How to create image sliders in WordPress

Choose images that share a similar aspect ratio, such as landscape images that are all 16:9. This prevents jumps in height between slides. Resize and compress large originals before uploading them, then give each image useful alternative text in the Media Library.

Keep the important subject away from the extreme edges. Slider themes often crop images differently on phones, tablets and desktop screens.

Edit the page or post, select the block inserter, and add a Gallery block. Upload new images or choose existing images from the Media Library, then drag the images into the order you want. WordPress lets you set columns, image resolution, cropping and aspect ratio in the block settings.

This is the manual route. It is fine when you want a grid of images or a click-to-enlarge gallery, but the core block does not provide the usual slider features such as automatic rotation, slide-by-slide captions or a dedicated carousel layout. The built-in enlarge option opens images in a lightbox with previous and next navigation instead.

Select the Gallery block and decide what happens when a visitor clicks an image. Use Enlarge on click for a lightbox, link to the media file if visitors should open the original image, or leave the images unlinked. Add captions where they provide useful context rather than repeating the page heading.

Preview the published page, not only the editor. Check the gallery on a narrow phone screen and confirm that cropped images still show the subject clearly.

If you need a genuine slider, install a dedicated image-slider plugin from Plugins → Add New, or upload a plugin ZIP from Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin. Activate it only after the upload completes, then use its slider creation screen to add images, navigation controls, captions and responsive settings.

Do not install several slider plugins to solve the same problem. Their JavaScript and styling can conflict, causing missing arrows, broken touch controls or a slider that shows briefly and then disappears. Make a backup and check the plugin's update history and support information before using it on a live site.

In the slider editor, choose a fixed or responsive layout, set the image size, and decide whether autoplay should be enabled. Keep manual previous and next controls visible if slides contain important information, and set a readable pause time. Add captions or buttons only when they help visitors understand the image or take an action.

Save the slider, then copy its block, shortcode or embed code according to the plugin instructions. Add that output to the target page, template or widget area. Test keyboard navigation, swipe gestures, links, captions and the layout at several browser widths before publishing.

For a quicker build with more visual control, use LayerSlider Responsive WordPress Slider Plugin. Its drag-and-drop editor is designed for image, video and HTML slides with layers, animations, responsive layouts and pre-built templates, so you can create the slider without writing code.

After activation, open the LayerSlider area, choose a template or start a new project, add your images, adjust the slide timing and responsive behaviour, then insert the finished slider into the page using the method provided by the plugin. Check the mobile preview before publishing.