Flickr images embedded via “custom HTML” blocks appear only as URLs for some

  • Unknown's avatar
    andrewedressel · Member ·

    Flickr images I embed into WordPress posts via “custom HTML” blocks display properly in emailed posts for some readers but appear as only urls for others.

    I am forced to embed Flickr images because I’ve exceeded WordPress’s 3gb space limit. When I embedded Flickr images via “Flickr embed”, they appear stretched in the emailed copy for some readers, especially iphone users. So, now I’ve tried “custom HTML” blocks, and that solved the stretched image problem. Most of my readers are happier, but a few report that their email client “renders” the image as merely a URL that links to the image on Flickr.

    To make as many readers happy as I can, I have resorted to embedding images both ways for now, so some readers see two normal images, some see one normal and one stretched, and some see just one image plus a link you can click on to view it in Flickr.

    One reader who reports the new problem says that she is “using Google Chrome on iMac running Sonoma 14.6.1”.

    Here is the HTML I am using:

    <div style="text-align: left;margin: none">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewdressel/54910258108/in/album-72177720330195229/" title="DSCF1630">
<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54910258108_aa0c906e85_o.jpg" width="800" height="auto" alt="DSCF1630" /></a>
</div>

    Here is a link to a test post that uses both embedding methods: https://signsoflifeinestabrookpark.net/2025/11/08/image-handling-test/

    Any ideas?

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • melvend5 · Staff ·

    Hi Andrew,

    Thank you for sharing those details, that really helps clarify what’s happening.

    The issue you’re describing comes down to how different email clients handle embedded content. When a post with Flickr HTML code is sent by email, some mail apps like Apple Mail or Outlook, block or modify external image links and scripts for security or privacy reasons. As a result, some subscribers may only see the Flickr link instead of the image.

    The Flickr embed block likely uses an <iframe> format, which many email clients can’t display properly. That’s why those images may appear stretched or missing in the emailed version. Using a “Custom HTML” block avoids that in some cases, but results can still vary depending on how each email client renders the code.

    To get the most consistent results, we suggest:

    • Using the Image block and uploading optimized (smaller-sized) images, which are fully supported in post emails.
    • Enabling Jetpack’s Site Accelerator, which serves your images from WordPress.com’s CDN without counting toward your storage limit.
    • If you prefer to continue using Flickr embeds, please note that some variation in how they appear across email clients is expected and can’t be fully controlled.
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