How To Use Featured Images In WordPress

How To Use Featured Images In WordPress

Using Featured Images In WordPressThis tutorial explains how to use featured images in WordPress and covers the following:

See these tutorials for additional information:

A Featured Image (previously known as a “Post Thumbnail”) is an image that you choose to represent your Posts, Pages, or Custom Post Types.

Featured images can be used to make your posts and pages look more attractive and enticing to your readers and increase the visual appeal of your site and your content.

A sample post with and without a featured image.
A featured image can help make your post stand out.

WordPress themes with “magazine-type” layouts, for example, tend to use featured images prominently. With some themes, featured images may display only on the home page as post thumbnails, or only on the header section of single posts and pages and alongside post excerpts.

MH Themes - Magazine
Magazine-style themes use featured images. (Source: mhthemes.com)

You can find free WordPress themes that use featured images by searching for themes in the free WordPress Theme directory or the ‘Add Themes’ screen in your dashboard with the “Featured Images” search filter enabled.

Add Themes - Feature Filter with eatured images selected.
Use the Feature Filter to find WordPress themes that use featured images.

Your WordPress theme controls whether featured images display on your posts, pages, and custom post types or not, so make sure that the theme(s) you choose support using featured images.

If you plan to use a theme that doesn’t automatically support using featured images, you may need to ask a WordPress developer to customize your theme templates.

To learn more about using WordPress themes go here: WordPress Themes Explained

In this section, we’ll add a featured image to a post using the WordPress Classic Editor and the WordPress Block Editor.

If you need help creating or editing posts or pages, see these tutorials:

WordPress Classic Editor

To add a featured image to your post, make sure that the Featured Image box in the sidebar of your Edit Posts screen is visible.

Edit Post screen - Featured image box.
Use the Featured Image box to add a featured image to your posts or pages.

If you cannot see the Featured Image box in your Edit Post screen, click on the Screen Options tab at the top of your screen.

The Screen Options tab.
Click on the Screen Options tab.

Make sure that the checkbox next to Featured Image in the Screen elements section is ticked.

Screen Options tab: Screen elements - Featured image checkbox enabled.
Make sure the Featured image checkbox is enabled in the Screen Options tab.

With the Featured image box visible, click on the Set featured image link.

Featured image box - Set featured image.
Click on the Set featured image link.

This will open the Featured Image screen.

Select the image you would like to use as your featured image and click on the Set featured image button.

Featured image screen with image selected.
Select an image and click on the Set featured image button.

The image you have selected will be added to your post as a featured image.

Featured image selected.
Featured image selected.

Another way to set a featured image in a WordPress post is to click on the Add Media button inside your Edit Post screen.

Edit Post screen - Add Media button.
Click on the Add Media button.

This will open the Add Media screen in your Media Library.

Click on the Featured Image link in the Add media menu.

Add media screen: Add media menu - Featured image
Select Featured image.

Next, select the image you would like to use as your featured image and click on the Set featured image button.

Featured image screen - Featured image.
Select your featured image and click on the Set featured image button.

Your selected image will be set as the featured image of your post (or page).

Remember to click Update to save and publish your new post settings.

Publish box - Update button.
Update your post to save your new settings.

WordPress Block Editor

Adding a featured image in the Block Editor follows a similar process.

If you can’t see the Featured Image box in the sidebar of your block editor, check that this option is enabled in your Block Options menu (the vertical ellipsis) > Preferences > Panels > Document settings section.

Featured image settings enabled in the Preferences - Panels section.
Enable the Featured image settings in the Preferences – Panels area of the Block Editor’s Options section.

With Featured image settings enabled, click on the ‘Set featured image’ panel.

WordPress Block Editor - Posts screen, Featured Image box.
Click on the Set featured image area.

This brings up the Featured image screen

Select the image you would like to use as your featured image and click on the Set featured image button.

Featured imag screen - selecting and adding a featured image.
Select and add a featured image.

This will add the selected image to your post as a featured image.

Featured image added to post.
Featured image added to post.

Save and publish your post (or page) and visit your post to view the featured image you have specified and make sure that it is displaying correctly.

A sample post with a featured image.
Your post now displays a featured image.

To replace a featured image in a post or page, do the following:

If using the WordPress Classic Editor, click on the image in the Featured image box, select a new image from the Media Library, and add it to your post or page using the methods described earlier in this tutorial.

WordPress Classic Editor - Featured Image box.
Click the image to edit or update.

If using the WordPress Block Editor, click on the ‘Replace Image’ in the Featured image section and follow the same process as described above.

WordPress Block Editor - Featured Image box.
Click the Replace Image button.

If you need to resize, crop, or adjust your featured image, refer to this tutorial: How To Edit WordPress Media Library Images

Removing a featured image from a post or page works in the same way regardless of the content editor you are using.

To remove a featured image from a post, edit the post, then scroll down to the Featured Image box and click on the Remove featured image link.

Remove featured image
Remove featured image

The featured image should continue to display on your post or page even if you change the active WordPress theme on your site if the new theme supports using featured images.

As mentioned earlier, your WordPress theme controls how featured images display on your site.

Some themes, use featured images to make posts stand out on the home page…

WordPress Theme: Ada Pearl
This theme uses featured images prominently. (Theme: Ada Pearl)

Portfolio themes also rely on featured images to draw visitors in.

A portfolio theme.
A portfolio theme (Theme: BlogJr Portfolio)

Several themes display featured images with post excerpts on their blog section.

Sample blog page with featured images.
Featured images are typically used in blog pages to draw attention to posts. (Theme: Twenty Sixteen)

To learn where to find quality free and premium WordPress themes, see this tutorial: Where To Find WordPress Themes

You can also use plugins to enhance the use of featured images and add new features and functions to your site, such as:

  • Add images to RSS feeds.
  • Automatically set a featured image for posts if a featured image has not been set manually (e.g. make a featured image from the first image on your post).
  • Bulk replace and delete featured images in your posts.
  • Use external images as featured images.
  • Add multiple featured images to posts.
  • Display custom captions in featured images.
  • and more!

You can search for feature image-enhancing plugins inside your WordPress dashboard (Plugins > Add New), or by visiting the free WordPress Plugin Directory.

Add Plugins screen - Search WordPress Plugins feature.
WordPress plugins can extend the capabilities of using featured images on your site.

Search the free WordPress Plugin Directory for feature image plugins here: WordPress Featured Image Plugins

Featured image
Featured image

Congratulations! Now you know how to use featured images on your WordPress site.

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Updated: April 9th, 2023

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