Web development
Why use new image formats in WordPress
WebP, HEIC, HEIF, and AVIF offer better quality and smaller file size. How to enable them
1 min read
Why use new image formats?
Before diving into how to enable support for new image formats in WordPress, it's worth understanding why you'd want to do so. Formats like WebP, HEIC, HEIF, and AVIF offer clear advantages in quality and file size compared to the older JPEG or PNG. With them, your website loads faster, images look better, and you save storage space on the server.
How to enable new image format support in WordPress
All you need to do is add a code snippet to the functions.php file (the file where a WordPress theme stores its functions), or add a snippet using the "Code Snippets" plugin, the same one used in How to remove WordPress admin menu items with Code Snippets, for example.
Checking new image format compatibility
After adding the code, your WordPress site is ready to upload images in WebP, HEIC, HEIF, and AVIF. To check, try uploading one to the media library (WordPress's file library). You should be able to do so without any issues.
Benefits of new image format compatibility
New image format compatibility in WordPress offers several benefits:
Improved performance: WebP and AVIF are highly efficient in terms of file size and quality, which improves your website's loading speed.
Visual quality: these formats maintain high visual quality even with smaller file sizes.
Server space savings: by using more efficient formats, you take up less space on your web hosting server.
Future compatibility: keeping up with new formats ensures your site is prepared for the future and remains relevant as technology evolves.
And if speed is one of your concerns, don't just rely on intuition: measure it.