When Image Optimization is on, Infinite Uploads compresses your images and converts them to modern formats as they are delivered from the CDN. The visitor's browser receives a smaller, faster file, while your original stays exactly as you uploaded it.
Note: Image Optimization is included with the Business plan. If your site is on the Starter plan, the Image Optimization section of the Account & Settings module shows an upgrade notice in place of the settings. See our pricing page to compare plans.
What happens on delivery
Your images are stored in the Infinite Uploads cloud and served through our global CDN. With optimization enabled, the first time a visitor requests an image we:
- Choose the best format their browser supports: AVIF, then WebP, then the original.
- Right-size it to your maximum width so a large photo isn't sent at full resolution to a small screen.
- Compress it at your chosen optimization level and strip unnecessary metadata.
- Cache the result on the CDN so every visitor after that gets it instantly.
The original file in your Media Library is never modified. Optimization happens only on the copy that's delivered. See Does Image Optimization change my original files?.
Which images are optimized
Optimization applies to standard raster photos and graphics: JPEG and PNG files. Other file types (such as SVG and GIF) are always delivered as-is, untouched.
Automatic fallback keeps every visitor covered
Not every browser supports AVIF or WebP. That's fine. We read what each visitor's browser accepts and only send a next-gen format when it's supported. Older browsers automatically receive the original JPEG or PNG, so no visitor ever sees a broken image.
It's built in, with no separate plugin
Because optimization happens at delivery, there's nothing to install alongside Infinite Uploads and nothing to run in the background on your server. In fact, we recommend turning off separate image-optimization plugins to avoid compressing images twice. See Do I still need Smush, ShortPixel, or EWWW?.
Why it works this way
Optimizing at delivery has three big advantages over rewriting your files:
- Your originals are safe. You can change your settings, or turn optimization off entirely, and your source images are always intact.
- Every visitor gets the ideal file. A phone on a slow connection and a desktop on fiber can receive different formats and sizes from the same original, automatically.
- No load on your site. The compression runs on our CDN network, not your WordPress host, so enabling it never slows down your site.