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How to Open Post Images in a Lightbox

A lightbox opens an image full size over the page when a reader clicks it. WordPress has one built into the block editor: turn on Enlarge on click for an image. It works on any post and needs no plugin.

Turn on Enlarge on click​

  1. Open the post in the editor and select the Image block.

  2. Click the Link button on the block toolbar.

  3. Choose Enlarge on click.

    The block editor with an Image block selected and the Link menu of its toolbar open, offering Link to image file, Link to attachment page and Enlarge on click, Scale the image with a lightbox effect

  4. Save the post.

On the live post, click the image. It opens enlarged on a white overlay that covers the page. Click the X, or press Esc, to close it.

A photo opened in the WordPress lightbox on a Foxiz post: the image enlarged on a white overlay that covers the page, with the close button in the top right corner

To turn it off, open the same Link menu and click Disable enlarge on click.

For a Gallery block, select the whole gallery, open Link on its toolbar and choose Enlarge on click. Every image in it opens the lightbox, with arrows to move through the gallery.

note

With Auto Load Next Posts on, images in the articles that load below the first one open no lightbox. On the article's own page they do. See How to Enable or Disable Auto Load Next Posts Feature on Single Post Page.

The featured image at the top of the post has its own lightbox, set by Featured Lightbox in Theme Options. See How to Create a New Post.

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