Are you looking for an online image editor to crop images for your WordPress blog? You may not need one at all. WordPress includes its own image editor, and it still handles everyday edits well. In this guide, we will crop, resize and rotate images without leaving the WordPress image editor.

Where to Find the WordPress Image Editor

Go to Media > Library and click any image. Then click the Edit Image button below the preview. The editor opens with the image on the left and the tools on the right.

How to Crop an Image

Drag across the image to select the area you want to keep. Alternatively, enter an exact aspect ratio, such as 16:9, or a precise selection size in pixels. Next, click the crop icon in the toolbar, then click Save.

You can also crop directly in the post editor. Select an Image block, click the crop icon in its toolbar, and choose a preset ratio. This method suits quick fixes while you write.

How to Resize (Scale) an Image

Open the Scale Image panel on the right, which shows the original dimensions. Enter a new width, and WordPress calculates the height to keep the proportions. Finally, click Scale.

Note that WordPress only scales images down, never up. Moreover, it already reduces very large uploads to 2560 pixels on the longest side.

Rotate and Flip

The toolbar also lets you rotate images left or right and flip them. Consequently, a sideways phone photograph takes seconds to fix.

Choose Where the Changes Apply

Before saving, check the option that controls which image sizes receive your edits. You can apply them to all sizes, the thumbnail only, or every size except the thumbnail. This choice matters for featured images, which often rely on a separate thumbnail crop.

Made a Mistake?

WordPress keeps your original upload. Therefore, you can open the editor again and click Restore Original Image to undo every change.

A Few Tips for Faster Pages

  • Resize photographs before uploading wherever possible.
  • Prefer WebP or AVIF formats, which WordPress supports.
  • Add descriptive alt text to every image.

Editing images inside WordPress saves time and extra plugins. If heavy images are slowing your website, read our guide on how to reduce page load time.