How to Create an Image Gallery in WordPress (Step by Step)

Creating an image gallery in WordPress allows you to display multiple photos in an organized, aesthetically pleasing way. With the right WordPress gallery plugin or block, you can easily build beautiful, responsive galleries to showcase your images.

As an experienced WordPress professional with over 15 years in the industry, I‘ve helped hundreds of sites implement optimized galleries that delight users and make visual content shine.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll walk through two excellent methods for creating stunning image galleries in WordPress:

1. Using the built-in WordPress Gallery block
2. Using the Envira Gallery plugin (recommended for advanced galleries)

Let‘s dive in!

The Importance of Image Galleries for WordPress Sites

With WordPress now powering over 43% of all websites, opportunities abound for implementing polished galleries on both personal and professional sites.

But why are galleries so important for WordPress sites in the first place?

Display Visual Content in an Optimal Format

Galleries allow you to present a collection of images in a carefully organized grid or other layout. This takes advantage of the visual medium by optimizing engagement and scanability.

Compare how much easier it is to view 12 images in a 3-column layout vs. stacked vertically down a long webpage.

Galleries simply make visual content more consumable.

Enhance User Experience

Scrolling endlessly to view a series of individual images isn‘t a great experience for site visitors.

By arranging images in a gallery format, you can reduce cognitive load and present more information in a smaller space. This improves your site‘s overall user experience.

Promote Interactivity

Features like lightboxes and zoom allow users to interact with gallery images in engaging ways. This goes beyond static presentation to facilitate active engagement.

Show Off Photography and Portfolios

For photographers, designers, and other visual creators, galleries make the perfect showcase for promoting work publicly. Even ecommerce sites rely on galleries to present product images.

Simply put, galleries help images look their best!

Now that we‘ve covered why galleries matter, let‘s explore how to build excellent ones on WordPress…

Method 1: Create an Image Gallery With the WordPress Block Editor

WordPress 5.0 introduced a built-in Gallery block you can use to quickly create simple image galleries.

The block editor provides a straightforward approach for basic galleries, though functionality is limited compared to plugins.

Let‘s walk through how to build a gallery with it:

1. In the WordPress admin, open the post or page where you want to add a gallery.

2. Click the plus (+) button to open the block inserter. Search for the “Gallery” block and click it to add it to your content.

3. In the placeholder gallery that appears, click the Upload button to upload new images directly to the gallery from your computer. You can select multiple files at once during upload.

4. Alternatively, click the Media Library button to open your WP media library and select existing images to add.

5. Once your photos are uploaded, you can edit details like alt text and captions on each image as needed. Click the settings icon on an image to open options.

6. When finished, click the “Create Gallery” button to insert the final gallery into your post/page.

Now you can customize aspects of the gallery layout:

• In the block sidebar settings, adjust columns to set how many columns wide your gallery should span.

• Toggle the Crop Images switch on to force images to identical sizes by cropping.

• Set Link To to make images open individually in Attachment Page or Media File on click.

• Adjust other settings like image sizes, spacing, captions, etc.

When satisfied, publish your post/page to make the gallery live on your site.

The WordPress core gallery block offers a super simple way to create basic grid-style galleries on your site. However, it lacks more advanced functions that can further optimize user experience.

For that, we recommend turning to a dedicated gallery plugin. Next we’ll explore building galleries using Envira, our top pick.

Method 2: Building Advanced Galleries With Envira Gallery Plugin

To unleash the full potential of your WordPress image galleries, we strongly recommend using a robust gallery plugin like Envira Gallery.

Envira Gallery is a premium WordPress plugin with a freemium option available too. Benefits include:

• 100+ Professional Gallery Designs: Save time by using premade responsive gallery templates.

• Intuitive Drag & Drop Builder: Easily arrange and customize galleries visually.

• Lightboxes: Let users view images fullscreen for closer inspection.

• Proofing Tools: Review images and collect feedback/approvals.

• Social Sharing: Add buttons to help visitors share galleries.

• SEO Optimized: Add titles, alt text, captions to boost SEO.

• Gallery Shortcode & Block: Embed galleries into any post, page, or custom post type.

• Top-Notch Support: Helpful support from gallery experts.

And much more! With its strong customization options, Envira Gallery is our top choice for building professional image galleries on WordPress.

Installing and Configuring Envira Gallery

From purchase to publication, here is an overview of using Envira Gallery to create advanced WordPress galleries:

1. Install the Envira Gallery Plugin

   First, install and activate the Envira Gallery plugin on your WordPress site just like any other plugin.

2. Enter Your License Key

   Once active, go to Envira Gallery > Settings and enter your license key if you have a paid pro or business account. This enables full plugin capabilities.

3. Create a New Gallery

   Go to Envira Gallery > Add New to start creating a gallery. Give it a descriptive name.

4. Upload Images

   Click Select Images From Computer and upload your gallery images from your hard drive. You can also add from Media Library.

5. Edit Image Metadata

   Below your images, expand the metadata section. Click the pencil icon on each image to add titles, captions, alt text, etc. Click Save Metadata when done editing each image.

6. Customize Gallery Settings

   Go to the Configuration tab and customize your gallery‘s design, spacing, sizing, columns, borders, captions, thumbnail styling, and many other settings to perfection.

7. Enable Lightbox

   Go to the Lightbox tab and enable lightbox to allow images to display in an overlaid fullscreen view on click. Adjust lightbox options here too.

8. Refine Mobile Options

   Go to the Mobile tab to customize options for mobile displays like image sizes, lightbox settings, etc.

9. Insert Your Gallery

   Once set up, insert your gallery into any post/page with the Envira Gallery block. Select your gallery from the dropdown.

10. Publish Your Gallery

    Publish your post/page containing the gallery. Then view your live site to see your robust, professional gallery in action!

With the unmatched power of Envira Gallery, you can create polished image galleries for any WordPress site, large or small.

Next let‘s cover some pro gallery design tips and tricks.

Professional Gallery Design Tips and Best Practices

Creating a functional gallery is one thing, but designing an engaging gallery that users actively enjoy interacting with calls for some extra planning and technique.

Here are some professional tips for crafting the ultimate user experience:

Maintain Consistent Gallery Layouts

Keeping gallery formats consistent across your site helps visitors recognize and adapt to your image presentation style. Reusing templates is perfectly fine.

Take Advantage of Thumbnails

Display thumbnail previews that link to full images. This minimizes scrolling while allowing peeks at your photos.

Add White Space and Borders

White space and borders aid scanability by visually separating gallery thumbnails. Don‘t pack things too tightly!

Optimize Loading Speeds

Compress images and enable lazy loading. This reduces file sizes and loading times to enhance performance.

Make Images Clickable

Open full images or links on click so users can view details without losing gallery context. Lightboxes are ideal.

Include Descriptive Captions

Well-written captions provide valuable context and aid accessibility. But be concise!

Organize Galleries into Albums

Group related galleries together into navigable albums. Reveal your images gradually.

Incorporate Interactive Features

Tools like pinch to zoom and swiping make galleries feel dynamic. Especially powerful on mobile!

Always Credit Photos

Provide photo credits/attribution where applicable. This gives props and adds helpful context.

Carefully incorporating design best practices results in the most usable, enjoyable gallery experiences. Your visitors will appreciate the effort!

Bonus Tips: Extending Your Gallery‘s Functionality

In addition to excellent design, you can expand your WordPress galleries‘ core capabilities using premium addons:

• Social Media Sharing – Make images shareable on social media to increase reach.

• Proofing & Collaboration – Allow client or team review and feedback on galleries.

• Ecommerce Integration – Sell photos through your gallery with ecommerce integrations.

• Advanced Galleries – Incorporate additional displays like slideshows, carousels, and more.

• Metadata Syncing – Automatically migrate metadata from Lightroom or other sources.

• Automatic Image Optimization – Streamline resizing, compression, and enhancement.

• Advanced Importing & Exporting – Quickly move galleries between sites or backups.

With the growing gallery plugin ecosystem, the possibilities for empowering your WordPress galleries are endless!

A Side-by-Side Comparison of the Top Gallery Plugins

If you‘re deciding which gallery plugin is right for your WordPress site, it helps to directly compare the pros and cons of leading options.

Here is a side-by-side breakdown of key distinctions:

Plugin	Pros	Cons
Envira	Professional design options. Extensive feature set. Top-notch support.	Paid membership required for full access. Significant learning curve.
NextGEN	Powerful media management. Decades of development.	Clunky interface. Dated aesthetics.
Modula	Lightboxes and proofing tools. Simple.	Limited design templates. Gallery/image data not exported.
FooGallery	Extends core gallery block. Lightweight.	Lacks gallery organization and customization depth.
Justified Grid	Perfect for visual storytelling portfolios.	Not ideal for large general-purpose galleries.

This is just a small sample of available options. Try demos to choose the best fit for your specific galleries and technical capabilities.

No gallery plugin is one-size-fits-all. Assess your needs, weigh the pros and cons, and test options to make the ideal choice.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress Image Galleries

Here are answers to some common questions around building great galleries in WordPress:

What is the best WordPress gallery plugin?

For advanced galleries, Envira Gallery is the WordPress gallery plugin we recommend most. It uniquely combines pro-level design with a robust feature set for both casual and power users.

How do I create a photo gallery in WordPress?

You have two options: 1) Use the built-in WordPress Gallery block for a simple gallery, or 2) Install a dedicated gallery plugin like Envira for maximum functionality. The plugin route is best for advanced galleries.

Can I build an image gallery without a plugin?

Yes, the WordPress core Gallery block allows you to create basic galleries without needing any plugins. But you are limited in terms of customization and features.

How can I display images side-by-side in WordPress?

Creating a multi-column gallery is the most effective way to position images side-by-side in WordPress, as opposed to inserting them individually. Both the Gallery block and plugins like Envira let you adjust the columns.

How do I create thumbnail galleries in WordPress?

When inserting a gallery using the built-in block or Envira, set a small thumbnail size to display thumbnail previews that enlarge on click. The FooGallery plugin also allows thumbnail galleries.

Final Thoughts on Building Image Galleries in WordPress

In closing, gallery plugins and blocks make displaying beautiful, engaging collections of images straightforward with WordPress.

The built-in Gallery block offers an easy starting point, while premium plugins like Envira Gallery empower you to create truly professional-level, customized galleries tailored to your needs.

By mastering WordPress gallery best practices, your visual content will reach its full potential. Visitors will enjoy exploring your images presented in the optimal format.

Hopefully this guide provided you with powerful techniques for creating stunning galleries that make your photography and other imagery shine on your WordPress site!