How to Optimize Images for WordPress: Beginner Guide (2025)

Need help with optimizing your images?

By the end of this guide, you will learn how to optimize your images using different methods, from apps to tools.

Here’s what we’ll talk about here:

• What optimization means
• How to use optimization plugins
• How to use tools for optimization

Ready? Let’s get started.

What Does Image Optimization Mean?

Basically, image optimization involves reducing the file size of your images without sacrificing quality.

When you optimize images, you’re making sure they’re in the right format, have the correct dimensions, and are compressed properly.

This means you would want to have the proper tools that balance image quality with file size so that your images look good while loading quickly.

Here are the benefits of optimizing images:

• Optimized images load faster, leading to a better experience for visitors and encouraging them to stay longer on your site.
• Faster loading times make your website more user-friendly, reducing user frustration and allowing them to explore more of your site.
• Search engines prefer websites that load quickly, so optimization can help improve your position and discoverability in search results.
• Optimized images take up less storage space and bandwidth, which can lower hosting costs and prevent slowdowns.

In addition, optimized images ensure your website loads efficiently and consistently on mobile phones, tablets, and desktops.

How to Optimize Images for the Best Performance

The key to effective image optimization for optimal web performance is striking the right balance between minimal file size and satisfactory image quality.

There are three things to remember here:

1. Image file format
2. Compression
3. Image dimensions

By selecting the optimal combination of the three, you can reduce your image size by up to 80%, making it ready for upload.

1. Image file format (JPEG vs. PNG vs. GIF)

You already might have heard of JPEG, PNG, and GIF — these are among the most famous image file formats.

Here’s a quick comparison of the three:

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)	PNG (Portable Network Graphics)	GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
JPEGs support 16 million colors, making them perfect for complex images, but they do not support transparency	PNGs support fewer colors than JPEGs, but they handle sharp contrasts and text better.	GIFs support only 256 colors, making them less ideal for detailed images but effective for simple graphics, logos, and short animations.
JPEGs use lossy compression, which reduces file size significantly but can impact quality if over-compressed	PNGs use lossless compression, preserving image quality but resulting in larger file sizes compared to JPEGs.	They use lossless compression, maintaining quality without reducing file size significantly.
Ideal for photographs and images with gradients	Best for images requiring transparency and those with text, logos, or sharp edges	Suitable for simple graphics and animations, which JPEG and PNG cannot

Pro-tip: Simply refer to this guide to select the appropriate format depending on the specific use case for your images.

2. Compression (Higher Compression = Smaller File Size)

Unfortunately, higher compression results in smaller file sizes but can impact image quality.

Here’s what you need to know:

Lossy compression	Lossless compression
This type of compression reduces file size by permanently removing some image data	In contrast to lossy compression, lossless compression decreases file size while preserving the original image quality.
While this results in much smaller files, it can also cause a noticeable loss in quality if the compression level is too high	This method is perfect for images where preserving detail is essential.
JPEGs commonly use lossy compression, making them suitable where smaller file sizes are needed and slight quality loss is acceptable​	PNG and GIF formats use lossless compression, but results in larger file sizes compared to lossy compression

Many image optimization tools, like those we will be discussing later, allow you to adjust the level of compression.

You can balance file size and quality according to your specific needs. 

3. Image Dimensions (Height and Width)

Optimizing the dimensions of your images is also essential for ensuring that they load quickly and display correctly on your website. 

Here are some tips:

• Fit to design: Scale images to fit your website’s design — large images slow down your site, while very small images look blurry.
• Responsive design: Ensure images adjust to different screen sizes using responsive themes and plugins.
• Predefined sizes: Use WordPress’ predefined sizes to automatically resize images upon upload.
• Avoid scaling in CSS: Resize images before uploading to prevent slower load times.
• Retina displays: Use images twice the dimensions for high-resolution screens like Retina displays.

All clear! 😮

How to Optimize Images through Plugins

Optimizing images through plugins is a convenient and effective way to ensure your WordPress site runs smoothly.

These plugins automate the process and save you time and effort while ensuring your images are properly optimized for the web.

1. Smush

Smush is a highly popular WordPress plugin for image optimization, designed to compress images without compromising their quality.

The plugin supports lossless compression, lazy loading, and WebP conversion, which collectively improve your website’s loading speed and performance.

Smush is suitable for both single-site and multisite installations. It also offers flexible settings to cater to different needs and users of different skill levels.

2. Imagify

Imagify is a powerful image optimization plugin for WordPress designed to compress images and convert them to modern formats like WebP and AVIF.

The plugin offers automatic optimization for all image sizes generated by WordPress and supports both lossy and lossless compression methods.

Imagify is user-friendly, effectively making it easy for both beginners and advanced users to optimize their images effortlessly.

3. ShortPixel

ShortPixel is a comprehensive image optimization plugin for WordPress designed to improve website performance by reducing image file sizes without compromising quality.

ShortPixel offers multiple compression methods to cater to different needs, making it ideal for photographers, bloggers, and ecommerce sites alike.

The plugin can be used on multiple websites with a single API key and provides full support for WordPress multisite installations.

How to Optimize Images through Online Tools

Using online tools that don’t require any installation is another accessible, convenient, and effective way to optimize your images and improve your website’s performance.

They are especially useful for quick, on-the-go optimizations or when working on platforms that don’t support plugins.

1. TinyPNG

TinyPNG is a widely used online image compression tool that specializes in reducing the file sizes of PNG, JPEG, and WebP images.

It uses intelligent lossy compression methods to reduce the number of colors in an image, significantly cutting down the file size while preserving excellent visual quality.

To use TinyPNG, simply visit its site, where users can simply drag and drop images for compression.

2. Compressor.io

Compressor.io is a highly efficient online tool designed to significantly reduce the file size of images while maintaining high quality.

The tool offers both lossy and lossless compression options and is versatile for different use cases such as web display or print.

With an easy-to-use interface, it allows users to simply drag and drop their images for quick optimization, with options for direct saving to Google Drive or Dropbox.

3. Optimizilla

Optimizilla is an efficient and user-friendly online image optimization tool designed to compress images to the smallest possible size while maintaining high quality.

The tool allows users to upload up to 20 images at once, making it an ideal solution for bulk image compression.

To use it, simply visit its site, where users can simply drag and drop images for compression.

Optimizing Images through Software Apps

Lastly, optimizing images through software applications offers a powerful way to manage and compress your image files directly on your computer.

Software apps provide advanced features and customization options and make them suitable for both casual users and professionals. 🙂

1. Adobe Photoshop

In terms of managing images, who doesn’t know about Adobe Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop is the premier image editing software widely used by professionals and hobbyists alike for its extensive features and powerful tools.

The latest version introduces new enhancements and functionalities, including advanced AI capabilities, that streamline the workflow and elevate creative possibilities. 

Photoshop’s desktop application and web version remain the go-to application for detailed image manipulation, retouching, graphic design, optimization, and more. 

Simply go to the file menu in the top bar > export > export as… Here you can choose an image file format (JPG, PNG, GIF) that gives you the smallest file size.

You can also reduce image quality, colors, and other options to further decrease file size.

2. GIMP

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a powerful, open-source graphics editor used for tasks such as photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring.

The latest version, GIMP 3.0, includes a comprehensive suite of tools for high-quality image manipulation and supports a wide range of file formats.

GIMP is compatible with various operating systems, and it remains a favorite choice for both amateur and professional designers due to its robust capabilities and free access.

Just select file > export as… to open the export image dialog box. Here, you can rename your file. Then, click the export button.

You will now see the image export options. For JPEG files, you can use the quality slider to select the compression level and reduce file size.

3. ImageOptim

For macOS users, ImageOptim is a popular image optimization tool that focuses on reducing file sizes without compromising quality.

ImageOptim combines various optimization tools, including MozJPEG, Pngcrush, pngquant, 7zip, and Google Zopfli, in a user-friendly drag-and-drop functionality.

It also removes unnecessary metadata from images, which helps protect privacy and reduces file size further.

When you drag and drop images into ImageOptim, it will run several image optimization tools automatically and combine their results, ensuring that you always get the smallest file.

If you enable lossy minification you’ll get even smaller file sizes possible.

Continuous Optimization for Top-Notch Performance

Remember to regularly optimize new images as you upload them to maintain a fast, efficient, and user-friendly website.

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to monitor your site’s performance and make adjustments as needed. Moreover, keep your optimization tools and plugins updated.

By following these tips and using the right tools, you can ensure your images are optimized for the best possible performance and visual appeal on your WordPress site.