How to Enable Lightbox Thumbnails and Comments

Lightbox thumbnails and comments are Pro features. Thumbnails add a scrollable strip of image previews inside the lightbox so visitors can jump to any image without clicking arrows. Comments let visitors leave feedback on individual images. Both features are configured in the Lightbox step of the Gallery Builder and require an active Pro license.

Before You Start

You need an active Pro license to access the Thumbnails and Comments sub-menus. The free version shows a Premium Feature lock screen instead of these menus.

• WP Social Media Gallery Pro installed and activated.
• A saved gallery open in the Gallery Builder.

Enable Thumbnails

The Thumbnails sub-menu controls the thumbnail strip that appears inside the lightbox. You can set its position, whether it loops back to the first image after the last, and the width and height of each thumbnail.

1. Go to WP Social Media Gallery > Gallery Builder.
2. Open the gallery you want to edit.
3. Click Lightbox in the builder stepper.
4. Click Thumbnails in the lightbox side menu.
5. Toggle Enable Thumbnails? to on.

Once enabled, choose the thumbnail position — top, bottom, left, or right — and set the width and height in pixels. The loop option makes the thumbnail strip scroll continuously from the last image back to the first.

Enable Comments

The Comments sub-menu lets visitors leave comments on individual images inside the lightbox. You can restrict comments to logged-in users only, choose whether the comment panel is visible by default, and set its position.

1. Click Comments in the lightbox side menu.
2. Toggle Enable Comments? to on.
3. Check Logged In Users Only if you want to restrict comments to registered users.
4. Set Panel Visibility to open or closed by default.
5. Set Panel Position to left or right.

Comments are stored per image in the WordPress comments table, linked to the attachment ID. They appear inside the lightbox overlay, not on the post or page itself.

What to Check

Confirm both Pro features work correctly after enabling them.

• The thumbnail strip appears at the chosen position with the correct number of thumbnails.
• Clicking a thumbnail jumps to the corresponding image in the lightbox.
• The comments panel opens and closes correctly.
• Comments are restricted to logged-in users when that option is enabled.

Troubleshooting

If the Pro features do not appear, check the following.

• Thumbnails or Comments menus are missing: Confirm your Pro license is active. The free version shows a Premium Feature lock screen instead of these menus.
• Thumbnails not visible: Verify the enable toggle is on and the position is not overlapping the image. Try a different position if the strip is hidden.
• Comments not saving: Confirm the visitor has permission to comment on the attachment. Comments are linked to the attachment post type.

Next Steps

With thumbnails and comments enabled, connect a social account to build a gallery from Instagram, YouTube, or another platform. Learn how to connect a social account to expand your gallery sources.