An image is any picture file you add to your website — photos, illustrations, icons, or graphics. In WordPress, images are uploaded to your Media Library and can be inserted into posts and pages using the Image block.
Common Image Formats
- JPEG — best for photos, with smaller file sizes at the cost of some quality loss.
- PNG — supports transparency, ideal for logos and graphics.
- WebP — a modern format offering strong compression without much visible quality loss.
- SVG — a scalable vector format best suited for icons and simple graphics.
Why Image Size Matters
Large, uncompressed images are one of the most common causes of slow-loading websites. Resizing images to a sensible dimension and compressing them before upload can dramatically improve page speed without a noticeable drop in visual quality.
Alt Text Matters Too
Every image should have descriptive alt text — a short written description of what the image shows. It helps visually impaired visitors using screen readers, and it also gives search engines useful context about the image.