How to Automatically Add Media Titles in WordPress

Every site owner routinely uploads photos and data to their WordPress website. But have you ever noticed some media files have confusing names like “IMG_0045.jpg”? Especially as your site expands, controlling your media library gets more difficult without appropriate names. Organization, search, and even SEO improvements depend significantly on titles. However, manually adding a title to every file can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Automation comes to the rescue here. With the right approach, WordPress can automatically generate media titles for you. This guide will walk you through how to add media titles in WordPress automatically using file names, plugins, or basic code. Whether you’re a seasoned site manager or a newcomer, this guide will save you time and help maintain a searchable and orderly media collection with minimal effort.

How WordPress Handles Media Titles by Default

By default, WordPress uses the uploaded file name as the media title, which works most of the time. For instance, if you upload a file named “blue-chair.jpg,” WordPress sets the media title to “blue-chair.jpg.” Although this method provides some convenience, it’s not always perfect. Dashes, digits, or other characters in file names might make the resulting title look jumbled or confusing.

If you’re uploading several pictures at once—especially with generic names like “image1.jpg” or “photo_2023.jpg”—you’ll end up with titles that offer minimal description. These titles neither improve searchability, organization, nor SEO. Over time, they may complicate your media library management. Clean, clear titles are more effective for both users and search engines. Automating or enhancing this process ensures your media titles are always readable, useful, and optimal.

Why Media Titles Matter in WordPress

Media titles in WordPress are more than just labels; they are crucial for maintaining neat and straightforward access to your content collection. Finding media files later can be aggravating, especially on larger websites when their titles are lacking. Titles help you stay in control of your uploads and search files faster. More importantly, media titles also contribute to SEO. Search engines use these titles to understand the content of the media, increasing your chances of appearing in image search results.

For example, a file named “modern-desk-lamp.jpg” provides more relevant information than a generic name like “IMG1001.jpg.” Additionally, clear, unambiguous titles support accessibility. Users of screen readers or other assistive devices benefit from knowing what an image or file represents. Well-named files enhance browsing performance. Simply put, media titles are important because they improve file management, boost SEO, and make your website more inclusive for every visitor.

Method 1: Rename Files Before Uploading

The simplest way to control titles is to rename your files before uploading. Use clear, concise words and avoid symbols, numbers, or spaces. For example, use “modern-sofa-design.jpg” instead of “IMG_00021.jpg.”

This helps WordPress create better titles automatically. While this method is effective, it still requires manual effort. The next methods offer more automation.

Method 2: Use a Plugin to Auto-Generate Titles

WordPress plugins are designed specifically for this task. These plugins can add media titles during upload, so you won’t need to rename files manually.

Here are a few popular plugins:

• Auto Image Attributes From Filename With Bulk Updater: This plugin automatically adds title, alt text, caption, and description based on the file name.
• Media File Renamer: It renames files and updates media titles based on the rules you set.

How to use a plugin:

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click on “Plugins” and choose “Add New.”
3. Search for “Auto Image Attributes.”
4. Install and activate the plugin.
5. Go to the plugin settings.
6. Select which fields you want to auto-fill (title, alt, etc.).
7. Save settings and test by uploading a new image.

Most plugins allow you to run a bulk update, which lets you fix old uploads too.

Method 3: Use Custom Code in functions.php

If you’re comfortable with a bit of coding, you can use a PHP function to automatically assign a title to every media file based on the filename.

Here’s a basic code snippet:

function auto_set_media_title($post_ID) {
    if (get_post_type($post_ID) == 'attachment') {
        $file = get_attached_file($post_ID);
        $filename = pathinfo($file, PATHINFO_FILENAME);
        $title = str_replace(['-', '_'], ' ', $filename);
        $title = ucwords($title);
        
        wp_update_post([
            'ID' => $post_ID,
            'post_title' => $title,
        ]);
    }
}
add_action('add_attachment', 'auto_set_media_title');

How to add the code:

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click “Appearance” > “Theme File Editor.”
3. Find and select functions.php.
4. Copy and paste the code above.
5. Click “Update File” to save changes.

Every time you upload a file, the title will be set automatically using the filename.

Method 4: Use a Bulk Title Editor for Existing Media

If you have already uploaded many files, you may want to fix the old titles. Some plugins allow you to do this in bulk. For example, “Auto Image Attributes From Filename With Bulk Updater” has a bulk tool.

How to bulk update:

1. After activating the plugin, go to its settings page.
2. Choose the “Bulk Update” tab.
3. Click “Start Bulk Update.”
4. The plugin will scan all existing media files.
5. It will update missing titles based on file names.

This is useful if your media library has hundreds of untitled files. It saves a lot of time.

Conclusion

Automatically adding media titles in WordPress saves you time and helps you organize your site. Whether you use custom code or a plugin, both approaches increase the searchability and SEO-friendliness of your media library. Moreover, clear, unambiguous titles improve user experience and promote accessibility. Automation maintains consistency and efficiency, freeing you from the tedious task of editing titles manually. By starting with the approach that best matches your comfort level—renaming files, adding a plugin, or using a code snippet—your WordPress media titles will self-manage with just a few actions.

Consider exploring other WordPress optimization tips to further enhance your site’s performance and user engagement.