Media Library Screen: Images, Video, Recordings and Uploads

Media consists of the images, video, recordings, and files that you upload and use in your blog. Media is typically uploaded and inserted into the content when writing a Post or writing a Page. Note that the Uploading Setting in the Settings Media Screen describes the location and structure of the upload directory (where your media files are stored). If you do need to upload Media, even if that Media is not related to a Post or Page, then you need to use the Media Add New Screen.

Visit the Media Add New Screen to install new media by clicking Add New link at the top of this screen or Select Media > Add New from left side menu.

Media Library

The Media Library Screen allows you to edit, view, and delete Media previously uploaded to your blog. Multiple Media objects can be selected for deletion. Search and filtering ability is also provided to allow you to find the desired Media.

Media Library provides two type of views. One is simple visual Grid View and another is conventional List View. Switch between these views using the icons to the left above the screen.

Media Library Grid View

In Media Library Grid View, thumbnails of image, Audio icons and Movie icons are arranged in the grid.

Filtering Options

At the top of Grid View, you can filter the media by media type and date:
All media items

This dropdown allows you to select, by media type such as Images, Audio and Video or Unattached to any Posts nor Pages, which Media are displayed in the Table of Media. By default, “All media items” is selected and all of your Media are displayed.

All Dates

This dropdown allows you to select, by date, which Media are displayed in the Grid View. By default, “Show all dates” is selected and all of your Media are displayed.

To the right, is a Search box where you can enter a word, or series of words to search and display all the Media meeting your search words. The search results will be updated as you type.

Delete Media

To delete media items, click the Bulk Select button at the top of the screen. Select any items you wish to delete, then click the Delete Selected button. Clicking the Cancel Selection button takes you back to viewing your media.

Attachment Details

In Media Library Grid View, clicking an Image thumbnail, Audio icon or Video icon will display an Attachment Details dialog, which allows you to preview media and make quick edits. Any changes you make to the attachment details will be automatically saved. You can also delete individual items and access the extended edit screen from the details dialog.
Use the arrow buttons at the top of the dialog, or the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard, to navigate between media items quickly.

Attachment Details changes its appearance and information by media type. The left side of this dialog shows the Image, Audio player or Video player. The right side lists the following media file attributes and optional data. Some of them are editable from this dialog.

• File name – The name of media file
• File type – The MIME Type of media file
• Uploaded on – The date when media file was uploaded
• File size – The file size of media file
• Dimensions – (Image files only) The dimensions of image media
• URL – Read only display of a direct link to the media file.
• Title – The name of the media. A title is often shown on attachment pages and galleries if themes or plugins are designed to display it.
• Caption – A brief explanation of the media.
• Description – An explanation of this particular media.
• Alt Text – (Image files only) The alt text for the image, e.g. “The Mona Lisa” to describe the media. Used for accessibility.
• Artist – (Voice files only) Singer, composer or producer of this media.
• Album – (Voice files only) Album title that includes this media.
• Uploaded By – author who uploaded the Media.
• Uploaded To – Title of the Post or Page that contains this Media. Click on the title to view that Post or Page in an edit Screen. If the Media was unattached to any Post or Page, this line does not appear.

At the bottom there are three link menus:

View attachment page

shows the media in a simulated view of how the image would look when displayed in your Theme.

Edit more details

displays the Edit Media Screen. See the Edit Media for details on editing Media information.

Delete Permanently

deletes the media.

Also, image files has Edit Image button at the lower left

Edit Image

(Image files only) allows you to make edits such as rotate, scale, and crop. See the Edit Image Screen.

Media Library List View

In Media Library List View, a table lists all of your Media, by row. The Media are listed with the newest uploaded Media first.

Table of Media

The table of Media contains the following columns:

• [ ] – This checkbox, when clicked (checked), ‘selects’ that particular Media to be processed by a Bulk Action.
• “thumbnail” – There is no column heading for “thumbnail”, but a small image of the actual media is displayed in this column
• File – Displayed in the form of a link, this is Title, the name of the media. Clicking the title link opens Edit Media Screen. See the Edit Media for details on editing Media information. Below the Title the actual name of the file that holds this particular Media is displayed.
• Author – Displayed in the form of a link, this is the author who uploaded the Media. Clicking the author link causes all the Media authored by that user to be displayed in the Table of Media (thus allowing a Bulk Action to be applied to all Media for a given author).
• Uploaded to – Uploaded to describes the title of the Post or Page that contains this Media and the date of that Post or Page. Click on the title to view that Post or Page in an edit Screen. If the Media was unattached to any Post or Page, an “Attach” link will appear and when clicked this Media can be attached to selected Posts or Pages. For more detail about selecting, see Find Posts or Pages. If the Media has been attached to more than one Post or Page, only the details of the first Post or Page will be displayed.
• comment bubble – Each Media row has comment bubble with the number of comments for that Media. If a Media has any comments, then the number of comments is displayed in a bubble. Clicking on a blue comment bubble causes the Comments Screen to be displayed to allow moderation of those comments.
• Date – The date the Media was uploaded.

Sortable Columns

Some column headings, such as the File, Author, Uploaded to, and Date headings, can be clicked to sort the Table of Media in ascending or descending order. Hover over the column title, e.g. File, to see the up arrow or down arrow. Click the heading to change the sort order.

Page Navigation

Under the Screen Options, the number of Media displayed per page is determined. If more than one page of Media is available, two double-arrow boxes to move to the first and last page are provided. Also two single-arrow boxes are displayed to move one page backward or forward. Finally, a box showing the current page number can be used to enter a page to directly display.

Screen Options

The Screen Options allow you to choose which columns are displayed, or not displayed, in the underlying Table. Clicking on the Screen Options tab shows a list of the columns with a check-box next to each column. Check the box for each column you want displayed in the Table, or uncheck the box to not display that column. In addition, the number of Media items to display in the Table of Media can be set. Click the Screen Options tab again to close the Screen Options.

Search

Above the Table, to the right, is a Search box where you can enter a word, or series of words, and hit the Enter key to search and display all the Media meeting your search words.

Filtering Options

At the top of List view, you can filter the media by media type and date:
All

This dropdown allows you to select, by media type such as Images, Audio and Video or Unattached to any Posts nor Pages, which Media are displayed in the Table of Media. By default, “All” is selected and all of your Media are displayed.

All Dates

This dropdown allows you to select, by date, which Media are displayed in the Table of Media. By default, “All dates” is selected and all of your Media are displayed.

Filter

Clicking this button applies the settings you select in the dropdown.

Photo by Taras Shypka on Unsplash