How to Convert Images to WebP: 4 Easy Methods and Best Settings

Quick answer: To convert images to WebP, use a free online converter such as our image to WebP converter, a WordPress plugin that converts uploads automatically, or Google’s cwebp command-line tool for large batches. For blog photos, a quality of 75 to 85 and a maximum width of 1200 to 1600 pixels usually cuts file size by well over half with no visible loss. Always keep your originals and check that pages still show the right images.

This guide explains how to convert images to WebP with four methods, which settings to use, how to switch a WordPress site without broken images, and the mistakes to avoid. It is part of our Blogging and SEO guide.

What Is WebP and Why Use It?

WebP is an image format developed by Google that supports both lossy and lossless compression, transparency and animation. Google’s WebP documentation reports that lossy WebP images are 25 to 34% smaller than comparable JPEGs, and lossless WebP images are about 26% smaller than PNGs.

Smaller images mean faster pages, which helps visitors on mobile data and supports Core Web Vitals such as Largest Contentful Paint. WebP is supported by all modern browsers; Can I use puts global support at about 97%.

When WebP Is (and Is Not) the Right Choice

Method 1: Free Online Converter (Fastest)

Best for bloggers who add a few images at a time.

1. Open the image to WebP converter.
2. Drop in your JPG, PNG or GIF files (up to 30 at once).
3. Set quality to 80 and, for blog images, a maximum width of 1200 to 1600 pixels.
4. Keep “SEO friendly names” on so files get clean names such as blue-running-shoes.webp.
5. Click Convert, check the savings column, and download the files or a ZIP.

The conversion runs in your browser, so images are not uploaded anywhere. If a WebP comes out larger than the original, which can happen with tiny, already-optimised PNGs, keep the original.

Method 2: WordPress Plugins (Automatic)

Best for existing sites with hundreds of images. Popular options include Converter for Media, EWWW Image Optimizer, Imagify and ShortPixel. If your host uses LiteSpeed, the LiteSpeed Cache plugin can also create and serve WebP versions through its image optimisation feature.

Most plugins keep the original JPG or PNG and serve the WebP version to browsers that support it. That approach avoids broken links, but test a few pages after enabling it, and clear your cache.

Method 3: Command Line With cwebp (Bulk)

Best for developers and large image folders. Google’s cwebp encoder converts one file like this:

cwebp -q 80 photo.jpg -o photo.webp

To resize to 1200 pixels wide while keeping the aspect ratio, and to convert every JPG in a folder on macOS or Linux:

cwebp -q 80 -resize 1200 0 photo.jpg -o photo.webp

for f in *.jpg; do cwebp -q 80 "$f" -o "${f%.*}.webp"; done

Method 4: Image Editors

Recent versions of Photoshop and the free editor GIMP can export directly to WebP. This is useful when you are already editing an image, but slower than a converter for batches.

Best Settings for WebP

Resizing usually saves more than the format change itself. A 4000-pixel phone photo shown at 800 pixels wastes most of its bytes, whatever the format. Our image size and WebP checker lists recommended size targets.

Switching a Live Site Without Broken Images

• Back up first. Keep a copy of your uploads folder.
• New posts: upload WebP files directly; WordPress supports WebP uploads since version 5.8 if your server supports the format.
• Old posts: either let a plugin serve WebP versions automatically, or replace images post by post and update the image URLs.
• Do not delete old image files that other pages or sites may link to, unless you redirect them.
• Keep descriptive file names and alt text. Check alt text with the bulk image alt text checker.

If you hand-code pages and want a fallback for very old browsers, use the picture element:

<picture>
  <source srcset="photo.webp" type="image/webp">
  <img src="photo.jpg" alt="Describe the image" width="1200" height="800">
</picture>

How to Check the Results

• Run the page through PageSpeed Insights and compare the image warnings before and after.
• Scan up to 500 URLs with the bulk image size and WebP checker to find remaining heavy files.
• Open a few posts on your phone to confirm images look sharp.
• Check for broken images with the broken link checker.

Common Mistakes

• Converting without resizing oversized photos.
• Setting quality too low, which causes blurry text and blocky edges.
• Deleting originals with no backup.
• Replacing image URLs without updating posts, which creates broken images.
• Converting tiny icons that end up larger as WebP.
• Forgetting alt text and descriptive file names.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does converting to WebP reduce quality?

Lossy WebP removes some detail, like JPG. At quality 75 to 85, most people cannot see the difference in photos. Use higher quality for images with text.

Is WebP better than AVIF?

AVIF can be even smaller, but it takes longer to encode and is less widely supported by tools. WebP is the safer, simpler choice for most blogs today.

Does WebP help SEO?

Indirectly. Smaller images help pages load faster, which supports user experience and Core Web Vitals. Content quality and relevance still matter far more; see what is search engine optimization.

Can I upload WebP to WordPress?

Yes, since WordPress 5.8, provided your hosting supports WebP in its image library.

Will WebP work on iPhone?

Yes. Safari on iPhone and iPad displays WebP images.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to convert images to WebP is one of the quickest speed wins for any blog: resize, convert at a sensible quality, keep your originals and check the results. Try it now with our free image to WebP converter, and explore more in the Blogging and SEO guide.