Description
Most image optimizers try to convert the whole library as fast as possible. On shared hosting that ends in timeouts, memory errors or a host warning about CPU usage. Pload takes the slow road: it first tests what your server can handle, then converts a few hundred images every minute and stays inside those limits. A library of 200,000 images simply takes a couple of days instead of crashing.
Your original files are never changed. Pload writes a WebP copy next to each JPEG and PNG (photo.jpg gets photo.jpg.webp) and keeps it only if it is really smaller.
What it does
- Tests the server before starting: which image engine works (Imagick or GD), how much memory and time a step may use, and how much disk space the WebP files will need.
- Converts in short background steps through WP-Cron. If WP-Cron is off or blocked, site visits, an open admin page, a server cron job or a free online cron service can drive the steps instead.
- Handles new uploads first, then works through the library, newest images first.
- Shows WebP to browsers that support it with a tag. No .htaccess rules, so it works on Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed, and with page caches.
- Works with theme lazy loading (WoodMart and similar themes that keep the real address in data-src).
- Optional compatibility mode for images that page builders print without the WordPress image functions.
- Pauses by itself when disk space runs low. On cPanel it reads the real account quota, not the size of the whole server disk.
- Three quality levels, or your own number, and an option to rebuild existing WebP files after a change.
- Exclusions by image, by page address or by CSS class.
- “Optimize now” and a WebP column in the media library.
- One click removes every WebP file again, a little at a time, before you delete the plugin.
Privacy
Everything happens on your own server. Pload does not send images or any other data anywhere and needs no account or API key.
Installation
- Install and activate the plugin.
- Go to Media Pload. The server test and the disk space estimate run by themselves.
- Pick a quality and click “Start optimizing”.
- Once the first WebP files exist, turn on “Show WebP to visitors” and clear your page cache.
FAQ
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Will it change my original images?
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No. WebP files are saved next to the originals. If you turn off “Show WebP to visitors”, the site is back to the original images right away.
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Why is it slow?
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On purpose. Each step stays within the time and memory the server test measured, so the site keeps running normally. On a VPS you can set the processing speed to “Fast”.
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Does it support AVIF?
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Not yet. The server test already checks whether your host can create AVIF files; converting to AVIF is planned for a later version.
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How do I remove everything?
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Go to Media Pload Tools and use “Remove all WebP files”, then delete the plugin. Deleting the plugin removes its settings too, but it only has a few seconds to delete files, so on a large library run the removal first.
Reviews
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Contributors & Developers
“Pload – Smart Image Optimizer & WebP” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.0
- First public release.