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To make a standard WordPress image enlarge when visitors click it, select the Image block, open its block settings, and turn on Enlarge on click (called Expand on click in some editor versions). After you save the post, the image opens in a lightbox over the current page instead of sending visitors elsewhere.

Enable enlarge-on-click for one image

  1. Open the post or page in the WordPress editor and select the image.

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  2. Open the block settings panel. In the image link or lightbox options, enable Enlarge on click or Expand on click.

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  3. Save or update the post.

  4. Open the public page in a new browser tab and click the image. Confirm that it opens in a larger overlay without navigating away.

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This built-in control applies to the core Image block. WordPress documents the lightbox as available from WordPress 6.4 onward.

Configure enlargement for a Gallery block

Gallery images are configured through the Gallery block rather than the settings for an individual Image block.

  1. Select the Gallery block.

  2. Open its block settings and enable the gallery’s image-link or lightbox option.

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  3. Save the page and test the public gallery, including its navigation controls.

Gallery controls and labels can vary with the installed WordPress version and block configuration, so verify the visitor-facing result after saving.

Turn on a site-wide default with theme.json

If every core Image block should use a lightbox by default, a theme author can enable the core setting in theme.json:

{
  "settings": {
    "blocks": {
      "core/image": {
        "lightbox": {
          "enabled": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

The documented setting is specific to core/image. By default, editors can enable or disable the control for individual images. A theme can set allowEditing to false in the lightbox configuration to hide that editor option and enforce the theme’s choice. This route is intended for a consistent default across core Image blocks, not for third-party image widgets.

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Choose the right click behavior

Setting What visitors see Use it when
Enlarge on click A larger image appears in a lightbox over the current page. Visitors need more detail but should remain on the page.
Link to attachment page Visitors go to a WordPress page associated with the media item. You want an informational attachment page or separate context.
Link to media file The image file opens directly. Visitors should access the original file itself.

These options are different outcomes. Selecting a media-file or attachment-page link will not produce the native lightbox behavior.

Prepare images for an accessible enlarged view

Write appropriate alternative text

Give an informative image meaningful alt text that describes its purpose or content. For a purely decorative image, leave the alt-text field empty. Alt text entered in the block applies to that post or page; alt text saved in the Media Library supplies the default when the image is inserted elsewhere.

Check cropping and responsive sizing

A lightbox does not replace a good source image or explain an image to assistive technology. Avoid fixed heights in most cases because they can make responsive sizing harder. If the in-page image is cropped or constrained by an aspect ratio, confirm that the enlarged view still provides the detail visitors need. Themes and third-party blocks may size lightbox images differently.

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Why the enlarge option is missing

The selected block is not a core Image block

Confirm that you selected WordPress’s standard Image block, not a page-builder widget, theme-specific block, or custom component. The documented theme.json setting targets only core/image.

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The setting is hidden by the theme

A theme can control whether editors may change the lightbox setting. If allowEditing is disabled, the per-image control may not appear even though the theme has enabled the feature.

Another link choice is active

Inspect the image’s link settings. Attachment-page and media-file links open destinations instead of a lightbox; switch to the enlarge/expand option when remaining on the page is the goal.

A plugin or builder is controlling the image

Lightbox plugins and page builders can replace or supplement native behavior. A WordPress.org plugin is available for standard Image and Gallery blocks, but compatibility depends on the exact theme, block, and setup. Change one mechanism at a time, then test the public page to avoid duplicate overlays.

The gallery is configured separately

If a single image works but gallery images do not, select the Gallery block and configure its own lightbox setting. Do not assume the Image block’s option controls a gallery.

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Verify the result before publishing

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