What is Media in WordPress?

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Understanding Your WordPress Media Management

In the WordPress dashboard, the ‘Media’ section is a dedicated space for handling uploads such as pictures, sounds, videos, and various other file types. This section is divided into two distinct areas. The ‘Library’ is the initial area where you can view all items stored in the media library, with options to modify or remove them as needed. The ‘Add New’ area provides a facility for uploading new files directly, without the necessity of linking them to any particular article or page. It’s worth noting that media can also be uploaded during the creation of a post or page, but the ‘Add New’ function offers a standalone uploading option.

Organizing Your Media Files

A common frustration with the WordPress media library is its lack of organization. Files are automatically sorted into folders based on the upload date, located within the /wp-content/uploads/ directory. While searching for media through the admin menu is possible, categorizing files into specific folders isn’t an in-built feature. However, this can be overcome with the use of plugins that introduce tagging capabilities for media organization.

Hidden Gems in the WordPress Media Editor

Many users are unaware of some of the powerful tools available within the WordPress media editor. For instance, the editor allows for on-the-spot image editing. Within the edit screen of the media library, users have access to a photo editing tool that enables them to crop, resize, and scale images without leaving the comfort of the WordPress admin area.

Editing Media in WordPress

For developers, there are additional functionalities such as the ability to automatically create new image sizes, and to configure additional image dimensions to be applied to each image upload automatically.

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