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How can I utilize images uploaded to Cloudinary as featured images in WordPress?

Orly Bogler
Updated

In order to use Cloudinary images as featured images, make sure to upgrade to the latest version of Cloudinary's WordPress plugin.

First, insert an image in your post using Cloudinary's Media Library and save a draft of your post. Then click on the Set featured image link to open the WordPress Media Library that now includes any Cloudinary images you previously inserted into your post. Select the image you want and confirm.

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The featured image will be uploaded using Cloudinary's transformed version of your images, and delivered through a fast CDN.

Another option is to go to your existing WordPress Media Library and synchronize your image to Cloudinary by hovering over the image and clicking Push to Cloudinary. The image will be synced to Cloudinary and you can now select these images as a featured image directly from your WordPress Media Library while being delivered using Cloudinary URLs.

In addition, you can use 3rd party plugins like Featured Image via URL. With this plugin, you can easily enter the URL of any Cloudinary image (including transformed ones) to set it as a featured image for your post.

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Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • Bob Sayles

    Thanks so much for your response. This was very helpful.

    0
  • Dominic Smith

    Hey guys! I'm using WP User Frontend plugin to allow my users to post on my site - how can i incorporate the cloudinary uploader to their front end experience?

    0
  • Dominic Smith

    Also, featured images aren't working for me :(

    0
  • Itay Taragano

    Hi Dominic, 

    Regarding your first question - You can do that via our PHP integration library. Please see our sample PHP project:  https://github.com/cloudinary/cloudinary_php/tree/master/samples/PhotoAlbum

    Regarding the featured images, Please insert the image to a post first and save the post as draft. If you did all that and that still didn't work, please explain us what steps you've taken so we can further assist you.

    0
  • Mark Thwaites

    I also cannot get featured images to work, even when following the steps noted.  It shows up in WP media as clouldinary content, but when I add it as a featured image, it does not show up in my blog. However, when I change my theme to the new Twenty Thirteen, it shows correctly.  So it has to be with the PHP setting of how the content is pulled.   I will dig into the settings and see if I can find the setting, but if you have any feedback, it would be greatly appreciated.

    0
  • Mark Ridgeway

    I can resize Cloudinary images before using them in a post but, how do I resize images for use as the featured image?  Is the image size I chose for the post the one I get in the featured image?  Can I control the size of the Cloudinary featured image?

    0
  • Itay Taragano

    You can use Cloudinary images as featured images either by inserting images to your post or by clicking on "Add to post gallery".

    The image that would be used as a featured image is based on Cloudinary transformations you apply using Cloudinary's web interface (e.g., resize, rotate, round, add overlays, etc.). You can generate images of any size and effect you want.

    Then the transformed image you selected as a featured image might be furthered manipulated or resized to match the requirements of your WordPress theme. This means that if your theme displays featured images in certain dimensions, the selected images would be automatically resized again to fit the dimensions.

    0
  • Michael

    This is very confuse for me, If i want use basic functionality i should do a lot of manipulation! Why? You seriously company but can't fix this bug? 

    0
  • Maor Gariv

    Hi Michael,

    You can choose to deliver the images with any image manipulation/transformation you choose (for more info, please refer to our transformations doc - http://cloudinary.com/documentation/image_transformations

    Can you please elaborate on the bug you're experiencing?

    If privacy is an issue, please feel free to open a new support ticket.

    Thanks

    0
  • laurent malka

    The plugin you recommend hasn't been updated for the past 5 years.

    here is a new one https://wordpress.org/plugins/featured-image-by-url/

    0
  • Yakir Perlin

    Hi, we have a new WordPress plugin, currently in alpha (Still not published).

    If you want to check this, please try to reach us at support@cloudinary.com

     

    Thanks,

    Yakir

     

    0
  • laurent malka

    Hi Yakir

    Would love to!

    Thanks

    1

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