If your Gravatar will not change on WordPress, the cause is almost always one of a few things: the avatar is attached to a different email address than the one on your WordPress account, the old image is cached by your browser, a caching plugin or CDN, a plugin or theme replaces Gravatar with its own avatar, or the image rating is above what the site allows. Work through the checks below in order and you will find it in a few minutes.
First, one fact that explains most of the confusion: WordPress does not store your Gravatar. It asks the Gravatar service for the image that belongs to your email address. You change the picture on Gravatar, not inside WordPress.
How Gravatar works in WordPress
Gravatar stands for Globally Recognized Avatar. You create a Gravatar account, add an email address and attach a picture to it. When you comment on a site or appear as a user on a site that supports Gravatar, that site looks up the picture linked to your email address. Gravatar describes this as updating once and having it sync everywhere, and WordPress, GitHub and Slack are among the services that use it.
WordPress uses Gravatar by default. The official WordPress documentation says that by default WordPress uses Gravatars for the pictures that show up next to comments, and that plugins may override this. That last sentence matters later.
In your WordPress profile under Users > Profile, the Profile Picture field does not let you upload a file. It points you to Gravatar. If you were looking for an upload button, that is why you could not find one.
Step by step: change your Gravatar
- Find the email address WordPress uses for your account. In the dashboard go to Users > Profile and read the Email field. This is the address Gravatar must have.
- Sign in at Gravatar. Use the account that holds that email address. If you have none, create one with that address and confirm it from the verification email.
- Upload a new image. Choose a photo from your device and crop it. Square images work best, because avatars are shown as squares or circles.
- Make sure the image is assigned to the right email. If your Gravatar account has more than one email address, check that the new picture is the one linked to the address from step 1.
- Set the rating. Gravatar ratings are G, PG, R and X. Pick one that fits the picture. A G rated image is shown everywhere. See the rating section below for why this matters.
- Save, then reload your site. Do a hard refresh. Changes can take a little while to appear, so if the old picture still shows, move to the troubleshooting list.
Why your Gravatar is not changing: the checks, in order
1. The email address does not match
This is the most common cause, and it is easy to miss. Gravatar matches by email address. If the picture is attached to your personal address but your WordPress account uses your work address, WordPress finds no picture and shows the default avatar.
- Open Users > Profile and copy your email exactly.
- In Gravatar, check that this same address is listed and verified in your account.
- If you recently changed your WordPress email, add the new address to Gravatar and attach the picture to it.
- Remember that each person who comments on your site is matched by the email they type into the comment form.
2. Your browser is showing a cached copy
Browsers keep copies of images so pages load faster. After you change your picture, your browser can keep showing the old file. Test by opening your site in a private or incognito window, which starts with no stored images. If the new picture shows there, the problem is your browser cache.
- Hard refresh: Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows and Linux, Cmd + Shift + R on Mac.
- Clear cached images and files: in Chrome, open Settings, then Privacy and security, then Delete browsing data, and tick cached images and files. Firefox and Safari have the same option in their privacy settings.
- Safari can hold on to site data longer than other browsers. Clearing website data for your site is the fix there.
3. A caching plugin, server cache or CDN holds the old page
If the private window also shows the old picture, the cache is on the server side. Caching plugins store finished pages, and a content delivery network stores copies of files near your visitors. Both can keep serving the page with the old avatar.
- Clear the cache in your caching plugin, such as WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache or LiteSpeed Cache. Each has a clear or purge button in its settings or in the admin bar.
- Clear your host's own cache if it has one. Many managed hosts add a cache control in the hosting panel.
- Purge your CDN cache if you use one.
- If your plugin has an option to store Gravatar images locally, turn it off while you test, or clear its stored copies.
4. Gravatar itself has not updated yet
Gravatar serves images through its own cache. Changes are usually quick, though there is no official figure for how long they take. If you changed the picture a moment ago, wait, then do a hard refresh. If the old image is still there after you have cleared your caches, the cause is likely one of the other checks.
You can test Gravatar directly. Open your Gravatar profile and see if the new image shows there. If it does, Gravatar has your picture and the issue is on your site.
5. The rating is higher than your site allows
WordPress has a Maximum Rating setting for avatars under Settings > Discussion > Avatars. The options are G, PG, R and X. If your picture is rated PG and the site is set to G only, WordPress shows the default avatar instead. Either lower the picture's rating on Gravatar or raise the maximum on your site, if that suits you.
While you are on that screen, confirm that Show Avatars is selected. If avatars are switched off, no Gravatar will show anywhere that relies on this setting.
6. Default avatar is showing instead of your picture
In the same Discussion screen, the Default Avatar setting controls what visitors see when no picture is found. The options include Mystery Man, Blank, the Gravatar Logo and generated images such as Identicon, Wavatar, MonsterID and Retro. If you see a generated pattern, WordPress could not find a picture for that email address. That points back to check 1.
7. A plugin or theme replaces Gravatar
This is the check people skip. Some plugins add their own avatar upload, and some themes and community plugins show their own profile photo instead of the Gravatar. If so, the picture you set on Gravatar is ignored, and the plugin's own photo wins.
- Look for an avatar or profile photo field in your user profile, in your membership or community plugin, or in a plugin such as a local avatars plugin.
- Change the picture there, or turn the plugin's avatar feature off if you would rather use Gravatar.
- If you run a community site, members often upload a photo to their profile. Check whether your community plugin has an avatar setting that takes priority. If you are choosing a stack for a member site, see BuddyNext for the community engine we build and the best WordPress community theme guide for what to look for.
8. Plugin or theme conflict
If nothing above works, test for a conflict.
- Back up your site.
- Deactivate all plugins, then check the avatar. If it appears, turn plugins back on one at a time until it breaks again.
- Switch temporarily to a default WordPress theme to rule out the theme. Use the newest default theme your site offers.
- Check that your theme calls the standard WordPress avatar functions. A theme with a hard-coded avatar will ignore Gravatar.
9. Your site blocks or cannot reach Gravatar
Privacy and security plugins can block requests to outside services, and some privacy tools block Gravatar on purpose. Check whether any such plugin is active. A browser extension that blocks trackers can also hide avatars for you alone, which is another reason to test in a private window with extensions off.
Quick reference
| What you see | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Default or generated image | Email mismatch or rating too high | Match the email, check the rating |
| Old picture in your browser only | Browser cache | Private window, hard refresh, clear cache |
| Old picture for everyone | Plugin, host or CDN cache | Purge each cache layer |
| Picture differs from Gravatar | Plugin or theme avatar | Change it in that plugin |
| No avatars at all | Show Avatars is off, or Gravatar blocked | Turn on in Discussion settings, check blockers |
Other ways to set a profile picture in WordPress
You do not have to use Gravatar. If you would like to upload a picture straight to your site, you have a few options:
- A local avatar plugin lets users upload a profile photo that is stored in your media library. This avoids an outside service, which also helps if you care about visitor privacy.
- A community or membership plugin usually has its own profile photo upload.
- The block editor and many themes let you add an author photo through the author bio or a user profile field.
Before you switch, think about what you want on your own comment section. Gravatar means commenters keep one picture across many sites. A local avatar means each site has its own picture and no outside request is needed. For a larger member site, it is usually better to give members their own photo upload, because members expect to set a picture on the site they are joining. Our guide on how to build an online community covers profile setup for member sites.
Keep your Gravatar working
- Use one email address for your WordPress account and for Gravatar, and update both together if you change it.
- Upload a clear, square picture. Faces and simple logos stay readable at small sizes.
- Keep the rating at G unless you have a reason not to.
- After any change, test in a private window before assuming something is broken.
- Keep a note of every cache layer on your site: browser, plugin, host and CDN.
Related reading
- How to add hreflang tags in WordPress with a plugin
- How to add a video background in WordPress
- Does supply chain impact a WordPress site?
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Gravatar not changing on WordPress?
The most common reason is that the picture is attached to a different email address than the one on your WordPress account. Next most common is a cached copy in your browser, a caching plugin or a CDN. Check the email first, then test in a private window.
How long does a Gravatar take to update?
Gravatar does not publish an update time. When an old image sticks, a cache on your site or in your browser is the usual reason. If it has been longer, look at caches, the email address and plugins that replace avatars.
Where do I change my profile picture in WordPress?
You change it on Gravatar, not in WordPress. The Profile Picture section of Users > Profile links to Gravatar. Sign in with the email address your WordPress account uses, upload a picture and attach it to that email.
Why does WordPress show a generated pattern instead of my picture?
WordPress is showing the Default Avatar because it found no picture for that email at an allowed rating. Check that the address matches, the picture is saved and its rating fits your Maximum Rating setting under Settings > Discussion.
Can I use a different image in WordPress without Gravatar?
Yes. A local avatar plugin or the profile photo upload in a community or membership plugin lets users upload a picture directly to your site. That image is stored on your own server and does not depend on Gravatar.
Why does my Gravatar show in a private window but not in my normal browser?
Your normal browser is serving a cached copy of the old image. Do a hard refresh or clear cached images and files. Browser extensions that block trackers can also hide avatars in your normal profile.
Can a caching plugin stop my new Gravatar from showing?
Yes. Page caches and CDNs can keep serving pages that contain the old image. Purge the cache in your caching plugin, in your host panel and in your CDN, then reload.
Do I need a Gravatar account to have a profile picture on WordPress?
No. You need one only if you want to use Gravatar. Without it, WordPress shows the Default Avatar you chose in the Discussion settings unless a plugin supplies another picture.
Running a site with real member profiles?
If you are building a site where people have profiles, photos and groups, take a look at the live Reign demos to see how member profiles are laid out, and use the community build guide if you want to set up your own.