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How to Add Random Header Images to Your WordPress Blog

Do you want to add random header images to your WordPress blog? Most WordPress themes come with built-in support to add header images. These images can completely change your site’s look and feel. In this article, we will show you to how to add random header images to your WordPress blog without writing any code.

How to add random header images in WordPress

Most free and premium WordPress themes come with custom header support. Custom headers in WordPress are a theme feature which allows WordPress themes to designate a header area showing an image.

Header image in WordPress

Custom header is different than background image feature which allows you to set a cutom background image on your WordPress site.

Having said that let’s take a look at how to add random header images to your WordPress blog.

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Method 1. Random Header Images Using WordPress Theme Customizer

This method is easier and is recommended for most WordPress users.

You need to head over to Appearance » Customize page to launch WordPress theme customizer.

Changing header image in WordPress

Next, you need to click on ‘Header’ tab to expand it. The header option can also be labeled as header image or header media in your theme.

You will see your site’s current header image, and any other header images available to use.

You need to click on the ‘Add image’ button to upload the images you want to use as header images.

Once you have uploaded a few images, they will appear under recently uploaded images.

Randomize header image

Now you need to click on ‘Randomize uploaded header’ button under recently uploaded images and then save your changes.

You can now visit your website and reload it to see header images change randomly.

Method 2. Add Custom Header Images on Select Pages Using Plugin

This method is more flexible and gives you more control on how to show different or random header images for WordPress posts, pages, category, or tag archives.

First thing you need to do is install and activate the WP Display Header plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to edit a post or create a new one. You will notice a new meta box labeled ‘Header’ below the post editor.

Random header for single post and pages in WordPress

Here you can select a previously uploaded header image to your theme and use it as a header for this post. You can also check the ‘Random’ option to randomly display a background image from your uploaded header images.

If you want to add more header images, then head over to Appearance » Customize and click on the Header tab.

Add more header images

Next, you need to click on the ‘Add image’ button to upload more header images. You don’t need to change the header of your theme just upload the images and exit the customizer.

The plugin also allows you to change header image for your category and tag archive pages.

You will need to go to Posts » Categories page and then click on the Edit button below category you want to change.

Editing a category

On the category edit screen, you will notice the new header section where you can select a header image or show random header images.

Random or fixed header image for category archive page

Don’t forget to click on the ‘Update’ button to save your changes.

That’s all, we hope this article helped you learn how to easily add random header images to your WordPress blog. You may also want to see our guide on how to boost WordPress speed and performance.

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Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi with over 16 years of experience in WordPress, Web Hosting, eCommerce, SEO, and Marketing. Started in 2009, WPBeginner is now the largest free WordPress resource site in the industry and is often referred to as the Wikipedia for WordPress.

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Reader Interactions

5 CommentsLeave a Reply

  1. Syed Balkhi

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  2. Max

    I have 7 header images and would like my site to display a different one each day, in order not randomly. Is there a plugin or code I can use that can achieve this? Thanks.

  3. TPWidt

    This was useful, but i was looking for randomized text, like in your second image, you had the image of the hill and the sky, with the Demo Text to the bottom left corner. I’m curious to see if its possible to have a randomized version of that, so whenever I would refresh the page, it would cycle through text such as “Demo Site” or “Welcome” just for variety.

  4. Miguel

    Can this method be used for place different ads on header ?

  5. Neale

    This looks like a good solution to running my own random promotional messages as part of the header. Thanks for the detailed guidance.

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