Image in hugo markdown not showing

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05-10-2024

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Troubleshooting Missing Images in Hugo Markdown: A Step-by-Step Guide

Problem: You've diligently crafted a beautiful Hugo website, but your images are missing in action, leaving empty placeholders or broken links. Frustrating, right?

Rephrased: This article will help you diagnose and fix the common reasons why your images aren't showing up in your Hugo markdown files.

Scenario: You're using Hugo to create a website, and you've carefully added images to your markdown files using the ![alt text](image.jpg) syntax. But when you preview or deploy your website, the images are missing.

Original Code Example:

This is a cool image: ![My cool image](images/my_cool_image.jpg)

Analysis and Solutions:

There are several reasons why your images might not be displaying correctly in Hugo:

1. Incorrect Image Path:

   • The most common issue: Double-check the path to your image in the markdown file. Make sure it's correct relative to the location of your markdown file.
   • Example: If your markdown file is in content/posts/my-post.md and your image is in static/images/my_cool_image.jpg, the correct path would be ![My cool image](/images/my_cool_image.jpg).
   • Tip: Use a tool like tree in your terminal to visualize the file structure of your Hugo project.

2. Image File Not Found:

   • Verify existence: Ensure the image file actually exists in the specified directory.
   • Check case sensitivity: File systems are case-sensitive. Verify that the file name and directory names match the case used in your markdown file.
   • Missing files after build: If you're using a Hugo build process, the images may not be copied to the correct output directory. Check your Hugo configuration and build process.

3. Incorrect Image URL:

   • Relative vs. absolute paths: In your markdown file, use relative paths for images within your project. For external images, use their full URL.
   • Hugo shortcodes: If you're using Hugo shortcodes for images, ensure the shortcode is correctly configured and pointing to the right image.

4. Caching Issues:

   • Clear cache: Your browser or CDN might be caching outdated versions of your website. Clear your browser cache and try again.
   • Invalidate cache: If you're using a CDN, check if you have to manually invalidate their cache after deploying new content.

5. Hugo Configuration:

   • baseUrl setting: Ensure your baseUrl in config.toml is correctly set for your website. This influences how Hugo generates URLs for your images.
   • Theme settings: Some Hugo themes may have specific image handling configurations. Consult your theme documentation.

Additional Tips:

• Preview your website: Use the hugo server command to preview your website locally and verify the images are displayed correctly.
• Use image optimization: Tools like imagemin or tinypng can optimize your images for better performance and faster loading times.
• Check console logs: Browser developer tools often provide helpful error messages that can pinpoint the cause of missing images.

References and Resources:

• Hugo Documentation: https://gohugo.io/
• Hugo Shortcodes: https://gohugo.io/content-management/shortcodes/
• Image Optimization Tools: https://www.tinypng.com/, https://imagemin.js.org/

Conclusion:

By carefully checking the image paths, file names, and Hugo configuration, you can resolve most issues with missing images in your Hugo websites. Don't hesitate to experiment with the suggested solutions, consult the Hugo documentation, and seek help from online forums or the Hugo community if you need further assistance.