What types of files can be uploaded to WordPress?

Because of its thumbnail grid look, the WordPress media library might appear to be a repository for photos and images at first glance. If you look carefully, though, its icon — a camera overlaid on top of music notes — indicates that it might support other types of files. Unknown to many users, the WordPress media library supports a wide range of over 20 types of files. To help you make the most of your WordPress media library, here’s a complete list of the types of files that can be uploaded to WordPress.

  • Image files — .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif
  • Icon files — .ico
  • PDF files — .pdf
  • Microsoft Office files — PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx, .pps, .ppsx), Word (.doc, .docx), and Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
  • OpenDocument text files — .odt
  • Adobe Photoshop files — .psd
  • Audio files — MP3 (.mp3), MPEG-4 (.m4a), Ogg (.ogg), wave (.wav)
  • Video files — MPEG-4 (.mp4, .m4v), QuickTime (.mov), Windows Media Video (.wmv), AVI (.avi), MPEG (.mpg), Ogg (.ogv), 3GPP (.3gp), 3GPP2 (.3g2)

The WordPress Insert Media dialog. Notice that the maximum file size your host supports is listed directly below the “Select Files” button.

Not all of these file types can be embedded into posts and pages. If you try to embed a PDF into your content, for example, WordPress will instead create a link to the file. While all of these file types can’t be embedded into your posts and pages, they can be stored in your media library even if they can’t be displayed inline in a post or page. This makes it easy to share them and ensures that you don’t have to link to another site where the file could be removed.

Also, be aware that many web hosts cap the maximum file size you can use. A typical maximum upload file size is 64 MB, but some hosts limit files to as small as 2 MB. The file size limit will display in the Upload Files tab of the Insert Media dialog, directly below the Select Files button. If you need to increase your file size, contact your hosting provider.

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