How to Add SVG Files to Your WordPress Website

Images: You can’t have a website without them, but they can definitely be a nuisance. For all the good they do to attract attention and make your website more attractive, they can also cause a lot of problems. For example, very large images can slow down your website loading speed; this is just one of the many reasons you should optimize your images before uploading them to your site.

But not all images are made the same. Rather, not all types of image files face the same difficulties when you try to use them on your website. Anyone who has tried adding SVG files to WordPress knows that these files come with unique advantages and barriers.

In this article, we will show you:

What Are SVG Files?

SVG files are a type of vector image file — SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. Vector files are created in a completely different way than your raster image files, such as JPEG or PNG. Raster files use many small color units (pixels) to create an image. Vector files, on the other hand, use mathematical formulas that describe how they should be displayed..

S in SVG – scalable – is one of the main reasons SVG files are great. With an SVG, you can increase the size of the image without sacrificing image quality.. With JPEGs, you get the same effect you can see when you zoom in on a JPEG photo on any device – a quick loss of quality.

While it’s true that SVG files cannot display the same type of images as you run run-of-the-mill image files, they can be incredibly useful for things like logos. You can also find many vector images on a website that can look pretty interesting.

Finally, perhaps the best thing about SVG files is how light they are. They are not as large as other image files. Not only does this mean you can get images that can scale up to large sizes without the additional stack, but it also means that Google will need less time to index them..

Why Can’t You Just Upload an SVG File?

But if SVG files are that great, how come you get this message when you try to upload an SVG file to your website’s Media Library?

The problem with SVG files and the reason WordPress doesn’t give you a chance to upload them regularly is precisely in the way they are created. It is possible to add malicious code to the file and they are also vulnerable to different types of attacks..

In short – SVG files can be dangerous and the WordPress community knows it. There’s been talk for a long time about including SVG files in core WordPress, but it’s still up to you to take the risk.

What’s the Safe Way to Add SVG Files to WordPress?

The good news is that there are ways to upload an SVG file to your WordPress website and do it safely.. As always, when you can’t do something with a basic WordPress feature, you can rely on a plugin to help you do it.

But this time, you should look beyond the plugins that allow your website to import SVG files. You can do this on your own by adding a few lines of code. functions.php file. It will help to ensure that the plugin you are using also cleans the image and makes it safe to upload..

Secure SVG It’s a WordPress plugin that can do both – sanitizes your files and lets you upload them to WordPress. so head Plugins > Add Newand search for the plugin. Install and activate after finding it in the search results.

After installing and activating the plugin, you can go back. Media > Add Newand try to upload the SVG file again. You will see a different result this time, as you will soon upload the sanitized version of the file to your website..

If you go to the media library, you can preview the file you uploaded just like any other file.

That’s pretty much all you can do with the free version of Safe SVG. The plugin also has a paid Pro version that gives you more control that you can use to improve the security of your website.. For example, the Pro version lets you optimize images and restrict who can upload them.

Let’s wrap it up!

SVG files can be a great way to add additional, scalable, visual elements to your WordPress website. But if you want to add SVG files to WordPress, you need to make sure you do so safely and responsibly.

To close the corners – enable upload and secure file – Safe SVG plugin is a great choice. If you want more control and additional security features, you should consider the Pro version of the plugin or a combination of tools that perform cleanup and install separately.