How to Change a Website Image in WordPress

To change an image in WordPress, select the image block, choose Replace, and select a file from the Media Library or upload a new one. If you mean the post or page’s featured image, use the separate Featured image control in the settings sidebar. These are different controls.

Choose the kind of image you want to change

WordPress usually involves one of three image tasks:

Image in the page or post content: change the selected Image block.
Featured image: change the image assigned to the post or page. Its display depends on the theme.
Existing file edit: crop, rotate, or scale the current media item rather than replacing it.

The core workflow below uses the WordPress block editor and standard Media Library. Menu names can differ with your WordPress version, theme, and plugins.

Replace an image inside a page or post

Open the page or post in the WordPress editor.
Click the image you want to change so the Image block is selected.
In the image toolbar, click Replace.
Choose Media Library to select an existing file, or choose the upload option to add a new image.
Save the draft or click Update or Publish.
Open the public page in a new tab and check the image at desktop and mobile widths.

The Image block’s Replace menu can also reset the block to its initial setup options. WordPress’s Media inserter lets you drag an image onto an existing image to replace it. If the current image is hosted elsewhere, the block toolbar can offer Upload to Media Library so you keep a site-hosted copy. See the WordPress Image block documentation for the documented controls.

Change a post or page’s featured image

Open the post or page in the editor.
Click the Settings gear if the right sidebar is hidden.
Open the Post or Page settings section, then find Featured image.
Click Replace and select an image from the Media Library, or upload one.
Use Remove if you want the post to have no featured image.
Save or update the content and check the published view.

A featured image is separate from every Image block in the content. Whether and where it appears is controlled by the theme, as explained in WordPress’s Page/Post Settings sidebar documentation.

Crop, rotate, or scale the current image

Use an edit when the source image is correct but its framing or dimensions need to change.

Quick edit from the Image block

Select the Image block.
Choose Crop in the image toolbar.
Adjust the crop, rotate, or scale controls in the media editor.
Apply the change, then save or update the page.

Edit from the Media Library

Go to Media > Library.
Open the media item by clicking its name or Edit.
Choose Edit Image.
Crop, rotate, or scale the image, then save.

WordPress saves the edited version as a new image file and keeps the original available in the Media Library. Read the Edit Media guide for the Media Library workflow.

Update the image title, caption, description, and alt text

Open the media item in the Media Library to manage its title, caption, alt text, and description. You can also set alt text directly on the Image block for that particular placement.

Write alt text that describes the useful information in the image.
Leave alt text empty only when the image is decorative and adds no meaningful information or function.
Review the Image block’s alt text after replacing an image; the old placement’s text may no longer describe the new file.

Media Library alt text supplies a default when the image is inserted elsewhere, while a block can have its own per-page alt text. WordPress documents media details in its Media Library screen guide.

Upload a replacement or keep an external URL?

Uploading a copy to your Media Library is usually easier to maintain when you have permission to use the image. An image inserted only from an external URL can stop displaying if the original file is moved, deleted, or access rules change. If you keep an external source, confirm that it allows hotlinking and that you have the right to display it.

When you upload a replacement, choose a useful filename, check its dimensions, and confirm the file appears correctly in the published page. WordPress may create generated image sizes for the theme and responsive layouts.

Verify the change after saving

Refresh the public URL, preferably in a private window.
Check the content image and featured image separately.
Test the page at narrow and wide viewport sizes.
Confirm the image’s crop, link, caption, and alt text.
If a cache or CDN is enabled, purge or wait for its normal cache update before diagnosing a stale result.

Common problems and fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
The image in the article did not change	A different block was selected, or the post was not updated.	Select the exact Image block, use Replace, update the post, and reload the public URL.
The featured image is unchanged	You replaced an in-content image instead of the Featured image.	Open the settings sidebar and replace the image under Featured image.
The new image looks cropped	The theme or an image block setting uses a fixed ratio or thumbnail size.	Check the block’s crop settings and the theme’s featured-image presentation.
The old image still appears	Browser, plugin, server, or CDN cache.	Hard-refresh, test privately, clear the relevant cache, and confirm the source URL in the page.
The image is broken after replacing it	The file upload failed, permissions changed, or an external URL is unavailable.	Open the Media Library item, confirm it loads, and upload a permitted local copy if appropriate.
Alt text describes the old image	Alt text was set on the block and was not revised.	Edit the Image block’s alt text and save the page.
The new image appears in one place but not another	Each placement can have separate block settings and metadata.	Check every placement and its per-block alt text, link, and crop.
The Replace control is missing	The block is not selected, the editor is different, or a plugin changed the toolbar.	Click the image itself, confirm it is an Image block, and check the block’s options menu.

Performance and reliability considerations

Use an appropriately sized replacement instead of uploading a very large original for a small display area.
Keep the original in the Media Library when you may need to restore it; WordPress’s image editor retains it when saving an edited version.
Check the published page after changing a featured image because themes can use different crops or placements.
Use a local Media Library copy when an external host’s availability is outside your control and you have usage permission.
After a replacement, inspect the actual public URL and cache layers before re-editing the post.

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FAQ

Can I replace every copy of an image at once?

These steps replace the selected Image block or selected featured image. They do not promise a site-wide replacement for every reference to the same file.

Will replacing an image delete the old file?

Replacing a block points that placement to another image. Editing through the Media Editor saves a new edited file and keeps the original available.

Why does my theme show the image differently?

The theme controls how featured images are displayed and may apply its own crop, size, or location.

Should I change alt text in the Media Library or the editor?

Use the block’s alt text when the wording is specific to that page. Media Library alt text acts as a default for later insertions.

Can I use an image from another website?

You can insert an external URL when permitted, but it may break if that source disappears or changes access. Upload a lawful copy when you need control over availability.