Optimising images on WordPress with LWS Optimize

Procédure

Image optimisation is a key element in improving website performance. Good management of image formats can reduce page load times, improve the user experience and optimise search engine optimisation (SEO). WebP is undoubtedly one of the best-known optimised image formats, and although new alternatives such as AVIF are available on the market, it continues to grow in popularity and to be used everywhere, enjoying great compatibility with all browsers on the market.

However, it is quite rare to have images and photos natively in WebP: PNG or JPEG types are generally the default format, so it is necessary to convert them to WebP format beforehand.

The WordPress extension LWS Optimize lets you convert all your JPEG and PNG images to WebP format directly from your site. Each image will be losslessly optimised to reduce their size as much as possible without reducing their quality.
In this documentation, we'll guide you through the various steps involved in configuring and using image conversion with LWS Optimize. You'll find out how to activate this feature and optimise your site for greater speed and efficiency.

Configuring image conversion to WebP with LWS Optimize

1. Activating image conversion

To activate automatic conversion of images to WebP via the LWS Optimize plugin, access your WordPress dashboard and then click on LWS Optimize in the left-hand menu.

Once on the plugin page, go to theImages tab

and click on "Convert images" to open the configuration panel.

Select the types of images to convert (PNG is not recommended by default, as conversion can in rare cases cause PNG images to lose their transparency), the quality you want (the lower the quality, the lighter the images will be, but their visual quality may suffer) and the maximum image size. You can also choose to overwrite the original images instead of keeping them, but this will prevent you from restoring them in the future.

Once you have configured the parameters, click on "Convert images" to launch the conversion cron. The images on the site will be scanned and those that meet the criteria will be converted to WebP.

Depending on the number of images, this may take some time, but you can track the progress of the conversion by looking at the statistics. As conversions are carried out in the background using cron, you can leave the page during the process.

If you are using the default WordPress WP-Cron, there must be activity on your site for the cron, and by extension the conversion, to take place.

2. Image conversion on upload

The automatic conversion option allows you to convert to WebP any image uploaded to your site directly, instead of having to convert it afterwards. To activate this option, click on 'Configure' on the 'Automatic conversion on upload' line to open a dialog box similar to the one above.

Configure the parameters and confirm, then tick the box to activate the action. No copy of the original image will be made, only the converted image will be saved on the site.

3. Using WebP images on the site

Once the images have been converted, they will be automatically served on your site without any intervention on your part. If the converted image no longer exists, then the original image will be served in its place, if available, ensuring that your site will always be functional even if there are problems with the conversion.

To check that your site is using these optimised images:

1. Open your site in a browser.

2. Right-click on an image and select Inspect.

3. Check that the image displayed is in WebP format.

4. Restoring original images

If you encounter a problem with the converted images or wish to restore your images to their original state, click on the "Restore images" button in the "Restore images" line.

Make sure you read the information displayed before clicking on the "Restore images" button, which will start the restoration process. Like conversion, restoration can take a little time depending on the number of images to be processed.

It is important to note that only images from which the original has not been deleted can be restored.

Conclusion

You now know how to :

• Enable automatic conversion of images to WebP with LWS Optimize to improve the performance of your WordPress site.
• Configure the necessary parameters for image conversion, taking into account image quality and size.
• Use the automatic conversion function when uploading to save time and improve efficiency.
• Ensure that WebP images are correctly served on your site for a better user experience.
• Restore the original images if necessary, taking care not to overwrite the source files.

With these steps, your site should load faster, providing a better experience for your visitors and a competitive advantage in the world of SEO. 🚀🌐

Thank you for reading this article! If you have any questions or would like to share your experience with LWS Optimize, please feel free to leave a comment below. Your feedback is valuable and helps us improve our services. 💬👍