Quick Answer
WordPress blocks HEIC uploads with a "file type not permitted" error. Convert HEIC to JPG using the HEIC to JPG Converter Chrome extension before uploading. For WordPress, use 85–90% quality JPG and resize to your site's maximum display width (usually 1200–1920px) to improve loading speed.
If you run a WordPress blog or website and take photos on your iPhone, you've probably encountered the frustrating "Sorry, this file type is not permitted for security reasons" error when trying to upload HEIC photos. WordPress's media library doesn't accept HEIC — and that's unlikely to change soon given that HEIC isn't supported by most web browsers either.
Why WordPress Doesn't Accept HEIC
WordPress maintains a strict whitelist of allowed upload file types to prevent security issues. The allowed image types are: JPG/JPEG, PNG, GIF, and (in newer versions) WebP. HEIC is not on this list.
Even if you modified WordPress's allowed MIME types to include HEIC, the images couldn't be displayed to visitors in browsers like Chrome and Firefox, which don't support HEIC natively. So the correct approach remains: convert to JPG before uploading.
CMS Platform Compatibility
| Platform | HEIC Upload | Required Format |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | No — error | JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP |
| Wix | No | JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP |
| Squarespace | No | JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP |
| Shopify | No | JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP |
| Webflow | No | JPG, PNG, SVG, WebP |
| Ghost | No | JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP |
| Elementor | No (WordPress-based) | JPG, PNG, WebP |
No mainstream website builder or CMS accepts HEIC uploads as of 2026. For any website, convert to JPG before uploading.
Convert HEIC Before WordPress Upload
30 seconds in Chrome. Drag-and-drop, set quality to 85–90%, download the JPG, upload to WordPress.
Add to Chrome — FreeOptimal Settings for WordPress Images
When converting HEIC to JPG for your website, use web-optimized settings rather than the print-quality settings you'd use for photo printing:
| Setting | Value for Web | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | 80–87% | Good quality, smaller file = faster loading |
| Max width | 1200–1920px | Match your WordPress theme's max content width |
| Color profile | sRGB | All browsers and devices display sRGB correctly |
Complete Workflow: iPhone Photo to WordPress
- Take photo on iPhone (saves as HEIC by default)
- Transfer to computer — enable Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic to get JPG automatically, OR transfer as HEIC and convert manually
- If HEIC: drag into Chrome, use HEIC to JPG Converter extension, download JPG at 85% quality
- Optionally resize to your theme's max display width (check Theme Settings → Content Width)
- Upload to WordPress — drag into the Media Library or use the Block Editor's image block
- Optionally run optimization plugin to convert to WebP for even better performance
Recommended Image Sizes by WordPress Use Case
| Use Case | Recommended Max Size | JPG Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Blog post featured image | 1200x628px | 85% |
| Full-width hero image | 1920x1080px | 85% |
| Portfolio / gallery | 1600x1200px | 85–90% |
| Product photos (ecommerce) | 1200x1200px | 90% |
| Thumbnail / sidebar | 600x400px | 80% |
