Step 1: login to your WordPress admin panel

Click User menu

select the user that you want add profile picture (avatar).

Click the link below the profile picture . then you can login to Gravatar website and update the user profile picture there. But this method need registration and your profile picture will store in Gravatar website. when any time you want edit your profile, you need go to their website to do that. So the best way to add or edit your WordPress user profile picture is to install ‘wp user avatar’ plugin.

click plugins (1) then select add new (2)

Search keyword: avatar (1) , then Click install now for ‘WP User Avatar’ (2) plugin.
click active after the installation.

You will see Avatars icon within control panel of WordPress. then click settings

make sure ‘ Allow Contributors & Subscribers to upload avatars ‘ and ‘ Disable Gravatar and use only local avatars ‘ box checked. then edit upload size limitation of avatar, I recommend using 1024000kb (around 1 MB). click save changes button.

Go back to user menu select the user you want edit, scroll down to the bottom, make sure you input some word in ‘ Biographical Info ‘ text box. otherwise the profile picture won’t show on your post or page of WordPress.
Next: upload profile picture (avatar). click update profile.
Now you can go back to any post to view author’s profile picture. It will show under the post.
[avatar user="ecto" size="thumbnail" align="center"]Here is a sample caption[/avatar]
You can insert the above avatar shortcode to anywhere of your WordPress website. avatar shortcode Explanation:
- user= user name
- size= “original size” or “large” or “medium” or “thumbnail” or “custom”
- align= “center” or “left” or “right”
- the “Here is a sample caption” is Caption