Gallery

What is a Gallery in WordPress?

WordPress features a convenient, out-of-the-box gallery builder that makes it effortless to showcase photos, illustrations, and videos in stunning layouts. Plus, you can customize your creation even further with specialized themes and plugins specially designed for galleries.

How to Add Images to Your WordPress Gallery

To add images to a gallery in WordPress, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to the “Posts” or “Pages” section and find the post or page where you want to add the gallery.
3. Click on the “Edit” button to open the editor.
4. Click on the “Add Media” button above the editor.
5. Select the images you want to add to the gallery. You can select multiple images by holding down the “CTRL” or “CMD” key on your keyboard while clicking on the images.
6. Once you have selected the images, click on the “Create a new gallery” button in the left-hand menu.
7. Configure the settings for your gallery, such as the size of the thumbnails and the number of columns.
8. Click on the “Insert Gallery” button to add the gallery to your post or page.
9. Save or publish your post or page to make the gallery visible on your website.

Who Should Use a Gallery in WordPress?

Galleries in WordPress are not just for photographers and artists. Any individual or business that wants to display multiple images and videos in an attractive, organized way can benefit from the features of WordPress galleries.

From real estate agents showcasing properties to designers showing off their portfolios, galleries are a great way to showcase any kind of content with maximum impact.

Finally, galleries are a fantastic tool for online stores to showcase products and for bloggers who want to give readers a visual tour of their latest adventures. Regardless of your content, galleries can help you make the most of it.

How to Choose a WordPress Gallery Plugin

WordPress does include native image gallery functionality, but it’s pretty limited and only good for very basic gallery displays. On the other hand, plugins offer a lot more in terms of design, so they’re worth exploring.

When searching for a plugin to enhance your gallery, here are some things to look out for:

Gallery Features

Not all plugins are created equal; each offering has its distinct capabilities and user base. Do you need a quick, easy solution for basic galleries? Are you looking for something more customizable or intricate?

Maybe it’s just casual use, or you’re a professional photographer managing your portfolio. Whatever the case may be, there is certainly an ideal plugin to meet your needs.

When investing in a plugin, be sure to factor these features into your decision-making process:

• A mobile-friendly design is an absolute must for any gallery, ensuring a seamless user experience across all devices.
• With a variety of visual customization options like text, colors, image sizing, animations, and filters at your disposal, you can easily add creative touches to whatever project you’re working on.
• To bring your visuals to life, explore our incredible gallery layout selections, such as grids, tiles, vertical columns, circles, masonry grids, and mosaics.
• CDN and image optimization
• Encourage social engagement with integrated sharing options.

While added possibilities may appear beneficial, having too many features that you don’t use in your plugin can slow down your website and impede your workflow. This is because excess code will be created, leading to unnecessary bulk on the page.

To address this, some plugins use an extension-based model with a free core plugin and paid add-ons for additional features. This modular approach can be incredibly beneficial.

User Friendliness

If you intend to rely heavily on a gallery plugin, usability should be your highest priority. While some plugins are tailored for casual users and novices, others may require more expertise and experimentation to master due to their wealth of features.

Compared to page builder plugins, many gallery builders rely on a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface for organizing, adjusting, and placing images. The intuitive nature of this approach is one of the main reasons why they’re so popular among users.

In addition, advanced developers can fine-tune their galleries with the powerful tools that some plugins offer.

To get a better understanding of the interface, it’s best to give the plugin a try! Most plugins on our list offer freemium versions that you can download and test out before deciding if an upgrade is necessary.

Price (and Free Versions!)

Undoubtedly, affordability is probably your primary concern. Typically, the more you invest in a WordPress gallery plugin, the better outcomes you’ll have.

It doesn’t mean that you need to go overboard with it, though – several plugins come with full-featured free versions, and some are accessible for an inexpensive one-time fee.

If you seek video galleries, theft protection, and a broader selection of templates and customization features, it is wise to invest in a premium plugin.