WebP is a modern image format that provides superior lossless and lossy compression for images on the web. Using WebP, webmasters and developers can create smaller, richer images that make the web faster by reducing file sizes up to 26% compared with PNGs.
Lossless WebP also supports transparency at a cost of just 22% additional bytes while providing 3x smaller files than PNG when using lossy RGB compression.
Animated WebP files can further reduce file sizes compared to GIFs or APNGs.
The method of encoding an image uses predictive coding from “VP8 video codec” and exact reconstruction techniques with local palettes where “no interesting match is found” in order for data savings without sacrificing quality in the resulting visuals.
The easy way to convert images to .webp
The best way to convert JPEGs into WebP images is by using a conversion tool, such as an online converter or a desktop program specifically designed for this purpose.
It’s important to make sure that the quality of your resulting image doesn’t suffer when doing the conversion, which can be done by setting up appropriate parameters and ensuring that any unnecessary metadata is removed from the image.
It helps to look out for tools with additional features like batch processing if you need to quickly convert large numbers of files at once.
Our favorite tools we use to convert jpeg images to .webp
cwebp developed by the Google webp team
Convert your favorite collection from PNG and JPEG to WebP by downloading the precompiled cwebp conversion tool for Linux, Windows or macOS.
cwebp is a command-line program that allows users to compress an input image file (in PNG, JPEG, TIFF, WebP or raw Y’CbCr format) into the WebP format. It has several options for controlling the level of compression used and can be tailored for different types of source material using presets.
cwebp also offers support for lossy or lossless compression and provides a range of advanced features such as cropping/resizing images, deblocking filters, multi-threading support etc. cwebp is unique in that it has a range of advanced features not seen in other image compression programs, and that it supports both lossy and lossless compression so users have the flexibility to choose what works best for them.
WebPShop for Photoshop
WebPShop is a Photoshop module for opening and saving WebP images, including animations. It can be installed on macOS and Windows systems with Photoshop versions 23.1 or lower, as well as version 23.2 or higher for the latter, where it provides additional features such as preview at encoding and animation support.
- Support for image and animation encoding/decoding
- Supports 8-bit RGB Color; 16 and 32 bits/channels are downscaled to 8 bits/channel before the WebP encoding because WebP only supports 8-bit internally
- Ability to adjust quality slider (with ranges 0..97 = lossy, 98..99 = near-lossless, 100 = lossless)
- Adjustable compression effort (fastest 1x / default 4x / slowest 6x)
The plug-in supports 8-bit RGB Color; 16 and 32 bits/channels are downscaled to 8 bits/channels before the WebP encoding because WebP only supports 8-bit internally. Encoding parameters can be tuned through an UI which includes a quality slider (with ranges 0..97 = lossy, 98..99 = near-lossless, 100 = lossless) and radio buttons offering several levels of compression effort (fastest 1x / default 4x / slowest 6x).
WebPShop, the plug-in for opening and saving WebP images directly from Adobe Photoshop, is now available on GitHub under an Apache 2.0 license.
File Converter for Windows
File Converter is a free and open source file conversion tool that enables you to convert and compress one or several files using the context menu in Windows Explorer. It supports a wide range of input formats, including audio, video, docs, photos, and more.
Built and maintained by Adrien Allard, the tool is useful beyond just converting jpegs to webp images. Just right click on an image, and click the format you want. One of the easiest solutions for everyday image conversion.
CloudConvert easy in-browser option
This option is awesome for quick conversions. CloudConvert lets you convert images to many formats in seconds. It’s free for hundreds of conversions per month.
CloudConvert is an online file converter. They support nearly all image formats. To get started, visit their website, and use the big button to select files to convert from your computer.
Precautions for using .webp images exclusively
Be mindful of which types of browsers support this file format before uploading any converted images onto your website—not all browsers have adopted it yet. Here’s a list of the browsers that do not support .webp images:
- Internet Explorer: All versions
- Microsoft Edge: Versions older than Edge 79
- Safari: All versions
Microsoft Edge 79 and newer have support for .webp, since it adopted Chromium as its base. Also, Safari has started supporting .webp since version 14, which was released on September of 2020.
Troubleshooting upload issues on WordPress when uploading .webp images
If you’ve had trouble uploading .webp images to your WordPress website, which really was a big issue in the past, we have some great advice and information to help resolve any issues.
To successfully upload WebP (.webp) images to a WordPress 5.8 or newer website, ensure that your web server has either Imagick or LibDG installed and enabled to support the WebP format. Be certain to check with your hosting provider, they may have limited uploads of WebP images; most will enable the option if asked.
You can also use an alternative uploader (accessible at /wp-admin/media-new.php?browser-uploader) for enabling .webp image uploading if you’re having issues with the typical media library uploader failing in some way.
