What is the media library in WordPress? (and how to use it)

Common Media Library errors (and how to resolve them)

1. Images not showing

This often happens due to:

• Incorrect file permissions on the server
• A theme or plugin conflict
• Hotlinking protection blocking image URLs

Fixes:

• Check file permissions (they should be 644 for files and 755 for folders)
• Deactivate recent plugins to find the culprit
• Regenerate thumbnails with Regenerate Thumbnails

And don’t worry about making images responsive in WordPress for different devices. WordPress automatically resizes images into three additional sizes post upload:

• Thumbnail size (150 x 150 pixels)
• Medium size (300 x 300 pixels)
• Large size (1024 x 1024 pixels)

2. Media Library not loading

If your Media Library shows a blank screen or endless loading spinner:

• A JavaScript error from a plugin or theme is likely interfering
• Your browser cache could be outdated
• Server memory limits may be too low

Fixes:

• Check your browser’s developer console for JS errors
• Deactivate plugins one by one
• Increase PHP memory limit in wp-config.php:
  define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’);

3. File type not allowed

WordPress blocks certain file types by default (like SVGs or ZIPs).

Fixes:

• Use a plugin like File Upload Types
• Or add a mime_types filter in your functions.php

4. Upload limit errors

If you get “file exceeds the maximum upload size,” your server’s upload_max_filesize or post_max_size settings are too low

Fix: Update your PHP settings via your host control panel