5 Ways To Add Images To SharePoint

When you add images to a SharePoint page it looks more attractive, and the users will have an enhanced experience of working with SharePoint.

In a few articles in our new SharePoint Online from Scratch series, we describe different ways to add images to a SharePoint page. The most common way is to use the Picture button in the SharePoint ribbon, but you may also add images into dedicated picture web parts.

Picture button with three options
The SharePoint Picture button has three options: “From Computer”, “From Address” and “From SharePoint”.To insert an image “From Computer” works as when you upload images to Facebook or other social media.

Everything on the web has an address, so you can add images from websites through a link via the “From Address” option. You can also insert an image from the site collection itself by using the “From SharePoint” option.

No Control with URL
In the second and third options the images will not be copied to your SharePoint site collection. Instead they are just linked to the SharePoint page. This may be an advantage but also a problem, as you have no control over your image if you don’t also control the original place.

However, if the image is deleted from the original place, no image will be shown on your SharePoint page. On the other hand, you will have an updated image if the original image is updated, and that might be beneficial.

Image Viewer Web Part
In SharePoint versions before 2010 the only way to add a picture to a SharePoint page was to use the Image Viewer Web Part. Nowadays there are more and easier methods to add images, but the Image Viewer Web Part is still there and can be used.

Picture Library Slideshow
When you upload pictures to the Picture Library Slideshow Web Part you will get a nice thumbnail view. You can also create a slideshow with the images available in the Picture Library Slideshow Web Part. The only restriction is that the Picture Library Slideshow Web Part should be in the same site and not in the same site collection.

Links can be added to images in various ways, and in my next blog post about SharePoint pictures I will tell you how it can be done.

By Peter Kalmström
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions