it can also cause other problems like the “blinking Save/Publish button”.
- Buttons responsible for media are not shown on the menu. The problem could lie in the incompatibility of JavaScript with the older plugins you may have. The approach here is systematic. First, turn off all the plugins and look for the buttons. If they appear, try turning on plugins one by one till you discover which of them interfere with the code. Upgrade or update this plugin if you need it.
- Thumbnails are not generated while you upload files. For those who don’t know what thumbnails are and therefore don’t realize the problem, we’ll give you a short explanation. A thumbnail is an image reduced to a small-sized copy of the image for the user to preview it. A failed thumbnail usually indicates the problem with the image. WordPress uses the GD library, which has issues with some image formats and types. To avoid this problem, you should learn which image types the WordPress GD library doesn’t recognize and transform them or use other formats before trying to upload them.
- The HTTP Error. In some cases, it can be due to poor Internet connection or server issues, so there’s nothing you can do, except for finding a better Internet hotspot. If this didn’t help, wait for a while and then reload the page, or upload the image again. If there is still no result, upload another picture or use a smaller image. Switching to another browser can also help since Google Chrome can sometimes fail with the image upload process. Another possible reason is a problem with plugins and the theme, so check those too. In this case, follow the steps from paragraph 2.
The Solution for Most of the Issues with Images’ Upload Process on WordPress Platforms
In case you’re not a web-developer and can’t resolve all the issues using the right code, there are still some simple things you can do. They are helpful when the same problem occurs with any image.
So here are a few ways to fix them:
- rename the needed file or change its permissions
- increase the limits for memory in PHP and WordPress
- learn more about the version of PHP you utilize
Conclusion
There can be lots of errors when trying to upload images to WordPress sites. Some of them can be resolved only by programmers who understand WordPress better, others are easy to fix using simple actions. But the best decision in every situation may be utilizing a special tool for files’ upload, compatible with WordPress platforms. By doing this, there will be no need to rewrite the code or look for a broken piece in it. All the issues will be resolved by addressing customer support.
