Understanding the problem: WordPress GIFs not playing
There are several common causes that can lead to this problem:
Common Reasons Why GIFs Don't Work in WordPress
- Image Optimization Plugin::
- Some plugins are designed to optimize images and reduce their size to increase site speed, but they can also interfere with the animation of GIFs, rendering them unplayable.
- Image Size::
- GIFs uploaded to WordPress are automatically resized to the default size, which can result in lost animations that won't play.
- WordPress Themes::
- Some themes are not optimized for GIFs and may not play GIF animations correctly.
- Document type::
- Make sure your GIF files are compatible with WordPress, which supports a variety of file types including GIF, JPEG and PNG. If your GIF is not a compatible format, it may not play correctly.
- media library::
- GIFs uploaded directly to the media library may be automatically resized, resulting in lost animation.
How to fix WordPress GIF not playing? [4 Effective Solutions]
If your WordPress site is not playing GIFs, try the following solution:
1.Set the image size to full size in the editor
- A common problem is that the image size is not set to full size. This can be solved by setting the image size to "Full Size" in the editor.
- How to Set Image Size to Full Size in WordPress Editor
- Open the editor where you want to add the GIF.
- Click the Add Media button.
- Select the GIF you want to add.
- Under Settings on the right side of the screen, select Full Size from the Image Size drop-down menu.
- Done.
2. Re-upload GIF from WordPress Media Library
If the GIF doesn't play on your WordPress site, try re-uploading it from the WordPress Media Library. This usually solves the problem.
How do I re-upload a GIF from the WordPress Media Library?
- Go to the WordPress dashboard and click "media, esp. news media".
- Locate the GIF that is not working properly and click on it to open its details page.
- Click the Delete Permanently button to delete the GIF from the Media Library.
- After deleting the GIF, click the Add New button to upload it again.
- Select a GIF file from your computer and upload it to the Media Library.
- After uploading the GIF, insert it into the post or page where you want it to appear.
This usually solves the problem of GIFs not playing on WordPress sites.
3. Compress GIF files to smaller sizes
Large GIF files may take longer to load, resulting in delayed animations and sometimes preventing the GIF from playing at all. To solve this problem, you can compress GIF files to a smaller size.
How to compress GIF file size on WordPress?
- switch to ezgif.com/optimizeThe
- Click on the Select File button and select the GIF file to compress.
- After the file is uploaded, adjust the settings to optimize the file size. Select the desired level of optimization, from lossy to lossless compression.
- After selecting the optimization level, click the "Optimize GIF" button to start the compression process.
- Once the compression is complete, download the zip file and upload it to your WordPress site.
By compressing your GIF files, you can reduce their size and shorten the loading time, making it more likely that your GIFs will play smoothly on WordPress.
4. Disable the Image Optimizer plug-in
Image optimization plugins are designed to optimize images for faster load times, but may also cause problems with animated GIFs. Disabling these plugins may resolve the issue.
How do I deactivate the Image Optimizer plugin?
- Go to the plugin's settings and disable the option to resize images. This setting varies from plugin to plugin, but every image optimization plugin offers this feature.
- After disabling the Resize Image option, check if your GIF is animating.
If you are not sure which plugin is causing the problem, temporarily deactivate all plugins and see if the problem is resolved. If so, reactivate the plugins one by one until you find the one causing the problem.
Summary:
GIFs on a WordPress site that do not play may be due to an image optimization plugin, image size, theme incompatibility, file type, or media library issue. These issues can be resolved by setting the image size to full size, re-uploading the GIF from the media library, compressing the GIF file size, and deactivating the image optimization plugin. Ensure your GIF animations play properly on your WordPress site to improve user experience and site performance.
