Have you ever wondered what is a Gravatar and whether you should be using it?
Gravatar allows users to display an avatar image next to their name on WordPress websites.
In this article, we will discuss what a Gravatar is and why you should start using it right away.
History: Avatar
The term Avatar was borrowed from online gaming communities in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Before that, online forums were mainly text-based communities where users were only identified by their user names.
As these communities grew, it was becoming harder to identify users only by their names.
To solve this, online forums allowed their users to upload an image as their profile photo. They called this an “Avatar” image instead of a profile photo.
The term Avatar means an image that represents a person or a user. This could be their own photo or any other image they want to use as their profile photo.
As the web and blogging evolved, WordPress blogs faced a similar problem. WordPress comments became the conversation hub for many blogs, and it was harder to identify commenters with just names.
Unlike online forums, where users were required to create an account, WordPress commenters generally didn’t need to make an account to leave a comment.
This is when the Gravatar came in.
Related: See our guide on the History of Blogging.
What Is a Gravatar?
Gravatar stands for Globally Recognized Avatar. It is a popular web service that allows people to create a profile and associate avatar images with their email addresses.
Once you add a Gravatar, it is going to be recognized on all the platforms that come with built-in Gravatar support, including WordPress, Slack, Github, Stack Overflow, Atlassian, and more.
This means that when you leave a comment on one of the sites that support Gravatar, it will pull your Globally Recognized Avatar from their servers and showcase it next to your name in the comments and other areas.
For instance, when a user leaves a comment on a WordPress site, their Gravatar is automatically shown next to their comment.
This allows each commenter to have their identity throughout the interwebs.
Why Should I Add Gravatar?
If you are a blogger, non-profit, small business, or anyone wanting to build a brand, you need to start using Gravatar.
A Gravatar allows you to build your identity on the web and build an authoritative voice in your industry.
At first, when you comment on blogs, your Gravatar might not be noticeable immediately.
However, if the same person sees your comment on numerous sites they read, they will probably visit your website.
Some website owners complain that Gravatar slows down their websites, and this is the most cited reason why bloggers choose to disable Gravatar.
Pro tip: See our ultimate guide to speed up WordPress for more performance optimization.
How Can I Get a Gravatar?
You can get a Gravatar by visiting the Gravatar website and signing up for a free account.
It is quite easy to create a Gravatar for your profile.
First, you need to visit the Gravatar website and click on the ‘Create your Gravatar’ button.
You will now be taken to the signup page.
Gravatar is owned by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com (not to be confused with WordPress.org; see our guide on the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org). This is why they require users to sign up using a WordPress.com account.
You can create a free WordPress.com account or sign in if you already have an account.
You will now be directed to the ‘Login’ page, where you need to provide the email address and password of your WordPress website.
After that, simply click on the ‘Continue’ button.
Next, you will be asked if you would like to log into Gravatar using your WordPress.com account.
Simply click on the ‘Approve’ button to continue.
After that, Gravatar will send a confirmation email to your email account.
You’ll need to open the email and click on the ‘Confirm your email’ button to activate the Gravatar account.
Now, you will be redirected to the WordPress.com website.
Next, you need to go back to the Gravatar website and sign in using your WordPress.com account.
This will take you to your Gravatar Account page.
Here, you simply need to click on the ‘Add a new image’ link below to add your Gravatar image.
Upon clicking on the link, you’ll be taken to the ‘Upload Image’ page.
You can now upload any image you want to use from your computer or by pasting a URL.
We recommend choosing a nice profile picture of yourself or your company logo for the Gravatar.
However, if you want to remain anonymous, you can use any other image that represents you.
After you have uploaded a Gravatar, you’ll be directed to a new page where you can crop, rotate, zoom, and preview your image.
Once you’re satisfied, simply click on the ‘Crop Image’ button below.
Next, you’ll be asked to rate your Gravatar according to its maturity level.
Simply check the box next to a preferred option and click on the ‘Set Rating’ button.
Your Gravatar has now been set up.
Next, you need to visit the ‘Websites’ page from the sidebar on your Gravatar dashboard.
From here, you need to simply copy and paste your WordPress website’s URL and title.
Finally, click on the ‘Save Website’ button to store your settings.
Now, you can try out your Gravatar by leaving a comment on a website or by checking the author profile on your WordPress blog.
This is how our Gravatar looked in the author bio section on a demo site.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gravatars in WordPress
Users often ask us questions about using Gravatar for their own avatar image as well as using Gravatar on their websites.
Following are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about using Gravatar.
1. How do I turn off Gravatar on my WordPress website?
You can turn off Gravatar on your WordPress website by simply visiting the Settings » Discussion page and unchecking the box next to the Avatar Display option.
For more details, see our tutorial on how to disable Gravatar images in WordPress.
2. What happens when a user does not have a Gravatar image?
By default, WordPress will show the mystery man image next to the comments where the comment author does not have a Gravatar image associated with their email address. This is called the default Gravatar image.
You can change this image by visiting the Settings » Discussion page and scrolling down to the Default Avatar section.
From here, you will see a bunch of options to choose from. Some of them will automatically attempt to generate a unique image by using an algorithm based on the user’s name or email address.
3. Can I add more than one image or email address to my Gravatar account?
Yes, you can add multiple images and email addresses to your Gravatar account. However, you can only use one image as your Gravatar for each email address.
4. Can I disable my Gravatar account?
Yes, you can disable your Gravatar account at any time. Simply log in to your account on the Gravatar website and choose ‘Disable My Account’ under your profile photo.
Disabling your Gravatar image will stop processing your images, and any websites where you left comments will stop showing your Gravatar image.
We hope this article helped you learn about what is Gravatar and why you should start using it. You may also want to see our tutorial on how to change the default Gravatar in WordPress and our top picks for the best team communication tools for small businesses.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
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Stykin says
After reading this blog, I came to know about Gravatar importance and registered to get my own Gravatar. Thanks
Chris says
Thanks for the info
Phil Terrell says
Something tells me I won’t see a gravatar next to my comment.
Mikael says
Great guide, thanks!
sharon says
i was given a gravatar for the first time today – it’s my gravatar birthday!
Phil Aissa says
Glad I found you. You clarified ‘gravatar for me:); also, good to know about the wp tools, site links and ‘sites we like’. Thanks.
Tammy DiGiorgio-Casas says
That was so informative. Thank you!
Dean Hall says
Thanks!
Paul Shelton says
Thanks for your help!
Gerson says
Thank you for the info
Daniel Thomas says
Such a simple thing that can make such a difference. Gravatars are up with Google Authorship in “easy win” material yet not enough people use them.
Valerie Cline says
I guess I don’t have one so I will have to do something about it. I do have one in my circle but no where else. It should come up from my email address but it is not here.lol
I will take care of it now. Thank you for your help. You are very informative.
Valerie
Valeire Cline says
My picture seems to show up on most blogs and comments I make no matter where it is. I am well known in my line of work but I am starting a new business as well where I am not know as well if at all. but I am getting there. I had no idea what a gravatar was and no I find I have had one all along. I thought it was just a picture of me on my site. Learn something new every day.
tina says
checking
Paige says
Testing to see if my gravatar works.
Pascal Depuhl says
Thanks for explaining this.
Laureano Albaladejo Serrano says
Checking it…. And thanks for this post, of course!
Neerja says
Thanks for the info!
Daniel H. Kim says
Testing my gravatar!
Robin Shtulman says
testing my gravatar!
locpham7 says
testing the pic.
Brad Langton says
just testing if mine works. thanks
Building Surveyor says
So, signed up – is this thing working ?
gerry says
Great article!
Mel Gattis says
Thanks for this tip. Just set mine up.
Ritwick says
I didn’t know that gravatar was so important before. Anyways i’m using gravatar now and it feels nice to have my image show up in comments now. Thanks for the tip.
Bettypaul says
I have never heard about Gravatar. That was an entirely new information. you have made it clear to me. Thanks for the post.
Rebecca says
Thanks for the explanation. It makes much more sense to me now.
Nathan says
Thanks for the article. I have followed the steps on the Gravatar site but mine doesn’t seem to work.
Nathan says
Looks like it is now up and running!
Carol Williams says
Thanks, not sure if I already have one. Guess i’ll find out now!
Brenda says
Thank you, that was very helpful I just updated my gravatar today.
Eliott Konsin says
Thanks! It is all clear to me now.
Holly Connor says
Thanks for the article! I’m hoping you or someone can help me since Gravatar’s support is closed. I’m trying to set up Gravatars for everyone in my company since they don’t have time to do it themselves but it keeps automatically logging me in when i hit “sign into WordPress”. So I logged out of wordpress and signed in as one of my coworkers and when I went back to Gravatar and hit “sign into WordPress”, and it still logged in as my own account.
Editorial Staff says
Use incognito mode or private browsing because that clears cookies.
Admin
Brian says
Awesome. Thank you for the gravatar explanation.
Mick says
Hi, i made an avatar with gravatar, but it doesn’t show with the wordpress-blog i use to comment in. (ist’s a football blog, that claims to use gravatars). So i’m commenting here only to find out if my gravatar shows here. Thank you.
Coen says
Thanks man, it was a hassle to get it to work, but it works now.
Cheers
sam says
Great site and another very well explained post. Its my first stop for all things WP and anyone who asks me
Thanks
Wrobik says
Great post.
Kate says
Awesome – I wondered why there was no thumbnail when I left comments. Cheers.
dave norton says
thanks for explaining this
Diane Young says
still not absolutely sure what the effect is but here goes1
Carla says
I noticed that the Gravatars displaying on this page, along with the user names, aren’t links. Did you remove the link option? I thought links were standard with WordPress and Gravatars. Thanks!
C.C.Havens says
Thanks for the gravatar tutorial. I’m curious, in your opinion, is it better to use a logo or a photo for an avatar?
Editorial Staff says
It’s really a personal preference.
Admin
Ms Dusty says
Well written. I love this idea and can see where this will save a lot of time. As well as help everyone gain credibility.
Thank you
Tim says
Great to find a dedicated WP site with quick info that’s easy to understand. I just installed Gravatar on my own blog and created the circle technique using your CSS. Thank you!
Editorial Staff says
You are very welcome Tim. Glad to help anytime.
Admin
Jim says
Thanks for the explanation.
Dinesh says
Hi thanks for explaining!
Sandi says
Do you have your site set up to crop the gravatars to a circle or will they always be this way on every site? Mine looked square on gravatar.com.
Editorial Staff says
We are using the CSS border-radius technique.
Admin
April Rose Galvez Supangan says
Hello. Thank you for the explanation.
celticjaneite says
Hi thanks for explaining!