Title here
Summary here
WebP Conversion
Automatically convert uploaded JPEG and PNG images to WebP format for significantly smaller file sizes and faster page loads. WebP images are 25-34% smaller than equivalent JPEG/PNG while maintaining the same visual quality.
Use Cases
- Improve page speed and Core Web Vitals scores
- Reduce bandwidth usage and hosting costs on image-heavy sites
- Serve lighter images to mobile users on slower connections
- Automatically optimize images without manual conversion work
How It Works
- Enable the module and configure quality settings
- Upload a JPEG or PNG image as normal
- The image is automatically converted to WebP during upload
- The WebP version appears in your media library
- Your site serves the optimized WebP file
Where to Find It
Location: Upload images through Media → Add New or the media button in any editor. Conversion happens automatically.
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Convert JPEG Files | Yes | Convert uploaded JPEG images to WebP |
| Convert PNG Files | Yes | Convert uploaded PNG images (preserves transparency) |
| WebP Quality | 80 | Quality level (60-100). Higher = better quality, larger files |
| Original Files | Delete | Delete original or keep as backup |
| Exclusion Suffix | -sbe | Files with this suffix skip conversion |
Quality Settings Guide
| Quality | File Size | Visual Quality | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60-70 | Smallest | Slight artifacts visible | Thumbnails, backgrounds |
| 75-85 | Balanced | Excellent | General use (recommended) |
| 90-100 | Larger | Indistinguishable | Photography, high-quality displays |
Recommended: 80 — This provides excellent quality with significant size savings.
Original File Handling
Delete Original (Default)
- Only the WebP file is kept
- Saves storage space
- The WebP appears in your Media Library
Keep Original as Backup
- WebP file appears in Media Library
- Original JPEG/PNG is kept on server
- Accessible via FTP/File Manager only
- Useful if you might need the original later
Excluding Files from Conversion
Add the exclusion suffix to any filename to skip conversion:
photo.jpg → Converted to photo.webp
photo-sbe.jpg → Stays as photo-sbe.jpg (skipped)
logo-sbe.png → Stays as logo-sbe.png (skipped)Use this for images where you specifically need the original format.
Browser Support
WebP is supported by 97%+ of browsers worldwide:
| Browser | Support |
|---|---|
| Chrome | Full support |
| Firefox | Full support |
| Safari | Full support (v14+) |
| Edge | Full support |
| Opera | Full support |
| iOS Safari | Full support (v14+) |
For the ~3% on older browsers, WordPress will serve the original format if available, or the image simply won’t display if the original was deleted.
Server Requirements
WebP conversion requires server support via one of:
| Library | How to Check |
|---|---|
| GD Library with WebP | PHP’s imagewebp() function available |
| ImageMagick with WebP | Imagick extension with WebP format support |
The module settings page shows your server’s capability status. If neither is available, contact your hosting provider to enable WebP support.
Performance Benefits
| Metric | Impact |
|---|---|
| File size | 25-34% smaller than JPEG/PNG |
| Page load | Faster (less data to download) |
| Core Web Vitals | Improved LCP scores |
| Bandwidth | Reduced hosting costs |
| Mobile | Better experience on slow connections |
Conversion Examples
| Original | WebP | Savings |
|---|---|---|
| 500 KB JPEG | 350 KB WebP | 30% smaller |
| 200 KB PNG | 130 KB WebP | 35% smaller |
| 1 MB photo | 680 KB WebP | 32% smaller |
Important Notes
Only New Uploads
This module converts images during upload. Existing images in your media library are not affected.
Converting Existing Images
To convert existing images:
- Enable this module
- Enable the “Regenerate Thumbnails” module
- Regenerate your images
The regeneration process will create WebP versions of existing images.
FAQ
Why aren’t my images converting?
Check the module settings page for server support status. Your server needs GD Library or ImageMagick with WebP support enabled. Contact your hosting provider if neither is available.Will this break images on older browsers?
Most older browsers that don’t support WebP are now extremely rare (< 3%). If you keep original files as backup and your theme/CDN supports format fallback, older browsers can still see images.Can I convert back to JPEG/PNG?
If you kept originals as backup, the original files are still on your server. Otherwise, you would need to re-upload the original images.Does WebP support transparency?
Yes! WebP supports transparency (like PNG), so your transparent PNG images will retain transparency when converted.What about animated images?
This module doesn’t convert animated GIFs. They remain in their original format.Start with quality 80 and adjust based on your needs. Most sites find 75-85 provides the perfect balance of quality and file size.
This module only affects new uploads. To optimize your entire existing media library, use the Regenerate Thumbnails module after enabling WebP Conversion.
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