To add a featured image in WordPress, open a post or page, open the settings sidebar, select Featured image, then choose an image from the Media Library or upload one. The active theme or template decides where the image appears and how it is sized or cropped, so the editor’s selected image and the image visitors see are related but separate parts of the process.
How do I add, replace, or remove a featured image?
- Open the post or page in the WordPress editor.
- Open the settings sidebar. If it is hidden, click the gear control.
- In the sidebar, find Featured image and select it.
- Choose an existing image in the Media Library or upload a new one, then confirm the selection.
To change the image, return to the same section and choose a replacement. To clear it, use the removal option there. The Page/Post Settings sidebar documentation explains this control and its location: WordPress.org: Page/Post Settings sidebar.
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Why can’t I see the Featured Image option?
The option depends on the active theme and the post type; its absence does not mean an image upload failed. WordPress enables post thumbnails automatically for block themes. A classic theme must declare support for post thumbnails, and theme developers can limit that support to particular post types. A custom post type may also need thumbnail support enabled when it is registered.
For a classic theme, the support declaration is add_theme_support( 'post-thumbnails' ). It needs to run before init, commonly from the theme’s functions.php file or on the after_setup_theme hook. The relevant guidance is in the WordPress Theme Handbook: Featured Images & Post Thumbnails, the add_theme_support() reference, and the Theme Functions handbook.
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- If the option is missing only for one kind of content, check whether the active theme or custom post type enables thumbnails for that post type.
- If the theme or post type was recently changed, check its thumbnail support before troubleshooting the image file.
- Plugins can also affect what appears in the editor sidebar, so consider whether one changes the editor controls.
Where does a featured image appear on the site?
A featured image is content associated with a post, page, or custom post type; it is not automatically displayed in one universal location. The theme’s template determines whether it appears above the content, in an archive card, in a header, or somewhere else. WordPress’s developer documentation describes featured images as images that represent an individual post, page, or custom post type: Featured Images & Post Thumbnails.
Classic themes
A classic theme template can output the assigned image with the_post_thumbnail(). To retrieve the markup rather than print it directly, developers can use get_the_post_thumbnail(). The output function and its options are documented in the the_post_thumbnail() reference.
Block themes
Block templates can use the Post Featured Image block. It is commonly placed inside a Query Loop so each result displays its own featured image. Whether it can be used in a particular site template depends on Site Editor support. See the WordPress.org Post Featured Image block documentation.
Why is my WordPress featured image cropped or the wrong size?
WordPress has familiar general image sizes—Thumbnail, Medium, Large, and Full Size—whose dimensions are configurable under Settings > Media. Those are distinct from a theme’s post-thumbnail size, which can have its own dimensions and crop behavior. The Media settings are explained in the Settings Media screen documentation.
A theme developer can register an image size with add_image_size() or set the post thumbnail size with set_post_thumbnail_size(). Proportional scaling preserves the image’s aspect ratio; a hard crop can cut it to fixed dimensions, with crop-position options affecting which part remains visible. See the references for add_image_size() and set_post_thumbnail_size().
There is no single WordPress-mandated ratio or pixel dimension that suits every theme. Check the active theme’s image guidance and inspect the image in the actual location where it appears. When evaluating an image, consider:
- Whether its aspect ratio matches the theme’s intended display shape.
- Whether the crop keeps the important subject visible, including on narrower layouts.
- Whether the original file has enough resolution for the size at which the theme displays it.
If a developer changes or registers a theme image size, previously uploaded images may not have generated files for that size. The WordPress reference notes that existing thumbnails may need regeneration after a new size is registered; treat that as a maintenance task for the site, not a routine step every editor must perform. See add_image_size() and set_post_thumbnail_size().
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