You can add media to your post using blocks. We've already covered how to use the Image, Video, and Embed blocks, but here's a quick reminder:

• Use the Image block to upload photos or choose from the media library;
• Use the Video block only if you absolutely need to upload a video file to your server (not recommended);
• Use the Embed block to insert YouTube, Vimeo, or other external videos by simply pasting the video link.

It's best to use external platforms like YouTube or Vimeo to host your videos. That's because:

• Your hosting server has limited storage: videos take up a lot of space;
• Videos consume a lot of bandwidth: each time someone plays a video, it uses data from your hosting plan;
• Large files slow down your site: this can create a bad experience for visitors and hurt your SEO.

By embedding videos from platforms like YouTube, your site loads faster, and you don't use up your server resources.

Large images can also slow down your website. To improve load times:

• Use JPEG or WebP format; these offer good quality with smaller file sizes;
• Resize your images before uploading; avoid uploading full-size files from your camera or phone;
• Use compression tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to reduce file size.

We recommend keeping images under 200–300 KB when possible. This helps your pages load quickly, even on slower internet connections.

Adding alt text (alternative text) and captions to your images improves both accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO).

Alt text is a written description of your image. It's important for people who use screen readers—for example, someone with a visual impairment. The screen reader reads the alt text aloud so they know what's on the screen.

Alt text is also used by Google and other search engines to understand what your image is about; that helps your images show up in Google Image Search, bringing more visitors to your website.

Captions are visible on the page, right below the image; they help explain or give extra context to the image for all users.

Example:
If you upload a picture of a salad for a blog post, your alt text could be:
"Fresh green salad with cherry tomatoes and feta cheese". That tells Google and screen readers exactly what's in the image.

When you upload an image in WordPress, look at the image settings panel on the right. You'll find fields for both alt text and caption.

Take a moment to fill these out, especially the alt text. Try to include keywords that relate to your topic, but avoid stuffing in too many.

Adding this information improves:

• Accessibility for all users;
• SEO ranking for your content;
• The chance of your image appearing in Google Images, driving more traffic to your site.