th23

WordPress has come a long way to be a fully featured content editor system, but the default gallery does not keep up with it. And while there are many plugins with various features, I did not find a small and simple one putting the focus on enlarged images.
<a href="https://photoswipe.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">PhotoSwipe</a> is a great basis and thus core component of my th23 Gallery plugin, which replaces the WordPress default to output galleries into a way containing all key information required while maintaining a simple and easy markup.
th23 Gallery is built with some few goals in mind:
<ul>
<li>Unintrusive way to focus on images</li>
<li>Leveraging PhotoSwipe / Lightbox-like overlay</li>
<li>Navigation between images in all galleries in a post via intuitive swipe, keyboard or mouse activity</li>
<li>Compatibile with modern blocks and legacy shortcodes</li>
<li>Simple markup and styling for thumbnail preview images (polaroid-style)</li>
<li>Plain styling for medium / large preview images allowing for theme based style</li>
<li>Minimized footprint on page loading</li>
</ul>
<h3>Usage</h3>
th23 Gallery works out-of-the-box and does not require any special handling – right after activation all embedded galleries will use PhotoSwipe to enlarge pictures.
Note: Polaroid-style works only on galleries which have set the preview image size to <code>Thumbnail</code>
Note: Previously inserted galleries might require a review to ensure link to media file and preview image size are set to work as expected – especially when also using the plugin on legacy <code>[gallery]</code> shortcodes.

th23 Gallery

Replace standard Wordpress Gallery block and legacy [gallery] shortcode handler, opening galleries using PhotoSwipe

Johannes Kinast

This WordPress Plugin adds a simple & lightweight Lightbox to the standard WordPress Gallery & Image Block. It detects if a post contains a Gallery or Image Block and then loads & initialize <a href="https://github.com/feimosi/baguetteBox.js" rel="nofollow ugc">baguetteBox.js</a>, a pure JavaScript Lightbox script without any dependencies and a modern minimal look.
There is no lock in effect. It does not add a new Block Editor/Gutenberg Block and relies solo on the standard WordPress Gallery and Image Block. You can deactivate this plugin at any time and your Gallery and Image Blocks will work as they’ve done before. Just without the lightbox.
Just one important thing to remember: You always have to select Link → Link to image file or Link images to media file (see screenshots below) for all of your Image & Gallery Blocks to work properly. If you choose None or Link to attachment page it will not work. But that’s fine if you don’t want the Lightbox for a specific Image or Gallery.
Take a look at the <a href="https://youtu.be/qfLOH22cUNM" rel="nofollow ugc">YouTube video from Jakson</a> where he reviews this plugin:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="How to create a popup light box Gallery in WordPress Block Themes" width="750" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qfLOH22cUNM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h3>Features</h3>
Here are the features of baguetteBox.js:
<ul>
<li>Written in pure JavaScript</li>
<li>No dependencies (e.g. jQuery)</li>
<li>Image captions support</li>
<li>Responsive</li>
<li>Supports swipe gestures</li>
<li>Around 13 KB, 7 KB gzipped</li>
</ul>
<h3>Works with</h3>
<ul>
<li>Gallery Block (Default Block)</li>
<li>Image Block (Default Block)</li>
<li>Media and Text Block (Default Block)</li>
<li>Gallery (Default Classic Editor Gallery)</li>
<li>CoBlocks Gallery Collage / Masonry / Offset / Stacked</li>
<li>Meow Gallery (+ Gallery Block)</li>
</ul>
Don’t forget to select Link to → Media File for all of your Galleries & Images to work properly.
Notice: At the moment, just Blocks inside a post are supported. Not Blocks in a Widget. You can make it work but have to enqueue the necessary style & script yourself. See FAQ –> How to enqueue the necessary assets (script & style) for blocks outside of posts or for block types that are not supported by default?

Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block

Lightbox for Blocks


This is one of this plugins that improves WordPress with zero effort and a easy minimalistic approach that should be in the core.



Congratulations!


Brilliant and simple solution


My favourite lightweight lightbox viewer closed recently and I needed something to replace it.



This plugin is super lightweight, and has exactly the same admin interface, i.e. nothing to do, just install it and watch the magic happen on existing images and galleries. What's not to like.


A worthy successor to WP Featherlight

Adds a simple & lightweight Lightbox to the standard WordPress Gallery & Image Block. No lock in and no dependencies.

th23 Gallery vs Lightbox for Gallery & Image Block