How to create image galleries in Elementor
Elementor can create image galleries without another plugin. Add its Basic Gallery or Gallery widget, choose your images, set the columns and image links, then enable the lightbox if visitors should view larger images. Use an addon only when you need advanced layouts, filters or video galleries.
- 01Prepare the gallery images
- 02Add the gallery widget
- 03Select and order images
- 04Set links and lightbox behaviour
- 05Style and check the gallery
- 06Use an addon for advanced galleries
What you need
- A WordPress site with Elementor installed
- Admin access to edit the page
- The images you want to display
- Optimised image files with useful titles and alt text
Prepare the gallery images
Choose the images before opening Elementor and remove duplicates. Use reasonably sized, compressed files so the page does not become slow, and give each image meaningful alt text in the Media Library.
If the gallery will show different subjects, decide whether one simple grid is enough or whether visitors need categories, filters, video or a more specialised layout.
Add the gallery widget
Edit the page with Elementor, add a container or section, and search the widget panel for Basic Gallery or Gallery. Drag the widget onto the page.
The Basic Gallery widget is suitable for a straightforward grid. Elementor’s Gallery widget offers more layout choices, including grid, justified and masonry layouts, although the available widget can vary by Elementor version and setup.
Select and order images
In the widget’s Content tab, use Image Gallery or Add Images to open the Media Library. Select the files, choose Create a new gallery, set captions if required, and click Insert gallery.
Set the image resolution and choose whether the gallery keeps the default order or displays images randomly. For the fuller Gallery widget, you can also choose the layout, aspect ratio, spacing and number of columns.
Set links and lightbox behaviour
For a click-to-enlarge gallery, set Link to Media Files, then set Lightbox to Yes or leave it at the site default. Elementor’s lightbox only works when the images link to their media files; choosing None prevents the enlarged view.
To adjust the site-wide lightbox, open the Elementor logo menu, choose Site Settings, then Lightbox. You can control the counter, fullscreen, zoom, sharing, title, description and background colour there.
Style and check the gallery
Open the Style tab to adjust image spacing, borders, rounded corners, captions, alignment, colours and typography. Check the gallery at desktop, tablet and mobile widths, because a column count that looks good on a wide screen may make thumbnails too small on a phone.
Preview the published page rather than relying only on the editor. Click several images, test the lightbox navigation and check that captions and alt text match the correct files.
Use an addon for advanced galleries
Elementor’s built-in widgets are usually enough for a normal responsive image grid with a lightbox. Choose Envira Gallery Pro Elementor Addon when you need more control over gallery layouts, image and video galleries, lightboxes or gallery templates inside Elementor.
The fast route is still the built-in widget: drag in Basic Gallery, select the images, set Media Files as the link, enable the lightbox and publish. Add a separate gallery addon only when those controls do not cover the design or content you need.
Let Envira Gallery Pro Elementor Addon do it
Elementor-native image and video galleries with lightboxes; choose it when gallery layout control matters more than standalone gallery features.
Sources
- elementor.com /help/basic-gallery-widget/?utm_source=openai
- elementor.com /help/lightbox/?utm_source=openai
Questions
- Can I create an Elementor gallery without a plugin?
- Yes, Elementor includes gallery widgets that can display multiple images without another gallery plugin. Use Basic Gallery for a simple grid, or the Gallery widget when your version provides additional layouts and filtering options. You can select images from the Media Library, set columns and spacing, link to media files and enable the built-in lightbox.
- Why is the Elementor gallery lightbox not opening?
- The usual cause is that the gallery images are not linked to their media files. Edit the widget, set <strong>Link</strong> to <strong>Media Files</strong>, and enable the lightbox. If it still fails, check Elementor’s global Lightbox setting, clear caching, and temporarily check for theme or plugin conflicts before changing the gallery itself.
- How many columns should an Elementor image gallery use?
- Choose the column count based on the image size and screen width rather than using the same number everywhere. Four columns often suit a desktop grid, while two or three may be easier to read on smaller screens. Preview tablet and mobile views and adjust responsive settings if the thumbnails become cramped.
- Can Elementor galleries include captions?
- Yes, captions can be taken from the image metadata or edited while creating the gallery, depending on the widget. The Gallery widget can also use image title, caption, alt text or description in overlays. Keep captions short and check them on the live page so they do not cover important parts of an image.