So, your Add Media button in the WordPress Admin Section stopped working? It’s not the end of the world, there are alternatives. Well, unless you’re also getting an “Upload: Failed to write file to disk” error, but, that’s beside the point. There’s no denying how convenient this way of adding and editing media files is, and it would be a shame to lose the option. Lucky for you, you might not need to. The problem is always a certain conflict, often with JavaScript. Unfortunately, it’s up to you to troubleshoot and find where and when it happened. With that said, this is how to fix the Add Media button not working in WordPress.
Why does Add Media button stops working?
There could be several reasons why the Add Media button is no longer working on your WordPress installation. Whatever the case may be, you could easily fix them. Take a look at the possible causes of the Add Media button problems –
1. Plugin or Theme Conflict
One of the most common causes of almost any errors in WordPress is conflicting plugins or themes. If you have a theme or plugin that is poorly coded, not updated to meet the latest WordPress requirements, etc., things could break. So, make sure that all your plugins and themes are compatible with WordPress. You can do that by disabling them one by one and checking if the Media button is being resolved.
2. JavaScript Errors
JavaScript is being used all over WordPress. If something breaks in a JavaScript code, specifically related to the working of the Add Media button, things can break. You should inspect the element on the page and see if there are any console errors related to the Add Media button being displayed. If there is, you can figure out the root of the issue and try to fix it, either by yourself or with the help of a developer.
3. File Permission Issues
WordPress requires the necessary permissions to allow uploads. We discussed the WordPress file and folder permissions previously. Make sure that your “/wp-content/uploads” folder has the necessary permissions to allow WordPress to upload media to it.
4. Memory Limitations
On rare occasions, you may run out of memory while trying to upload large media files to your website. Check the server or system error logs to identify if you are running out of memory. If you are, increase your WordPress and PHP memory limits.
5. Outdated WordPress Version
If you keep updating your themes and plugins but leave the WordPress version behind, it could break things as well. Also, make sure that you check the PHP version as well and keep it compatible with the current version of WordPress installation.
6. Cache Issues
If you are using any caching systems such as Redis Object Cache, or any complex caching mechanisms that could affect the backend of your WordPress site, make sure that you clear them.
Method 1. Quick and temporary fix
The easiest and fastest way to solve the non-working Add Media button in WordPress is by editing a wp-config.php file. To do that, follow our in-depth guide on how to access your WordPress website via FTP. Now, do this.
- Open the public_html folder in FTP.
It might also be named www, root, or yourwebsitename. - Right-click on the wp-config.php file.
- Select View/Edit or just Edit, depending on what’s available.
- Find the line that says /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */.
- Add the following anywhere above that line:
define (‘CONCATENATE_SCRIPTS’, false); - Save the file.
- Check whether the Add Media button is now working.
To clarify, this only makes WordPress load individual scripts. This prevents JavaScript from coming into conflict with them, or certain WordPress core features. But, unless you get rid of the problem itself, you’ve just patched up the issue for a little while. So, continue troubleshooting.
Method 2. Try the browser Inspect tool
This is not a guaranteed fix by any means, but if you are lucky, it might mention the name of a plugin, theme, or file that’s causing the problem. If the problem was solved temporarily by Method 1, you can try reverting the change for a little while. You don’t have to delete the line, simply add # in front of it, and remove the character later to re-enable the fix.
- Create a new post in your WordPress Admin Section.
- Right-click anywhere on the page.
- Select Inspect.
- Navigate to the Console tab.
- Try clicking on Add Media to generate an error log.
- Check if anything that looks familiar appears in it.
Method 3. Turn PHP Errors
PHP errors are annoying, which is why we taught you how to turn off PHP errors in WordPress. However, the opposite can be very useful in this case. Check the article above to see how a line should look when they’re turned on. This can help point you in the right direction on its own. However, we recommend you install a third-party WordPress add-on such as Query Monitor for better visualization.
Method 4. Updating WordPress and clearing cache
We’ve made step-by-step guides on how to update WordPress and how to manually clean cache on WordPress.
Method 5. Disable WordPress plugins or themes
Whether you got any clues from Method 2 or Method 3 or not, it’s time to try this fix. Start by disabling the last plugin you installed. The next step we would try is to disable ALL plugins, just so you know whether any of them is the culprit. If it is, you know it’s worth investing time and effort in searching which one is problematic. Move on to themes afterward, following these two easy ways:
- Recommended. Install a third-party plugin such as Health Check & Troubleshooting. Unlike the steps below, it allows you to disable your active theme and all plugins for you only, not for your website visitors. It’s truly the best and safest option.
- Radical. Two common WordPress errors, white screen of death and “this site is experiencing technical difficulties” are also fixed by disabling one or all add-ons, and your active theme, following the same steps.
What are my options?
If you find the root of the problem, you can do one of the following:
- Keep a theme or plugin enabled while using Method 1 to temporarily keep things under control. During that time, contact the plugin/theme developer(s), explain the issue, and ask for assistance or for a new update.
- Delete a WordPress theme or plugin permanently. Then, find an alternative in the massive WordPress database.
- Do research on the Internet. For example, First, Visit WordPress Support pages. If that doesn’t help, read the Support Handbook, then ask for help on Support forums.
- If the conflicting feature or function is very important, consider hiring a web developer. That person will have the knowledge and incentive to fix the problem, whether by editing current files or creating a custom function or plugin for you.
