How to specify a gallery image as the thumbnail for the post?
-
I have many photo galleries on my blog, each one featuring a city I have visited in my travels. Let’s say I have 20 photos in a gallery post. WordPress seems to pick a random image to use as the icon on the main blog page. How can I specify which image should be used as the thumbnail image?
This seems like it should be pretty simple, but I have not found a solution despite extensive Googling. I don’t have any WordPress plug-ins and don’t want to add any unless absolutely necessary. Other than this I am pretty happy with the basic functionality.
I am using the Twenty Ten theme (and as an aside my version of WP is not showing anywhere.)
Here is my website:
https://blendoftheworld.wordpress.com/Take a look at the (currently 2nd) entry for Benidorm, Spain. That is not the photo I want for the thumbnail. If you go into “Continue reading” the post I would like to have one of the other pictures (say the first one for arguments sake) shown as the thumbnail on the main page above.
My question is how to change that?
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
-
When you’re editing or adding a post in the new dashboard, there is an option to the left “Featured Image”.
Set the image you want as a Featured Image, and it should show as a thumbnail.
-
Nope. Setting a different picture as the featured image does not change the thumbnail on the main page. What is does do is change the picture of my main theme image at the top of the website when you open that post.
-
I wonder if that has to do with the Twenty Ten theme I am using? Will have to try that tomorrow. It’s almost 1am here.
Thanks for the reply by the way :)
-
Ok, I’ll have to take back what I said above!
After spending some good time trying to figure it out, I think I’ve finally cracked it.
- When adding a post, upload all the images you want through Add Media button. Do not click “Insert into post” yet.
- Once all photos are uploaded, go to “Create Gallery” tab, select the photos you want to display, and click “Create a new gallery” button on lower right.
- You will get an option of “Drag and drop to reorder media files”. The first photo here will be displayed as the thumbnail.
- Click “Insert gallery” button.
Note that, this should be the first gallery inserted in a particular post.
First photo of the first created/inserted gallery is chosen as the thumbnail. After inserting the gallery to a desired place, you can create more galleries to insert at different places in that same blog post.
If you’re editing an existing blog post, did you create any gallery or just uploaded and inserted the photos? For latter, a random photo might be chosen. You need to upload photos, then create a gallery from a set of uploaded photos.
-
Apologies, it will display the first photo of the gallery which is above all other galleries in a particular post.
Not necessarily the first gallery inserted in that post.
-
Wow, thank you so much for spending time on this!
I am playing catch-up at work today, but I am excited to try this tonight.
-
Ok, that the “Create Gallery” is an interesting feature that I didn’t know about. I will definitely have to check it out more. My first impression when I tried it on the single image at the top of the page in question though was:
1) I don’t have as much control over the size of the image on the post. It is a much smaller image in a “Gallery” than when I just insert it.
2) I also wonder (since I haven’t tried it yet) if I insert 20 pictures if I can insert text between them like it is currently. I see that I can add text to each individual picture and I guess that’s a good substitute, it’s just not viewable on the main blog post.I will just have to play with it more and see. Seems like compromises either way. WP should make an option to specify the thumbnail picture – that seems like the best solution to me :)
-
-
Yay! Yes, this seems to be the only way to control the thumbnail image.
1) I don’t have as much control over the size of the image on the post. It is a much smaller image in a “Gallery” than when I just insert it.
You can try changing the size and type of the gallery when in edit mode.
2) I also wonder (since I haven’t tried it yet) if I insert 20 pictures if I can insert text between them like it is currently. I see that I can add text to each individual picture and I guess that’s a good substitute, it’s just not viewable on the main blog post.
Yes, you can add a caption to each image but not at a random place like in the middle. This is supposed to be better for readability and formatting.
Try playing with the type of galleries — Thumbnail Grid, Square Tiles etc. :)
-
- The topic ‘How to specify a gallery image as the thumbnail for the post?’ is closed to new replies.
WordPress.com Forums 