Chris Schutte

July 27, 2022

How To Fix an Image Upload Issue in WordPress

Reading Time: 4 minutes

If you’re a business owner with a WordPress website, you may have experienced an image upload issue at some point. This can be frustrating, as it can prevent you from adding new images or updating existing ones. When you can’t upload photos, your website can quickly start to look outdated and neglected.

In this article, we’ll look at why you might be experiencing an image upload issue in WordPress and how to fix it. We will also cover how to prevent this issue in the future so that you can keep your website looking its best.

What Causes Image Upload Issues in WordPress?

A few different things can cause an image upload issue in WordPress. Most of these are relatively easy to fix, but one is a little more technical. Here’s a look at each of the potential causes:

  • Your website is running out of storage space.
  • The file size of your image is too large.
  • Your website’s hosting server is configured incorrectly.
  • You don’t have the correct file permissions set up.

How To Fix Image Upload Errors in WordPress

Now that we’ve looked at some of the possible causes of an image upload issue let’s look at how to fix them.

1. Check Your Website’s Storage Space

The first thing you should do if you’re having an image upload issue is to check your website’s storage space. If you’re running low on storage space, it can prevent you from being able to upload new files.

To check your website’s storage space, log-in to your WordPress admin dashboard and click Media > Library. At the top of the page, you’ll see how much storage space you have left.

If you’re close to running out of storage space, you’ll need to delete some of the files on your website. You can do this by going to Media > Library and deleting unwanted files.

2. Check the File Size of Your Image

Another potential cause of an image upload issue is that the file size of your image is too large. WordPress has a default file size limit for images, and if your image exceeds that limit, you’ll need to resize it before you can upload it.

To check the file size of your image, open it in an image editing program like Photoshop or GIMP. Then, look at the file size information. If the file size is larger than 2MB, you’ll need to resize it.

To resize your image, open it in an image editing program and choose Image > Image Size. Resize the image so that the file size is no larger than 2MB. Then, try uploading it to WordPress again. You can also use online tools like PicResize or Kraken.io to resize your images.

3. Check Your Website’s Hosting Configuration

If you’re still having an issue with image uploads, it could be due to your website’s hosting configuration. In some cases, website hosting providers will block certain types of files from being uploaded to protect their servers.

If you think this might be the case, reach out to your website’s hosting provider and ask them if they are blocking any file types from being uploaded. Once you have confirmation, you can try changing your website’s configuration to allow the file type to be uploaded.

4. Check Your File Permissions

Another potential issue could be your website’s file permissions. WordPress needs certain permissions to upload files to your website. If you don’t have the correct permissions set up, you’ll need to change them before you can upload images.

Connect to your website using an FTP client to check your file permissions. Once you’re connected, look at the permissions for your wp-content folder. They should be set to 755 or 777.

You can right-click on the folder and select Change Permissions from the menu if they aren’t. Then, simply change the permissions to 755 or 777 and try uploading your images again. If you still have issues after following these steps, you may need to contact your hosting provider for further assistance.

5. Re-Install WordPress

In some cases, the issue could be with your WordPress installation itself. If none of the other solutions above work, you may need to re-install WordPress.

Re-installing WordPress will delete your website’s files and database. So, be sure to back up your website before doing this. Once you’ve backed up your website, you can then start the reinstallation of WordPress.

What To Do To Prevent Image Upload Issues

Now that we’ve looked at how to fix image upload issues let’s look at some of the things you can do to prevent them.

1. Optimise Your Images Before Uploading Them

One of the best things you can do to avoid image upload issues is to optimise your images before uploading them. Images can be large files, and if they’re not properly optimised, they can cause problems when you try to upload them.

2. Check Your File Size

In addition to using the correct file type, you must ensure your image files are the right size. If they’re too large, you’ll have trouble uploading them. If they’re too small, they may not look good on your website.

3. Make Sure You Have the Right Permissions

Another thing to check before uploading your images is to ensure you have the correct permissions. If you don’t, you may not be able to upload them.

4. Use a Good WordPress Host

Finally, you should use a good WordPress host. A good WordPress host will provide you with the resources you need to run your website smoothly and will help prevent issues like image upload problems.

Launch Digital, Your Website Maintenance Partner

If you need help with website maintenance or fixing image upload issues in WordPress, contact Launch Digital Marketing. We’re a website maintenance and digital marketing agency that can help you with all your website needs in South Africa, specifically in the city of Johannesburg.

We offer a wide range of website maintenance services, including website security, website backups, website updates, and more. We can also help you fix image upload issues in WordPress and can even optimise your images for you. So, if you’re having trouble uploading images or need website maintenance, contact us today at (010) 500 8415 or fill out the online form on our website.

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