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In the WordPress block editor, add an Image block with the + inserter (or type /image), choose an image source, then use the block toolbar’s Change alignment control. Choose Align center for a centered image, Align left or Align right to let nearby text wrap, and Wide width or Full width when your theme supports those layouts.
Add an image to a post or page
- Open the post or page in the WordPress block editor and place the cursor where the image should appear.
- Click the + button to open the Block Inserter, search for Image, and select the block. You can also type
/imagein an empty paragraph and press Enter. - Choose one of the block’s source options:
- Upload: Select an image from your computer. WordPress adds it to the Media Library.
- Media Library: Choose an existing upload. The Media tab may also offer Openverse when the active theme and installation support it.
- Insert from URL: Paste the address of an image hosted elsewhere.
You can also drag an image into the editor, select one from the Media tab, or copy an image from Word or Google Docs. Uploading an externally sourced or copied image to your Media Library is usually safer than leaving it remote: if the other site moves or deletes its file, the remote image can stop displaying.
Choose the image’s alignment
Click the image to show its block toolbar, then select Change alignment. The available choices are:
| Alignment | What it does | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| None | Uses the block’s normal position in the content column. | A standalone image that should follow the surrounding content width. |
| Align left | Places a smaller image on the left and allows adjacent paragraph text to flow beside it. | Profiles, illustrations, or other images that support a paragraph. |
| Align center | Centers the image in the available content area without text wrapping around it. | Most general-purpose, standalone images. |
| Align right | Places a smaller image on the right and allows adjacent paragraph text to flow beside it. | When the image should sit beside text on the right. |
| Wide width | Expands the block beyond the regular content column. | Large visuals when the theme defines a wide layout. |
| Full width | Expands the block to the theme’s full available width. | Hero-style or edge-to-edge imagery when the theme supports it. |
The Image block’s corresponding alignment values are left, center, right, wide, and full. Your theme controls how those classes are styled, so the visual result can differ between themes.
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Make text wrap around an image
Use left or right alignment with a relatively small image when you want a paragraph to flow beside it.
- Insert the Image block directly above the paragraph that should wrap around it.
- Click the image and drag a corner resize handle to make it smaller. Keep enough width available for the paragraph, particularly on narrow screens.
- Open Change alignment and choose Align left or Align right.
- Click the paragraph below the image and add or edit the text. The editor should place it beside the image until the image’s vertical space ends.
Large floated images can leave too little room for words and make reading difficult, especially on mobile devices. If the paragraph becomes a narrow strip, reduce the image size or use centered, wide, or full-width placement instead.
Resize an image without replacing it
Select the image and use its on-canvas handles for a quick size adjustment. For exact dimensions and responsive behavior, open the block’s settings sidebar and use the available width, height, scale, or resolution controls. Which controls appear depends on the source image and theme.
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Changing the displayed size does not remove the original upload. Cropping and other image edits made in the block create a new image file while the original remains available in the Media Library.
What to do when Wide width or Full width is missing
Wide and Full width are conditional options. If they do not appear in Change alignment, the active theme may not support wide alignment. WordPress themes can opt in with add_theme_support( 'align-wide' ); when enabled, the editor applies alignwide and alignfull classes for the theme’s CSS.
- Confirm that the image block is selected rather than a parent Group or another block.
- Check the theme’s documentation or switch temporarily to a theme known to support wide and full alignments.
- If you manage the theme, ask its developer to enable the
align-widetheme support and provide matching styles.
Do not expect the controls to appear simply because an image is large; their presence is a theme capability, not an automatic image setting.
Add accessibility and presentation details
Write useful alternative text
In the Image block’s settings, enter Alt text that conveys the image’s meaning or function. Describe what a reader needs to know in the context of the page rather than listing decorative visual details.
Mark purely decorative images
If an image communicates no information and has no function, mark it as decorative when that option is available. This lets assistive technology skip it instead of announcing an unnecessary description.
Use the other Image block tools
The block can include a caption, link, crop, duotone effect, borders, shadows, spacing, aspect-ratio, focal-point, and other style controls where the theme supports them. You can also replace the file or transform the block into a Group, Gallery, Cover, or Media & Text block. Resolution choices are determined by the available source image and theme.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Fix common alignment problems
The image will not center
Click the image itself, not the paragraph or a surrounding block, and choose Align center from its toolbar. If the image is inside a Group, the parent block’s layout settings may also affect its position.
Text does not wrap
Verify that the image is directly above the paragraph, is resized small enough to leave text space, and uses Align left or Align right. Center, wide, full, and normal placement are not intended to create side-by-side paragraph flow.
Alignment looks different on phones
Preview the page at a narrow width. A floated image that works on desktop may make the text column too narrow on mobile. Reduce its size or change to a centered standalone image when the paragraph becomes difficult to read.
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An image from a URL has disappeared
The remote file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Replace it with a Media Library upload when you have permission to use the image, then update the block’s source.
Edits seem to have created another file
This is expected for cropping and other edits made by the Image block. WordPress keeps the original in the Media Library and uses a new image version for the edited block.
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