When you have a website, you store your images and other media in your Media Library. And over time, it can become cluttered and hard to manage. Every image, PDF, and graphic you upload is stored in the media library in one big place, which makes it easy to lose track of your files and slow down your workflow.
The good news is that there are a few best practices and simple steps that can keep your media library manageable and organized. By following simple steps, you can save time, reduce frustration, and make updating your website much easier!
What’s Your Media Library?
Your Media Library is a digital filing cabinet for your website. It’s the area inside your WordPress dashboard where all uploaded files are stored (images, PDFs, documents, audio files, videos, etc.). Any time you upload a file, it is stored in the Media Library.
When files are clearly labeled and well organized, it’s easy to find what you need. When they’re not, even simple tasks can be time-consuming and frustrating. There are other disadvantages to having a disorganized media library, too.
The Risks of a Disorganized Media Library
A messy media library can slow you down in ways you may not notice at first. Simple tasks like updating a page or writing a blog post can take longer because you are scrolling, searching, or reuploading images you already have. In addition, too many large or unused files can negatively affect your site’s performance.
The good news is that you don’t need any special tech skills to fix this problem! A few small changes in how you upload and organize your files can make a big difference and help your website feel easier to manage.
Tips for Managing Your WordPress Media Library
1) Give Your File a Good Name Before Uploading
I cannot emphasize this enough! Before uploading an image, rename it on your computer. Use words that will help you to be able to find that image in the future. For example, name your image yoga-class-studio.jpg instead of IMG_4829.jpg. The latter name tells you nothing about the image, and so you’ll have trouble locating it in the future.
To rename your image, right-click the image file on your computer and choose ‘Rename’. Use short, descriptive words that explain what the image shows, and separate words with dashes. Avoid special characters, random symbols, or meaningless numbers.
Clear file names help you find images faster, reduce duplicate uploads, and give your website a small SEO boost.
2) Resize and Compress Images Before Uploading
Uploading large images straight from your phone or computer can slow down your website. Before uploading, resize images to the size you actually need on your site. Smaller images load faster, use less storage, and help your website feel more professional.
You can resize images using free tools like Canva or your computer’s built-in photo editor. If an image will appear only within a blog post, it usually does not need to be wider than about 1200 pixels.
Even after resizing an image, the file size may still be larger than needed. Compressing an image reduces file size while keeping it clear on your website.
I use TinyPNG to compress images before uploading them to WordPress. Upload your image to the TinyPNG site, click “Compress”, download the compressed version, and then upload that new file to your Media Library. Remember to give it a good name before you upload it!
Smaller file sizes help your pages load faster and give visitors a better experience as they navigate your site.
3) Add a Good Description and Alt Text to Your Images
After you’ve uploaded your image, be sure to add a good description and alt-text in the appropriate fields. A good description will help you find the image later. Alt-text is a short description of what an image shows. It helps people who use screen readers and gives search engines more information about your content.
To add alt-text, find your image in the Media Library and click on it. Look for the alt-text field on the right side. Type a brief sentence or phrase that describes what the image shows, such as a “woman practicing yoga in a bright studio” or “girl blowing out a birthday cake“.
Don’t overthink this – a short, clear description works best.
4) Use Folders to Stay Organized
By default, WordPress stores all media files in one big list, which can quickly become overwhelming when you have a lot of files. Using folders makes it much easier to manage images as your site grows.
A great free plugin to try is Media Library Organizer. This tool lets you create unlimited media library folders and subfolders to organize WordPress media library content.
Media Library Organizer Plugin
by Themeisle
Note: This plugin does not organize your files on your computer. It only organizes them within your WordPress dashboard.
5) Add a Plugin to Display Your Media File Sizes inside WordPress
As your media library grows, scrolling through dozens or even hundreds of files can become frustrating and time-consuming. Instead, use the built-in search bar and filters to quickly locate what you need.
When files are named clearly, you can type part of the file name into the search bar and find images almost instantly. You can also filter by file type, such as images, PDFs, or audio files.
To take searching one step further, try the Media Library File Size plugin. It lets you sort files by size, so you can easily find large images that may be slowing down your site.
Media Library File Size Plugin
by Sully
Here’s a video where I show you how to use the Media Library File Size Plugin
6) Delete Images You’re Not Using
Over time, your media library fills up with old graphics, unused images, and duplicate files. Once or twice a year, it is a good idea to do a quick cleanup. Sort your media library by date and look for older files you no longer recognize or use.
Before deleting anything, click on the file and make sure it is not attached to a page or post. After you double-check it’s not in use, you can safely delete it.
The Media Cleaner plugin is a great tool for cleaning up your WordPress media library. It helps by scanning for unused media files and fixing broken entries.
Media Cleaner: Clean your WordPress! Plugin
by Jordy Meow
An important note: Before deleting anything, carefully review the list of media files flagged as unused. If you are using the Divi theme, check to see if any are being used in your layout, even if they don’t show up as “attached” in the Media Library. When in doubt, don’t delete it until you confirm it’s not visible on your site.
Final Thoughts
A cluttered media library can be frustrating for you and slow down your site’s performance for visitors. However, keeping it organized saves time, improves load speeds, and makes site updates much easier.
Start small by building better habits for new uploads. Rename files before uploading, add alt text right away, resize images properly, and use folders to stay organized.
These small steps add up quickly. Over time, they reduce stress and make managing your WordPress site simpler and smoother.
