Media Library is an important part of any WordPress site consisting of almost every image, video, documents, and audio clips that one uses on their website, providing a feasible way to access all the previously used materials. However, issues in the media library can trigger a number of problems while uploading content on the website such as unable to upload images, access media library, etc. So, let’s have a quick look at the various reasons which give rise to Media Library problems.

What Causes an Issue in the Media Library?

Although the cause can be pretty much anything, in this article we will discuss the three most common causes of Media Library problems along with their solutions.

  • Incompatible or Badly Coded Plugins- Badly coded third-party plugins or incompatible plugins can be very intimidating and can also have a very drastic effect on the working of the website by interfering with the Media Library, hence making the Media Library prone to malfunctions.
  • Incompatible Themes- Having a similar effect as that of incompatible plugins, themes that do not comply with the Media Library can slow down the website’s efficiency by removing thumbnails or disrupting the grid view of the Media Library.
  • Improper File Permissions- Setting up improper file permissions also leads to confusion in the Media Library’s functioning, hampering the traffic inflow to the website.

Various Media Library Issues with their Solutions

Now, it’s time to discuss some of the most common issues users face during Media Library malfunctions along with steps to recover from the headache.

a) Problems while loading

As stated above, the main culprit behind this problem can be an incompatible plugin or a plugin developed with poor coding skills. Although plugins supported by WordPress have not been found to interfere with normal functioning of the media library, various third-party plugins can be the reason behind it. In this case, the user will need to visit ‘Plugins’ and then click on ‘Installed plugins’. This will open another page where the user would have to choose the ‘Select all’ and ‘Deactivate’ option to deactivate all the plugins. The next step would be to install every plugin individually to find the faulty plugin. Similar, these steps can also be applied to check for incompatible themes.

b) Grid-View not working

In this case, the best option is to check the presence of a faulty plugin or theme in the WordPress website which may be causing malfunctions in the Media Library and interfering with the grid-view display of the Website’s previously uploaded images, videos, and more. This can be done by following the above-mentioned steps or checking the set up of the file permissions. However, it is highly advised to contact the theme or plugin developer, in case the problem persists.

c) Search is not working

A good and easy search option streamlines the process of searching through content, images, videos, documents, or audio clips in the Website. Sometimes, the search option gets clogged due to the presence of unwanted cache in the website which results in Media Library malfunctions. So, one can try to delete the cache and cookies from the website or talk to a professional in case the problem persists.

d) Thumbnails not showing

Incompatible plugins or themes can have a negative impact on the visibility of thumbnails on the website. Hence, it is highly advised to test each and every plugin or theme individually after installation so as to prevent future issues. Similarly, installing a large number of plugins can also clog the website’s memory, triggering various issues as discussed above.