WordPress Media Library Not Showing Images? 13 Causes & Proven Fixes (2026 Guide)

There are few things more frustrating for a WordPress site manager than heading to your Media Library to insert an image, only to be greeted by a spinning loader, a grid of broken thumbnails, or—worst of all—a completely blank page. Your images are the lifeblood of your site’s engagement and conversion. When the Media Library fails, your workflow grinds to a halt.

This isn’t just a minor bug; it’s a critical breakdown in your site’s core functionality. The causes can range from a simple browser cache hiccup to deep-seated server configuration errors. But before you consider drastic measures, know that this problem is almost always solvable.

In this comprehensive 2026 guide, we’ll diagnose the 13 most common reasons why your WordPress Media Library is not showing images, and we’ll walk you through proven, step-by-step fixes to restore access to your visual assets. We’ll cover everything from quick checks to advanced database repairs, ensuring you have a clear path to resolution.

Understanding How the WordPress Media Library Works

Before we dive into fixes, a basic understanding helps. The Media Library isn’t just a file browser. It’s a dynamic interface powered by the WordPress REST API (which we’ve covered in our guide on how to fix WordPress REST API authentication errors). When you load /wp-admin/upload.php, your browser runs JavaScript that fetches image data from https://wpthrill.com/wp-json/wp/v2/media/ and displays it.

Simultaneously, the actual image files (e.g., your-image.jpg) and their generated thumbnails (your-image-150x150.jpg) reside in the /wp-content/uploads/ folder, organized by year and month. The database (wp_posts table with post_type = 'attachment') stores the metadata and links to these files.

A failure can occur in any part of this chain: the JavaScript, the API, the file system, or the database.

Initial Quick Checks (5-Minute Diagnostics)

Always start here. You’d be surprised how often the solution is among these first steps.

1. Clear Your Browser Cache: A corrupted local cache can break the JavaScript that powers the library. Do a hard refresh (Ctrl + F5 or Cmd + Shift + R). Try opening the library in an incognito/private window. If it works there, it’s a clear cache issue.

2. Disable Browser Extensions: Security or ad-blocking extensions (like uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger) can sometimes block the necessary API requests. Disable them for your site and test.

3. Check the Browser Console: This is your most powerful diagnostic tool. Open the Media Library, then right-click > Inspect > Console (or press F12). Look for red error messages. Errors mentioning “wp-api,” “REST,” or “404” point to API issues, while “Mixed Content” warnings suggest an HTTP/HTTPS mismatch, a problem we solve in our guide to fixing WordPress mixed content errors.

The 13 Common Causes & Their Detailed Fixes

Cause 1: Plugin or Theme Conflict (The Most Likely Culprit)

A conflict is the #1 cause. A poorly coded plugin or theme can enqueue scripts incorrectly, exhaust PHP memory, or cause JavaScript errors that cripple the library.

How to Fix:
Perform a conflict test. This is a standard troubleshooting step for many common WordPress issues.

1. First, ensure you have a recent backup. You can follow our guide on how to backup WordPress to Google Drive automatically for safety.

2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.

3. Deactivate all plugins except any critical security or caching plugins for now.

4. Now, check your Media Library. If the images load perfectly, you know a plugin is to blame.

5. Reactivate your plugins one by one, checking the Media Library after each activation, until you find the offender.

6. If the issue persists with all plugins off, switch temporarily to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Six. If the library works with the default theme, your theme is the cause.

What to do with the faulty plugin/theme? Check for updates. If none are available, contact the developer or seek an alternative. For critical functionality, you may need to roll back the plugin to a previous stable version using the method in our rollback guide.

Cause 2: Aggressive Caching

Caching is essential for speed, but it can cache administrative pages or API endpoints, preventing new data from appearing. This includes CDN cache, server-level cache (OPcache, Redis), and caching plugin output.

How to Fix:

1. Clear All Caches: Clear your caching plugin’s cache (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache). Also, clear any server-side caching (OPcache) from your hosting panel. Purge your CDN cache (Cloudflare, StackPath).

2. Exclude Admin Pages: In your caching plugin settings, ensure the /wp-admin/ path and the REST API (/wp-json/) are excluded from caching. Caching these areas breaks dynamic functionality.

3. Disable Object Caching Temporarily: If you use a persistent object cache (Redis/Memcached), try disabling it via its plugin or wp-config.php to test.

For a deeper dive into caching configuration, see our comparison of the best caching plugins for WordPress.

Cause 3: Incorrect File & Folder Permissions

The WordPress PHP process (usually running as the user ‘www-data’ or ‘nobody’) needs permission to read the files in /wp-content/uploads/ and write new ones.

How to Fix (via FTP/SFTP or File Manager):
Connect to your site and navigate to /wp-content/. The correct permissions are typically:

• Folders (Directories): 755 (drwxr-xr-x)

• Files (including images): 644 (-rw-r–r–)

To recursively set permissions:

# On your server via SSH (be cautious)
find /path/to/your/wp-content/uploads -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
find /path/to/your/wp-content/uploads -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

If you’re not comfortable with SSH, use your FTP client’s “Change Permissions” feature on the main uploads folder, ensuring “Recursive” option is checked.

Cause 4: Corrupted .htaccess File

A misconfigured .htaccess file in your root or uploads folder can block access to images or API calls.

How to Fix:

1. Via FTP, locate the .htaccess file in your WordPress root directory.

2. Rename it to .htaccess_backup.

3. Immediately go to your WordPress admin Settings > Permalinks and just click “Save Changes.” This generates a fresh, clean .htaccess file.

4. Check your Media Library. If it works, the old .htaccess was the issue. You can then carefully compare the backup with the new one to see what rule was causing trouble.

5. Also, check for an .htaccess file inside /wp-content/uploads/. It should only contain rules to block PHP execution. If it contains other complex rules, rename it to test.

Cause 5: Insufficient PHP Memory Limit

Image processing, especially for large files or within a heavy admin environment, is memory-intensive. If your PHP memory limit is too low, the process dies before it can complete.

How to Fix:
Increase the memory_limit in your php.ini file. If you don’t have access to php.ini, you can add this line to your wp-config.php file above the /* That's all, stop editing! */ line:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
define('WP_MAX_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');

For more severe resource issues, like when WordPress is using too much RAM on shared hosting, our dedicated guide offers advanced strategies.

Cause 6: Problem with the WordPress REST API

Since the Media Library relies on the REST API, any disruption there will break it. You might see “Failed to load resource” errors in the console.

How to Fix:

1. Test your API endpoint by visiting https://yoursite.com/wp-json/. You should see a JSON output. A “404” or “rest_cannot_access” error confirms the problem.

2. Follow our comprehensive guide to fix WordPress REST API authentication errors, which covers permission issues, security plugin blocks, and permalink fixes.

Cause 7: Missing or Broken Image Thumbnails

Sometimes the library “grid view” loads, but thumbnails are broken, showing the default icon. The full-size image might work. This means the intermediate image sizes (150×150, 300×300, etc.) are missing or corrupted.

How to Fix: Regenerate Thumbnails.
Install and run a plugin like “Regenerate Thumbnails” or “Force Regenerate Thumbnails.” These tools will delete all non-original image sizes and recreate them according to your current theme’s settings. This is also a common fix for WooCommerce thumbnail regeneration issues.

Cause 8: Database Corruption or Orphaned Entries

The database link between an attachment post and its file can break. You might see the image entry in the library, but it’s blank or shows an error.

How to Fix:

1. Repair Database Tables: In your hosting panel’s phpMyAdmin, select your WordPress database, then check all tables and choose “Repair table” from the dropdown. Alternatively, you can add this line to wp-config.php to force a repair on the next load (remove it after!):

   php

   define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

   Then visit https://yoursite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php.

2. Reconnect Orphaned Images: Use a plugin like “Media Library Repair” or “Add From Server” if you have images in the /uploads/ folder that don’t appear in the library.

For serious corruption, our guide on WordPress database corruption is essential reading.

Cause 9: JavaScript Errors from Custom Code

Custom JavaScript enqueued in your admin area (from theme’s functions.php or a custom plugin) can have errors that halt all subsequent scripts.

How to Fix:
Use the browser Console (F12) to identify the faulty script. Temporarily remove any custom admin enqueued scripts from your functions.php or plugin files to test. Ensure jQuery is loaded in compatibility mode if used.

Cause 10: Security Plugin Over-Protection

Security plugins are vital, but they can be overzealous. Rules that block “proxy requests,” disable the REST API for non-authenticated users, or prevent “hotlinking” can sometimes affect the admin’s ability to fetch its own media.

How to Fix:
Temporarily disable your security plugin (like Wordfence, Sucuri, iThemes Security) and test the library. If it works, delve into the plugin’s settings. Look for options related to “REST API,” “Block Fake Googlebots,” or “Prevent Image Hotlinking” and adjust them, often adding the admin area or your IP to an allowlist. Our guide on blocking XML-RPC attacks also touches on balanced security configuration.

Cause 11: Outdated or Corrupted WordPress Core

A failed or incomplete update can leave core files in an inconsistent state.

How to Fix:
Perform a manual WordPress re-installation. Don’t worry—this does not delete your content, themes, or plugins.

1. Download a fresh copy of WordPress from wordpress.org.

2. Via FTP, delete the /wp-admin/ and /wp-includes/ folders on your server.

3. Upload the fresh /wp-admin/ and /wp-includes/ folders from the download.

4. Upload all the loose files from the download’s root (like wp-login.php, index.php) to your server’s root, overwriting the old ones.

Cause 12: Hosting-Specific Firewall (mod_security) or SSL Issues

Some hosts have aggressive mod_security rules that can misinterpret Media Library API requests as attacks. Also, an improperly configured SSL can cause silent failures.

How to Fix:

1. Check your hosting error logs (often in /home/user/logs/error_log or via cPanel). Look for “mod_security” denies related to /wp-admin/ or /wp-json/.

2. Temporarily disable mod_security via your hosting panel (if available) to test. If it fixes it, contact your host’s support and ask them to whitelist the specific rule causing the problem.

3. Ensure your SSL certificate is valid and properly installed. A tool like SSL Labs’ SSL Test can help. For full SSL migration, see our guide on moving WordPress to HTTPS without breaking the site.

Cause 13: A Full Server Disk

This simple cause is often overlooked. If your hosting disk is 100% full, the server cannot write new files, and may even struggle to read existing ones, causing unpredictable behavior.

How to Fix:
Log into your hosting control panel and check your disk usage. Clean up:

• Old backups (follow our essential maintenance checklist)

• Unused themes and plugins

• WordPress auto-drafts and trashed items (we have a guide on fixing auto-drafts not deleting)

• Large log files

Prevention: Keep Your Media Library Healthy

1. Regular Maintenance: Stick to a schedule as outlined in our WordPress maintenance checklist.

2. Optimize Images Before Upload: Use tools like ShortPixel or follow our guide on optimizing WordPress images without losing quality to prevent bloated uploads.

3. Use a Staging Site: Always test major plugin/theme updates on a staging site first. Learn how to create a staging site in WordPress.

4. Quality Hosting: Invest in managed WordPress hosting with support knowledgeable about these issues. It prevents many permission and server-configuration problems.

When All Else Fails: Get Expert Help

If you’ve worked through this list and your Media Library is still not showing images, the issue may be complex and multi-faceted. Don’t let it cripple your site. Our team at WPThrill specializes in diagnosing and fixing these kinds of deep WordPress issues. Consider reaching out for emergency WordPress support to get a swift, professional resolution.

Conclusion

A broken Media Library is a high-priority issue, but it’s rarely unsolvable. The key is systematic troubleshooting: start with the simplest causes (cache, browser) and move towards the more complex (server, database). By following this 2026 guide, you have a clear map from problem to solution.

Remember, keeping your WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated, performing regular maintenance, and using quality hosting are your best defenses against not just this issue, but the vast majority of common WordPress problems. Now, go restore your visual workflow and get back to building your amazing site.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why is my WordPress Media Library completely blank or empty?
A completely blank Media Library is often caused by a JavaScript conflict from a plugin or theme, incorrect file permissions on the uploads folder, or a corrupted browser cache. Start by checking your browser’s console for errors and then test with all plugins disabled.

How do I fix the ‘Broken’ or ‘Failed to Load’ thumbnail previews in the Media Library?
Broken thumbnails are typically an issue with GD or Imagick PHP extensions, incorrect memory limits, or a problem with WordPress’s image regeneration. You can regenerate thumbnails using a plugin like ‘Regenerate Thumbnails’ or check your hosting PHP configuration.

Can a caching plugin cause the Media Library not to show new images?
Yes, absolutely. Server-side (OPcache, Object Cache) and plugin-based caching can serve old data, making new uploads invisible. Always clear all cache layers (server, plugin, CDN, browser) after uploading images. Excluding /wp-admin/ from caching is also crucial.

I see images in FTP but not in the Media Library. How do I fix this?
This indicates the image files exist on the server but their database entries are missing. This can happen after a manual file transfer or database issue. Use a plugin like ‘Add From Server’ to re-import them, or repair your WordPress database via phpMyAdmin or the wp-cli command ‘wp db repair’.

When should I contact my hosting provider about Media Library issues?
Contact your host if you’ve ruled out plugins/themes and suspect server-level issues like incorrect PHP configuration (missing extensions, low memory_limit), mod_security firewall blocks, or restrictive file permissions you cannot change yourself. Problems like a full server disk will also require their intervention.