Your First Gallery
This guide will walk you through creating your first portfolio gallery with Visual Portfolio.Before starting, make sure you’ve installed Visual Portfolio and activated the plugin.
Creating a Simple Image Gallery
Let’s start with a basic image gallery - the most common use case.Create New Page
- Go to Pages → Add New in your WordPress dashboard
- Give your page a title (e.g., “My Photo Gallery”)
Add Visual Portfolio Block
- Click the + button in the editor
- Search for “Visual Portfolio”
- Click the Visual Portfolio block (in the Media category)
You’ll see a setup wizard to help configure your first gallery.
Choose Content Source
Select “Images” as your content sourceThe block supports three main content sources:
- Images: Upload your own photos
- Posts: Display blog posts or custom post types
- Portfolio: Show items from the Portfolio post type
Add Images
- Click “Add Images” button
- Upload new images or select from your Media Library
- Select multiple images (hold Ctrl/Cmd to multi-select)
- Click “Create Gallery”
Select Layout
Choose from available layouts:
- Masonry: Pinterest-style cascading grid (recommended for mixed sizes)
- Grid: Traditional equal-height grid
- Justified: Flickr-style justified rows
- Tiles: Custom tile patterns
- Slider: Carousel or fade transitions
Layout Options
Each layout has unique characteristics and settings:- Masonry
- Grid
- Justified
- Slider
Masonry Layout
Pinterest-style cascading grid that preserves image aspect ratios.Best for: Mixed image sizes, photography portfoliosKey Settings:- Columns: 1-6 columns (responsive)
- Gap: Space between items (0-100px)
- Horizontal Order: Fill rows left to right
Masonry automatically recalculates on window resize for responsive layouts.
Customizing Your Gallery
After creating your gallery, explore these customization options:Visual Settings
Item Styles (Skins)
Item Styles (Skins)
Choose how gallery items appear:
- Classic: Simple overlay on hover
- Fade: Subtle fade-in effect
- Emerge: Scale and fade animation
- Fly: Content flies in from edges
Colors & Typography
Colors & Typography
Customize appearance:
- Background Color: Item backgrounds
- Text Color: Title and caption colors
- Overlay Color: Hover overlay
- Border Radius: Rounded corners
Item Meta
Item Meta
Control what information displays:
- Title: Show/hide item titles
- Description: Show/hide descriptions
- Categories: Display taxonomies
- Date: Publication date
- Author: Post author
- Read More: Link button
Click Actions
Configure what happens when users click gallery items:Popup Gallery
Open images in a lightboxChoose between:
- PhotoSwipe (default)
- Fancybox
Custom URL
Link to custom pagesSet individual URLs for each gallery item.
No Action
Disable clickingFor display-only galleries.
New Window
Open links in new tabAvailable for URL actions.
Working with Posts
Display blog posts or custom post types instead of images:Select Posts Source
In the Visual Portfolio block settings:
- Change Content Source to “Posts”
- The interface updates to show query options
Filter by Taxonomy
Show specific categories:
- Include Categories: Only show these
- Exclude Categories: Hide these
- Tags: Filter by tags
Adding Pagination
For galleries with many items, add pagination:- Load More
- Infinite Scroll
- Paged
Load More Button
Add a “Load More” button to load additional items.Settings:- Items Per Page: Initial items to show (default: 12)
- Button Text: Customize button label
- Button Style: Choose button design
Items load via AJAX without page refresh.
Adding Filters
Allow users to filter gallery items by category:Configure Filter
Filter Style:
- Links: Horizontal row of links
- Dropdown: Select dropdown
- Show “All” Link: Include show all option
- Show Count: Display item counts
- Default Filter: Set active category
Adding Sort Options
Let users sort gallery items:- Date
- Title
- Menu Order
- Random
- Item Title (for images)
- Item Description (for images)
Using Saved Layouts
Create reusable gallery configurations:Create Saved Layout
- Configure your gallery settings
- In block toolbar, click “Save Layout”
- Give it a name (e.g., “Portfolio Masonry 3 Column”)
- Click “Save”
Use Saved Layout
To reuse the layout:
- Add a new Visual Portfolio block
- Switch to “Saved Layout” tab
- Select your saved layout from dropdown
Customizing with Code
For developers who want more control:PHP Filters
Template Overrides
Override templates in your theme:Custom CSS
Add custom styles using the built-in CSS editor:Performance Tips
- Use Pagination: For galleries with 40+ items, enable Load More or Infinite Scroll
- Enable Lazy Loading: Images load only when needed (enabled by default)
- Optimize Images: Use image optimization plugins (Imagify, ShortPixel, etc.)
- Responsive Images: Plugin automatically generates adaptive sizes
- Caching: Compatible with WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, and other caching plugins
Common Use Cases
Photography Portfolio
Layout: Masonry or Justified
Popup: PhotoSwipe
Images: High resolution with lazy loading
Product Showcase
Layout: Grid (4 columns)
Source: WooCommerce products
Click Action: Product page URLs
Blog Posts Grid
Layout: Grid or Masonry
Source: Post type
Show: Featured image, title, excerpt, date
Video Gallery
Layout: Grid
Popup: Fancybox
Content: YouTube/Vimeo URLs
Troubleshooting
Images not loading
Images not loading
Check:
- Image URLs are correct
- Images exist in Media Library
- No JavaScript errors in console (F12)
- Lazy loading isn’t being blocked
Layout not displaying correctly
Layout not displaying correctly
Common causes:
- Theme CSS conflicts
- JavaScript errors
- Caching issues
- Clear cache (browser and WordPress)
- Check browser console for errors
- Try default WordPress theme to isolate issue
Popup not opening
Popup not opening
Check:
- Click action is set to “Popup Gallery”
- No JavaScript errors
- Popup library is selected (PhotoSwipe or Fancybox)
Next Steps
Now that you’ve created your first gallery, explore advanced features:Pro Version
Unlock advanced features:
- Social feeds (Instagram, YouTube, etc.)
- Advanced styling options
- Proofing galleries
- And much more
Documentation
Deep dive into:
- Advanced layouts
- Custom templates
- Developer hooks
- API reference
Get Help
Need assistance?Have questions not covered here? Check the FAQ or ask in the support forum!