Nowadays, many people who use WordPress are facing a problem “Animated GIF Not Working in WordPress”. In this when we add animated GIFs to our blog or website, WordPress doesn’t show them properly. When you are creating the post, all things will look fine but after publishing the post the GIF starts causing errors. Like rather than showing an animated image it will show a still image.
Moreover, some WordPress themes don’t allow images of size above 10Mbs. So first, check whether the theme you are using allows images above the size of 10Mbs or not. WordPress themes automatically optimize the animated images by resizing their dimensions. Also, if you are using an image optimization plugin it can cause errors in loading GIFs properly.
Overall, don’t worry in this article we will discuss some common problems which cause errors in loading animated GIFs properly. Also, the main thing we will tell you is quick and easy solutions to how you can solve this problem.
Some reasons for WordPress GIFs not loading properly
Multiple things make a website work properly such as themes, plugins, etc. So anyone can cause a problem in loading animated GIFs.
WordPress Theme Causing Problems in Loading of Animated GIF
It doesn’t depend on the Free or Paid version of the theme, this problem can occur in paid versions also. It depends on the developer of the theme, and how much customization and flexibility is allowed.
Moreover, animated GIFs can slow down the loading speed of the website, which is why some themes load them as normal still images. So, if a paid theme loads slowly then it can affect its brand image.
Plugins Causing Problems in Loading Animated GIF
Optimization of images is important on any website or blog, it helps the website in many ways. So, image optimization plugins are created to ease down the work of developers and designers. Image optimization plugins can do several tasks in 1 click which if we do manually can take time.
As a GIF is also considered as an image, these plugins optimize the GIF which results in losing its animation and causes errors in loading.
Animated GIF not Loading Properly due to Document Type
The default settings of WordPress don’t allow uploading of some media types because of several security reasons. So check that the animated GIF you are uploading is in .gif format, to let the media file accept it.
How to Solve Animated GIFs Not Working in WordPress?
Now you know some of the reasons why GIFs don’t load properly. So, let’s take a look at some of the best solutions for Animated GIFs Not Working in WordPress.
1. Upload a Full-Size GIF in Media Library
WordPress resizes and optimizes images and GIFs by default whenever they get uploaded. So, you have to upload the GIF in full size, also keep in mind that the loading speed of your website can become slow.
Steps of How to Upload a Full Size GIF in Media Library:
- Open the post in which you want to add GIF.
- Click on the Add Media button.
- Select the GIF or upload it from the PC to the media library.
- Under settings, from the image size drop-down menu, choose full size.
- Save it and it’s done.
2. Compress the Size of the GIF
If you already uploaded the GIF image in full size but then your webpage is taking to time load, then you can try compressing its size. Image compression decreases the size of the image, it can sometimes decrease the quality of the image it depends on how much are you compressing the image.
- You can visit any website to compress the image. Such as Tiny PNG or Ezgif.
- Upload the image on the website.
- Select the level of compression.
- Click on Optimize.
- Now you will see the live results of compression, if you like it then you can download the image. If not then you can try compressing it with different settings.
Some other ways to Avoid Animated GIFs Not Working in WordPress
We’ve already told you the solutions for animated GIFs not working in WordPress. Also, if you are planning to upload GIFs you can take some precautions mentioned below to avoid this problem.
- If you want to use many GIFs on your website then you can deactivate or delete the image optimization plugin, if you have installed any.
- Check the file extension of GIFs before uploading, if it is in any other format like .png, .jpg, etc then change it to .gif format.
- Check whether the theme supports GIFs or not before purchasing or installing it.
- Heavy GIF images can affect the SEO of your website by slowing down its loading speed, so first compress and then upload.
FAQs
Does WordPress support animated GIFs?
Yes, WordPress supports animated GIFs, when you are uploading it, use the GIF block in the WordPress editor.
How to add GIFs from WordPress itself?
In the post editor, click on the + sign and select GIF block. Now search anything and it will directly show you GIFs from Giphy.
How to add a custom GIF Preloader in WordPress?
You can simply use a GIF Preloader in WordPress by installing any GIF Preloader plugin.
Can I use a GIF as a Featured Image?
Yes, you can use a GIF as a featured image by using plugins like Autoset Featured Image.
Conclusion
In conclusion, now you can get rid of your problem of Animated GIFs Not Working in WordPress. You can use our free steps to resolve your problem or you can take our precautions before uploading any GIF to avoid getting in any trouble.
Moreover, these are the best and easiest solutions you can get for animated GIFs not working in WordPress and even a beginner can solve their problem by using these fixes.