Troubleshooting Image Alignment Issues in WordPress Posts

Have you ever uploaded a beautiful image to a WordPress post, hit publish, and then… boom. The image looks off. It’s not where it’s supposed to be. It’s floating weirdly or hugging text in awkward ways. You’re not alone!

TLDR: Image alignment issues in WordPress often come from mismatched themes, missing classes, or editor quirks. You can fix them using alignment tools in the block editor, adjusting your image sizes, or tweaking a little CSS. Don’t panic — it’s usually a simple fix. And once you know what to look for, it won’t slow you down again.

Why Do Images Misbehave?

Let’s get one thing clear — WordPress isn’t doing this to annoy you. These problems usually happen because of:

• Unfriendly themes
• Missing CSS styles
• Switching between editors
• Uploading super large (or tiny) images
• Alignment settings just being ignored

Good news? Almost all of these issues have easy solutions. Let’s dive in and untangle the image mess together.

1. Start With the Basics

You’re in the WordPress Block Editor (also called Gutenberg). You’ve added an image block and selected “Align Left.” But instead of floating next to your text — it’s pushing text down.

Why that happens: Sometimes your theme doesn’t support that kind of float. Or it’s just missing the proper CSS to display it right.

Try this:

• Click on the image block
• In the toolbar, try “Align Left,” “Align Right,” or “Align Center” again
• Preview your post — check how it looks

Still broken? Don’t give up yet!

2. Know Your Theme Limitations

Not all themes treat images equally. Some strip alignment support altogether. Others add custom styles that override your choices.

Clue your theme is the issue: Alignment options are there, but the image just never moves. Or it seems off-center or stuck in place.

What to do:

• Switch to a different theme (just temporarily) — see if alignment works there
• If it does, your original theme is the problem
• In that case, time to contact the theme developer or consider adding some CSS

3. What About the Classic Editor?

Still using the Classic Editor plugin from 2015 because “it’s what I’m used to”? No judgment! But it can trigger weird layout bugs, especially with newer themes built for Gutenberg.

If you’re using that editor:

• Align images using the toolbar options: left, right, center
• Make sure each image is wrapped in a paragraph or div, not just floating randomly

If things still look odd: View the HTML (Text tab) and check the code

<img src="..." class="alignleft" />

That class="alignleft" is what WordPress uses to make the image float left. No class? No float.

4. Use CSS to Force It (If You Dare)

If you’re comfortable adding a little CSS, you can tell WordPress to behave.

Here’s a simple CSS fix:

.alignleft {
  float: left;
  margin-right: 1em;
}
.alignright {
  float: right;
  margin-left: 1em;
}
.aligncenter {
  display: block;
  margin: 0 auto;
}

You can add this to:

• Your theme’s customizer under Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS
• Or inside your theme’s style.css file

Be sure to test your site after saving.

5. Mind the Image Sizes

Sometimes the image is just too big. You try to align it left, but it’s so wide there’s no room for text! The image wins — and your layout cries.

Fix it:

• Use “Medium” or “Thumbnail” size from the Image Block toolbar
• Or manually resize in the block options
• Always leave room for the text to breathe!

6. Check for Plugin Clash

You might’ve installed that fancy page builder or a layout plugin last week. Guess what? It could be butting heads with your image.

To test it:

1. Disable all your plugins temporarily
2. Check if the image aligns properly now
3. If it does, re-enable your plugins one by one
4. The moment it breaks again — you’ve found the guilty plugin

Now you can choose whether to tweak its settings or find a less aggressive alternative.

7. Try a Gallery Instead

If you’re trying to line up two or more images horizontally, alignment may not be the tool you need. Galleries are!

The “Gallery” Block lets you place multiple images in rows, columns, and grids automatically.

Use galleries when:

• You want symmetry
• You’re tired of wrestling with float rules
• You want a responsive layout

No more sliding images into alignment like a puzzle!

8. Don’t Trust the Editor Preview

The block editor shows you a preview of your post. But it’s often a lie.

What you see there can differ from the actual post layout because:

• Your theme’s real styling isn’t fully applied inside the editor
• Some blocks behave differently on the front end

Always click that Preview in New Tab button before publishing. It shows you the real deal.

9. Images Inside Columns (Ah, So Sneaky!)

Let’s say you’re using a Columns Block and placing an image inside it. Then you try to align that image left. But… it won’t budge.

Here’s the trick — it’s already aligned inside its column! Any further alignment may just center it within its box.

The fix:

• Let the column position it
• Don’t overdo the alignment settings inside a column block

10. When All Else Fails… Embrace Layout Builders

If you’re still getting gray hairs from image alignment — consider using a drag-and-drop page builder plugin. Like:

• Elementor
• Beaver Builder
• Divi Builder

They give you full control over spacing, alignment, margins, and more — visually. No more head-scratching. Just drag, drop, and smile.

Final Thoughts

Image alignment in WordPress can be quirky. But now you’ve got a full box of tools to straighten them out!

Remember:

• Start with editor tools
• Check your theme and plugins
• Use CSS when needed
• Test your layout before publishing

Now go conquer those crooked images and make your blog posts look amazing!