How to configure automatic WebP conversion

WP-Optimize is now able to automatically convert JPG and PNG images to the WebP format when compressing the image.
This can greatly increase performance due to smaller file sizes.

To configure automatic WebP conversion, go to WP Admin->WP-Optimize->Images.
The WebP option can be found under the Image Compression tab.

WP-Optimze WebP settings

When enabled, WP-Optimize will automatically convert an image into the WebP format, and serve that version whenever possible.

FAQ for “No WebP conversion tools are available on your web server”, in case you get this error.

How do I use WP-Optimize image optimization?

For a detailed walk-through on how to use the WP-Optimize image optimization feature, we put together a video that takes you through all the necessary steps:

Full written instructions on how to best compress and optimize your images can also be found here.

Why is my uploads folder so big after compressing?

The backup original images option preserves original (uncompressed) copies of your images with this setting enabled. This will nearly double the size of your uploads folder but provides a simple backup solution for your original media files. You can turn this off if you want to save space.

What if I make a mistake?

We know how easy it is to make mistakes when editing your images, which is why Image Optimiser offers the ability to backup your original files so you can quickly restore them in case you need the original full quality image.

Will the quality of the image suffer?

There may be a slight loss of image quality, but in most cases the quality loss is so tiny, it can’t even be noticed. Once your images are converted to a smaller file size, you will of course lose some of the data from the original file and the more you compress it, the more degradation occurs. One of the biggest reasons why we use lossy compression is that it maintains better image quality compared to lossless compression, while still giving a significantly reduced file size.