It’s a classic question by most beginners – ‘Do I need a paid plugin to use WebP on WordPress?’ And the clear answer is NO. You don’t need to spend even a penny on any plugins to use WebP images on WordPress! Instead, using additional plugins for WebP will effectively slow down your website.
That’s true guys, because a lot of beginners get confused at this stage, and spend money on image optimization plugins that slow down their own website! Instead, you can directly convert your images to WebP and upload them (It’s Free). WordPress has supported WebP natively since version 5.8.
From my experience, I would like to say, never install any image optimization plugins because they’ll slow down your backend, fill your database with junk, and cost money. Google and WordPress will never tell you to spend money on image optimization plugins, never!
The best way, is to convert your images by using a safe WebP converter before you upload them. Following this safe method won’t cost you money and won’t let your site slow down!
Table of Contents
Does WordPress Support WebP?
Yes, WordPress directly supports WebP file format since its version 5.8. And uploading WebP to WordPress is as simple as JPG and PNG.
When it comes to browsers, WebP can support 98% of all modern web browsers like chrome, safari, edge, firefox etc. So, there is no fear of broken images!
Pro Tip: Using WebP images instead of JPG and PNG can effectively increase your website speed and performance.
Why You Should Avoid “Image Optimization Plugins”
It’s simple, there are several reasons for why I am telling you to avoid these plugins.
Adds Extra Code
More plugins = More JavaScript on your website = Your site immediately slows down. It’s a proven fact! Plugins are nothing but just an extra javascript code that clearly affects your site speed!
Increases Privacy Risk
Most of the image optimization plugins are using server-based conversions. Which means, they send your images to their cloud server to convert. This method has a high risk of storing your images without even knowing.
Even several online WebP converters use this method as well, so make sure to use a trusted converter that uses a client-side conversion method. For maximum safety, you can convert safely inside our WebP Converter (it uses client-side conversions).
Waste of Money
Think about it! Spending money on plugins that make your own site slow, does it make sense? Absolutely Not! Using a trusted online WebP converter is the safest way that costs you no money.
The Fast and Safest Way to Use WebP: “The Manual Method”
The easiest, fastest and the safest way to use WebP images in WordPress, is to convert them manually using a safe converter.
3 Simple Steps to it Safely:
Step 1: Get the Image Ready
First, create your high quality image by using a preferred method. Make sure not to use other’s existing images in your site because it can destroy your website completely!
Step 2: Convert it to WebP Manually
As said, choose a safe WebP converter that uses client-side conversions. For clarity, client-side conversion is a method in which all the images are safely converted inside the user’s browser.
Otherwise you can use our WebP converter because it uses client-side conversions (The safest way that exists).
Step 3: Upload it to WordPress
The final step, upload converted images to your WordPress library. These are now high quality, lightweight, and safest images to use in your site!
From this manual method you reduced your server load, avoided extra plugins, and have 100% control over quality with smaller size images.
Pro Tip: Converting existing JPGs in your website to WebP will automatically reduce your hosting resources and improve site speed.
Important SEO Steps After Uploading Your WebP Images
Just a small reminder (especially for beginners), uploading WebP images to WordPress is not the end! After uploading images if you left it as it is, Google can’t understand what your images are about. And this is not good for site SEO!
Make sure you follow these steps.
Always Add Alt Text for Images
Alt texts are important for image SEO. With adding an alt text for each image, you are telling Google what this specific image is about. By adding alt text, Google understands what your images are related to.
It’s a strategy to rank your image inside the images tab on Google for specific keywords. This can also increase your website traffic and earnings!
Rename Your Images Properly
Sometimes converters may rename your images weirdly, e.g. ‘image_converted_01.webp.’ So, make sure to check the converted images and rename them properly. These simple steps matter to rank high!
Add Image Description If Possible
It’s not compulsory but, adding a 3-4 lines description for every image helps Google to understand your images better.
What If You Get “Sorry, This File Type Is Not Permitted” Error
It’s completely rare! Literally, any one out of thousand gets this problem, and the solution is much simpler than you think!
It’s very rare, but sometimes users can see a red error showing ‘File type not permitted’ while uploading WebP images. Let’s assume you face the same file type error, It’s only because you are using an old version of WordPress that needs an update!
To fix this error, go to dashboard > updates, and then update the latest version of WordPress. After updating, this error will disappear immediately.
FAQs
Will WebP images work on my old WordPress Theme?
Definitely Yes! WebP images can clearly work on old themes too. The main thing is WordPress supports WebP format, so themes also easily supports it no matter old or new!
What happens to my old JPG images? Do I need to delete them?
Not compulsory! You don’t need to delete old JPGs immediately! But for better site speed, I would like to recommend replacing your top-performing articles with WebP over time.
Is the Manual Method really faster than plugins?
Yes, plugins add extra unnecessary codes in your website and they use cloud servers to convert, which means you are risking both performance and privacy! By using manual conversions, all the images are converted in your browser with maximum safety. No Unnecessary Plugins = Faster Websites and Better SEO.
Can I use WebP for my Site Logo?
Yes, of course! WebP supports transparent backgrounds as well. Using WebP for site logo is a great way to speed up the very first thing that the audience sees!
Conclusion
In conclusion, the famous and common myth cleared! You don’t need any premium plugins to speed up your website, clear?
WordPress is powerful but also delicate, especially when it comes to images! So I would like to recap some important things that you must want to follow.
- Keep your database clean by doing manual WebP conversions.
- Do not rely on any plugins for WebP images even if it’s free.
- Never upload JPG or PNG images directly to WordPress.
- Convert your images to WebP manually (Always).
- Use a safe WebP converter (it’s highly important!)
- Add alt text for images and also description if possible.
- Never spend money on any premium image optimization plugins (waste of money).
Remember, never be too lazy to convert your images manually! Plugins slow down your website and cause negative impacts on site SEO.
Go find your heavy images (JPG or PNG), and open our safe WebP converter and start fixing your WordPress library with WebP images now!
Have a Great Day!
