How to upload images and use the media gallery

BentoBox users have access to the Media Gallery. The media gallery is a library in which users can manage their images and folders on their account. Once an image is uploaded to the Media Gallery, it is available to use in all the image fields throughout the platform. 

Uploading images 

There are two ways to upload an image:

1. Within the platform itself - you may upload an image anytime you see an image uploader box within your page headers or content boxes.
Note that any time you upload an image to BentoBox in any of those sections, it will automatically be added to the Media Gallery.

2. Using the Media Gallery - uploading images with this feature will allow you to edit it’s focal point and settings (keep reading to learn more)

Follow the steps below to upload images directly to the Media Gallery:   

1. Log in to the backend and click on Media Gallery in the left hand sidebar, then click on “Images” from the list that appears.
   
   
   
2. You will land on the images section of the Media Gallery, where you will see thumbnails of images that are already uploaded. Click the “Upload Images” button in the top right.
   
   
   
3. Use the upload dialog that appears to add new images from your desktop. You can also link a Box, Dropbox, or Google Drive account to upload images stored on those services, or use a URL to add new images.
   
   
   
4. You may optionally edit the image by cropping or rotating it. Once you’ve selected your images, click the “Upload” button. Once completed, you will land back in the images section.
   
   

When you land back in the images section of the Media Gallery, you’ll see the images among the thumbnails. Now you’ll be able to utilize the image throughout the website wherever you see an image uploader box.

Editing images in the Media Gallery

Follow the steps below to edit images that are already uploaded to the Media Gallery.

1. Log in to the backend and click on Media Gallery in the left hand sidebar, then click on “Images” from the list that appears.
   
   
   
2. You will land on the images section of the Media Gallery, where you will see thumbnails of images that are already uploaded.
   
   
   
3. Click on the image you’d like to edit and you’ll be taken to the Media File page, where you’ll see the image viewer on the left and the image details to the right.
   
   
• Title: enter a name for the image in this field. This is optional and for your own reference. Visitors will not see this name when you use the picture on your site.
• Alt Text: Concisely describe meaningful image content for visually impaired people, search engines, and low-bandwidth devices. Images with no alt text will display an AI-generated description. Click here to learn more about digital accessibility.
• URL: copy the URL in this field if you need a direct link to your image. This is good for sharing on social media or elsewhere on the web.
• Delete: click this icon at the top right to delete an image. Note that this cannot be undone and will remove it from any pages and gallery where it currently appears, so delete at your own risk.
  
4. Click the “Save” button to save any changes and return to the images section of the Media Gallery.

Editing the Image Focal Point

Image Focal Point lets you change the focus of a photo before featuring it on your website or menu. By default, the focal point will be the center of the photo; you may click+drag the image to shift the focus and preview the new focal point before publishing it. 

Note that setting a focal point on one image will apply toward that image's instance. This means that if you want to use the same image in multiple places on your website or menu, you'll need to upload that image multiple times and set a different focal point for each instance.

Click here to learn more about the Image Focal Point.

Uploading files to the Media Gallery

Follow the steps below to upload files other than images to the Media Gallery. This is most often used for PDFs of menus, flyers, and other marketing or promotional materials, but can also be used for video, audio, and other file types.

1. Log in to the backend and click on Media Gallery in the left hand sidebar, then click on “Files” from the list that appears.
   
   
   
2. You will land on the files section of the Media Gallery, where you will see a list of files that are already uploaded. Click the “Upload Files” button and choose file. 
   
   
   
3. Use the upload dialog that appears to add new images from your desktop. You can also link a Box, Dropbox, Google Drive account to upload files stored on those services, or use a URL to add files.
   
   
   
4. Once you’ve selected your files, click the “Upload” button. You’ll see a green check mark confirming that the upload was successful. 
   
   
5. When you land back in the images section of the Media Gallery, you’ll see the files among the thumbnails. Now you can click the “Copy URL” button to copy a link to the file, or utilize the file elsewhere on the site.