WordPress Media Library Not Showing Images: 9 Easy Fixes

Sometimes, when you’re Step-by-Step Guide to Building A Website With WordPress and try to upload a new image or file, the Media Library doesn’t load. It may continue spinning, display a blank screen, or take time to respond. This can be frustrating, especially when you’re in the middle of adding content and want things to work smoothly.

The Media Library is a crucial part of your WordPress dashboard. It stores all the images, videos, and documents you use across your site. Whether you’re writing a blog post, updating a page, or Modern Website Design: Key Trends for a Professional Site, you often need to grab files from here. So, if it stops working, it can slow down your workflow and cause unnecessary stress.

This guide explains the most common reasons why the WordPress Media Library not showing images and how to fix them. The steps are easy to follow and don’t require advanced skills. Whether the problem is with your browser, a plugin, or your WordPress Hosting setup, you’ll find a clear solution.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Media Library may not show images due to plugin conflicts, theme issues, or server errors.
• Clearing your browser’s cache can sometimes resolve the issue quickly.
• Ensure your WordPress core, themes, and plugins are updated.
• Switching to a default theme helps rule out theme-related issues.
• Incorrect file permissions in the uploads folder can block media files.
• Increasing the PHP memory limit improves how WordPress handles images.
• Regenerate thumbnails to fix missing or broken image previews.
• Disable media or optimization plugins to spot plugin conflicts.
• A broken or corrupted .htaccess file can affect media access.
• Disabling mod_security or pausing your CDN may also fix loading problems.
• Always check server error logs if nothing else works.
• After resolving the issue, continue to back up regularly and monitor site performance to prevent future problems.

What Causes WordPress Media Library Not Showing Images?

If you’re having trouble uploading images to your WordPress site, several common issues may be involved.

One possible reason is browser compatibility. Sometimes, an image uploads perfectly in one browser but fails in another. This happens because different browsers treat file uploads in their ways, which may cause the process to break.

Another reason is the file name. If your image has special characters, symbols, or extra spaces in its name, WordPress may reject it. Additionally, caching issues can also block uploads. If your site cache is outdated, it might interfere with the image upload process.

However, in some cases, the reason your WordPress Media Library is not loading is because a plugin is causing a conflict behind the scenes. It might change the way uploads work, even if it doesn’t seem related to media files. In this case, disabling plugins one by one can help you find the one causing trouble.

It’s also possible that your 10 Top Free WordPress Themes for your Website is causing issues. If a theme is poorly coded or not thoroughly tested, it may create conflicts that impact the image upload feature.

Another common reason is wrong file permissions. If WordPress doesn’t have the right access to the uploads folder, it won’t be able to store your images. You’ll need to check and update the permissions to ensure WordPress has write access.

Lastly, a low memory limit might be the issue. If your hosting account doesn’t provide enough memory, WordPress won’t be able to process large image files. This can lead to failed uploads or partially uploaded images.

Quick Fixes for WordPress Media Library Not Showing Images

Before you dive into more advanced steps, it’s a good idea to try a few simple fixes. These small changes can often resolve the problem immediately.

Reload Page in a Different Browser

Start by simply reloading the page. This quick step often resolves the issue immediately. How? Sometimes your login session expires in the background, and refreshing the page helps re-establish it.

If the Media Library still isn’t working, try opening your site in a different browser. This can help you find out whether the issue is caused by your current browser’s settings or extensions.

Also, consider that upload problems can occur due to a slow internet connection or a temporary issue with your WordPress Hosting Server Configurations for Improved Speed. In these cases, refreshing the page and trying the upload again may fix the problem. Also, testing in another browser gives you a clearer idea whether it’s a browser-related issue or something else.

Try Uploading an Image Directly from the Media Library

If reloading the page or switching browsers doesn’t help, the next step is to upload the image directly through the Media Library, rather than doing so from a post or page.

To do this, go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Media → Add Media File. Click Select Files and choose the image(s) you want to upload from your local computer.

This way, uploading the image can often sort out the issue and allow the file to load properly. It’s a simple method that may work when other steps don’t.

Rename Your Image File

If your image file name has spaces or special characters, WordPress might not accept it. Characters like #, !, or @ can cause problems because some browsers and servers don’t handle them well. To avoid issues, rename the file using only letters, numbers, and dashes. Also, keep the name simple.

For example, instead of using my image #1!.jpg, change this to my-image-1.jpg. This small step can often help the upload go through without errors.

Clear Browser/Site Cache

Sometimes, your browser saves old files to load pages more quickly. However, if those files are outdated, they can stop specific components of your site, such as the Media Library, from working correctly. To sort this, clear your browser cache.

After that, refresh your WordPress dashboard and see if the Media Library loads. If it still doesn’t, try How To Clear Cache In WordPress: 5 Quick Methods as well.

Update WordPress Core

Running an outdated version of WordPress can cause various problems, including issues with the Media Library. Developers release updates to fix bugs, improve performance, and keep everything running smoothly.

To update WordPress, refer to the following tutorial: How to Update WordPress: 5 Easy Ways

Doing this is quick, but it can fix more than you think. Additionally, ensure the theme and plugins are also updated. If not, you may refer to the following guides to see how to update them successfully:

– How to Update WordPress Theme: 5 Effective Methods

– How to Update WordPress Plugins: A Step-by-Step Guide

Revert Recent Changes

If the previous fixes don’t work, consider what changed just before the Media Library stopped working. Did you install a new plugin, update a theme, or How to Configure WordPress Settings After Installation? If so, that update might be causing the issue.

In this case, try undoing those recent changes one at a time. For example, if you added a new plugin, deactivate it and check if the Media Library works again. This helps you narrow down what’s causing the problem.

These quick fixes don’t take much time but can often get things back on track. If none work, don’t worry, there are more steps to try.

9 Ways to Fix WordPress Media Library Not Showing Images

In this section, we discuss 9 ways to resolve WordPress images not showing in Media Library:

1. Deactivate all Plugins
2. Switch to a Default Theme
3. Inspect File Permissions
4. Increase PHP Memory Limit
5. Check Server Logs
6. Regenerate Thumbnails
7. Disable Media Plugins Temporarily
8. Disable mod_security in .htaccess
9. Pause Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Let’s explore each below.

Deactivate All Plugins

Plugins add features to your WordPress site, but if one of them isn’t working properly or clashes with another, it can break parts of your dashboard, including the Media Library.

To fix this, deactivate plugins by navigating to WordPress Dashboard → Plugins → Installed Plugins. Once all plugins are off, check your Media Library. If it starts working, then you know a plugin was the cause.

Next, turn the plugins back on one at a time. After activating each plugin, check the Media Library once more. When it stops working, the last plugin you activated likely was the reason for the issue. You can then find an alternative plugin or contact the plugin’s support team.

Switch to a Default Theme

Sometimes, the theme you’re using can cause the Media Library to stop working. This usually happens when the theme includes custom scripts or styles that don’t play well with WordPress core files. If something in your theme breaks how media loads, you may end up staring at a blank Media Library.

To check if your theme is the issue, How To Change Or Upload A Theme In WordPress. These themes are clean, stable, and regularly tested by the WordPress team. A good one to try is Twenty Twenty-One or any other theme that came pre-installed with your WordPress setup.

If you want to How to Install WordPress Themes: A Beginner’s Guide of your choice, go through the following steps:

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click on Appearance → Themes.
3. Look for your desired theme.
4. Click Install, then Activate.

After that, refresh your Media Library. If it starts working, the problem is likely in your current theme. You can contact the theme developer or consider switching to a theme that’s known to be well-coded and compatible with the latest WordPress version.

Inspect File Permissions

File permissions determine who can access, change, or run files on your server. In WordPress, these settings are crucial because they control how your site interacts with its files, especially media uploads.

The Media Library depends on the web server (Apache or Nginx) having the right permissions to access the /wp-content/uploads/ folder. Even if the files inside are correctly set, the server still needs execute (x) permission on the folder itself to open and scan its contents. Without that, WordPress won’t be able to display your images, and you may see a message saying No items found.

For example, if the folder is set to 744, the server may not have permission to open it. This will block access even though the files inside are readable.

Here’s how to check and fix those permissions:

First, connect to your web server using SSH. Next, use the cd command to navigate to the following directory:

public_html/wp-content

Then, use the following command to check the given folder’s permission. For example, we check the uploads folder permissions:

stat -c '%a %n' uploads

However, if you want to check all folders and files inside the specified folder, then use the following command:

stat -c '%a %n' uploads/*

And, if you wish to check permissions for a certain depth level, use the following command:

find uploads -maxdepth 2 -exec stat -c '%a %n' {} ;

Here, ensure you replace uploads if you’re working with a different directory.

If you notice that the uploads folder, or any folder inside it, isn’t set to 755, run the following command to update its permissions:

For ‘uploads’ folder only:

chmod -R 755 uploads

For recursive directory permissions inside the ‘uploads’ folder:

find uploads -type d -exec chmod 755 {} ;

If you also wish to ensure files inside uploads are 644 (recommended for security), run the following command:

find uploads -type f -exec chmod 644 {} ;

Note: If you don’t have SSH access, you can update permissions using FileZilla or How To Use cPanel File Manager.

Once the permissions are sorted, upload a file or open the Media Library once more. If it loads, the issue was with how your files were set up. This small change often fixes loading problems related to file access.

Increase PHP Memory Limit

If the WordPress media library not showing images message persists, you may have problems with the PHP memory limit. Sometimes, the Media Library won’t load because your site doesn’t have enough PHP memory to run everything properly. When WordPress reaches the memory limit, components like the Media Library may stop working or load very slowly.

To resolve this, you can increase the PHP memory limit. There are several ways to do this, depending on the access you have. To simplify this for you, we’ve written the following detailed tutorial on how to increase and verify the PHP memory limit: WordPress Memory Limit Management: How To Verify & Increase it

Once you’ve increased the memory limit, check your Media Library once more. If memory is the issue, it should start loading normally. This step helps your site handle heavier tasks without crashing or freezing.

Check Server Logs

Sometimes, your server may be the reason the Media Library isn’t loading. These issues aren’t always visible from inside WordPress, which is why checking your server’s error logs can help you find out what’s wrong.

If you’re using cPanel Web Hosting, here’s how to check your error logs:

1. How To Login To cPanel.
2. Navigate to Metrics → Errors to view the latest error messages.

Search the log for anything related to WordPress, PHP, or file access issues. If you see a message you don’t understand or something looks serious, contact your hosting provider. They can explain the error and help fix the problem from their side.

Regenerate Thumbnails

When you upload an image to WordPress, it creates different sizes of that image. These are called thumbnails. WordPress uses these thumbnails in the following places:

• Blog listings
• Galleries
• Media Library preview.

However, if something occurs during this process, you may see broken images or missing previews in your Media Library.

This typically happens when you change themes, update image settings, or How To Migrate A WordPress Site To A New Host. In these cases, the old image sizes may no longer match what WordPress expects, which causes display problems.

To fix this, regenerate your thumbnails. The easiest way to do this is to use a free plugin called Force Regenerate Thumbnails. Here’s how to do it:

First, install and activate the Force Regenerate Thumbnails plugin. Then, go to Tools → Force Regenerate Thumbnails. Then, click Regenerate All Thumbnails to start regenerating your image sizes.

This plugin browses all your images and creates new thumbnails based on your current settings. Once done, reload your Media Library, and you should now see the image previews working again.

Disable Media Plugins Temporarily

Some WordPress plugins are made to handle images and videos, whether it’s for compressing files or adding galleries. While these tools can be helpful, they may also interfere with how the Media Library loads or displays files.

If WordPress Media Library is not loading properly, a media plugin could be the reason. For example, it may be attempting to WordPress Image Optimization Techniques for Faster Loading in the background or change how files are handled. This can cause conflicts that deter your media from appearing correctly.

To test this, go to your WordPress Dashboard → Plugins → Installed Plugins. Look for any media-related tools, such as:

• Image optimizers
• Gallery plugins
• Lazy load tools
• Anything connected to your media files.

Then, temporarily deactivate these plugins one at a time. After deactivating each one, check your Media Library once more to see if it starts working. If the problem disappears, you’ve likely found the source of the conflict.

Once you identify the plugin causing the issue, you can check for an update, look for a setting that may be causing trouble, or switch to a different plugin that works better with your setup.

Disable mod_security in .htaccess

mod_security is a security feature that protects your site by blocking suspicious activity. While it’s useful, it can sometimes be too strict and block specific sections of the WordPress dashboard.

If mod_security is blocking something in error, your Media Library may not load properly. In this case, disabling it can help sort out the issue, at least temporarily, so you can continue working.

Here’s how to disable mod_security in .htaccess:

Go to cPanel → Files → File Manager.

Then, navigate to the public_html (a root directory) of your WordPress site. Find the .htaccess file, right-click on it, and select Edit.

Then, add the following lines at the top of this file:

SecFilterEngine Off
SecFilterScanPOST Off

Then, click Save Changes.

Now, refresh your site. This process informs the server that it must turn off mod_security for your WordPress site. If the Media Library starts working again, you’ve found the cause of the issue.

Note: Only do this if you’re comfortable editing system files. And don’t forget to back up your .htaccess file first. If you’re unsure, it’s always best to contact a WordPress specialist or your hosting provider for help.

Pause Content Delivery Network (CDN)

If you’re using a CDN to speed up your site, it may be interfering with how the Media Library loads. CDNs help deliver your site’s files faster by storing copies of them on servers around the world, but sometimes they cache files in a way that blocks important scripts or media previews inside your WordPress dashboard.

To check if the CDN is the issue, you can temporarily disable it. Here’s how to do it using Cloudflare:

Log in to your Cloudflare provider account. Navigate to your domain name. Click ⋮ → Pause Cloudflare.

After that, go back to your WordPress dashboard and refresh the Media Library. If it loads after pausing the CDN, then you’ve found the issue. In this case, you may need to update your CDN settings to work with WordPress. Some CDNs allow you to exclude specific files or paths from caching, which can help.

If you’re unsure about the settings, reach out to your CDN provider for help. They will guide you through configuring it properly so your Media Library and Analyzing WordPress Site Speed and Performance Metrics both work as expected.

Note: After fixing the Media Library issue, ensure your site is stable by monitoring performance, regularly backing up, and updating WordPress, themes, and plugins. These small steps help prevent future problems and ensure everything runs smoothly without surprises.

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• About the Author
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Rhett Freeman( Researcher, Content Writer and WordPress Content Guru )

Rhett isn’t just a writer at Hosted.com – he’s our resident WordPress content guru. With over 6 years of experience as a content writer, with a background in copywriting, journalism, research, and SEO, and a passion for websites.

Rhett authors informative blogs, articles, and Knowledgebase guides that simplify the complexities of WordPress, website builders, domains, and cPanel hosting. Rhett’s clear explanations and practical tips provide valuable resources for anyone wanting to own and build a website. Just don’t ask him about coding before he’s had coffee.

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