Most WordPress sites display avatars for user images. These avatars may be images of the users themselves or they may have been assigned by the owner of the Website or by WordPress. The default avatar is a person-like silhouette on a gray background. To be honest, it's boring. Luckily, we can easily change the default WordPress avatar.

In this tutorial, we'll see how to do that. We will also see how to choose your own avatar and how to use plugins to allow your users to choose their own avatars. The only knowledge required is very basic - how to install a plugin, crop an image, and upload a file, that's it.

What is an Avatar?

WordPress defines an avatar as an image that appears next to your name when you comment on avatars-compatible sites. They usually have a size around 80 × 80 pixels and can be virtually any file type, although PNG format is popular.

How to configure the default avatar?

Default avatar

We've all seen the “mystery man” avatar. It is annoying and reminds us that avatars are not configured for the site. Fortunately, we are not limited to this default avatar. With WordPress, we have several choices.

You can choose the default avatar for anyone who comments on your site. There are several built-in choices and you can even Add more choices. These are the avatars for anyone who leaves comments, as well as users of your Website (unless these people define a default avatar).

Avatar wordpress discussion settings

In the dashboard, go to Settings, Chat, and scroll down to Avatars. Make sure the “Show avatars” option is checked. Here you have seven built-in choices. You can also choose the appropriate rating according to your audience (gx).

« Mystery person Is the default. Four of the choices are generated. These use the speaker's name or email address to mathematically generate an image based on the template you've chosen.

Select the avatar you want as the default and click Save Changes.

Wordpress avatar customization

The avatars on your site will then be updated to match your default selection.

How to have your own custom avatar

You are not limited to the default avatars of a Website, you can have your own avatar. The most popular ones are provided by another Automattic company called Gravatar. Gravatar means “Globally R ecognized Avatar”. You create your profile in one place, then it will follow you to every Gravatar-enabled website.

The advantage of having a Gravatar is that a person can have an avatar that follows them across the web. How? 'Or' What? They are linked to your e-mail address. Each time you comment and use your email address your default avatar will be used. If you don't have a default avatar, or if you don't have an avatar linked to your address, WordPress will assign a default avatar to your comment.

In the dashboard, go to " User "," your profile And scroll down. You will see your profile picture. Change this image on the Gravatar site by clicking on the link. You can also access Gravatar.com.

Some plugins to manage avatars

WordPress has a lot of plugins available to customize and add new avatars. Here's a quick look at the most popular.

1 - Add New Default Avatar

Add new default avatar

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Add New Default Avatar adds a field where you can link images to use as an avatar. Add as many avatars as you want and each of them will appear in the list of options. You can even specify an image size. This plugin provides examples on how to specify URL along with image size.

2 - WP First Letter Avatar

Wp first letter avatar

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WP First Letter Avatar creates an avatar using the first letter of the user's name if these people do not have a Gravatar. Each letter has a different colored background. The avatar has multiple sizes and will automatically select the most appropriate size. You can even create your own avatar set and use the same naming rules. You can also turn off Gravatar if you want all users to have avatars with letters.

3 - Avatar Manager

manager avatar

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Avatar Manager allows your registered users to upload their own avatars to your website. The file download is added to their settings page (Profile page). You can specify the default pixel sizes and custom permissions. Users can choose to use their Gravatars or their downloaded avatars.

4 - WP User Avatar

Wp user avatar

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WP User Avatar adds a file upload feature to the avatar list and a library where you can view and manage the avatars that have been uploaded. All images in your library can be used as an avatar. You can add a download shortcode to widgets and posts to allow contributors and subscribers to add their own avatars. You can also set their file limits and turn off Gravatar if you want more control.

That's it for this plugin list. Do not hesitate to recommend the article with your friends on your favorite social networks.