WordPress provides basic image editing for rotation, cropping and scaling. Use these controls for straightforward adjustments, and keep an original copy before changing an image that appears in several places.
IN THIS ARTICLE
01 Choose the correct editing scope
A crop made through a page's Image block may create or select a different displayed version, while Media Library editing affects the media item and the sizes targeted by that workflow. Read the available options before assuming the change is local to one page.
Identify where the image is used, including featured images and galleries. A crop that improves one card can remove important content from another use.
02 Apply the edit
- Open Media > Library and select the intended image.
- Open Edit Image and review the original dimensions.
- Use rotation controls to correct orientation, or select a crop area that preserves the important subject.
- Review aspect-ratio and target-size options where offered, then apply and save the change.
- Open representative pages using the image and inspect the result.
03 Verify quality and composition
Check that the image is not distorted and that any text remains readable. Cropping removes visible area; enlarging the cropped result does not recreate detail. Avoid repeated lossy edits when a new export from the original would produce a cleaner result.
Review mobile crops separately, since a theme or Cover block may apply additional cropping beyond the Media Library version. A correctly edited source can still appear differently inside a fixed-aspect-ratio card.
How can I recover from an unsuitable image crop?
Use the available undo, reset or restore-original controls where supported, and verify the actual public output afterward. Keep your independent original in case the site's editing history or derivative files are unavailable.
If the editor cannot process the image, test a modest known-good file and record the format, dimensions and error. The active image-processing path and resource limits can affect editing. Do not repeatedly upload enormous copies or change file extensions to bypass a format error. Ask us to review the relevant service when the supported editor cannot complete a normal operation.