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Disable WebP By Default
A small plugin to control WebP image creation when JPEG images are uploaded.
The facts
- Rating
- 5★ from 5
- Active installs
- 200+
- Price
- Free
- Last updated
- 6 Feb 2025
- Added
- Mar 2022
- Requires WP
- 5.8
- Tested up to
- WP 6.4.10
- Requires PHP
- 7.0
- Downloads
- 3,958
Our analysis
AI-assistedDisable WebP By Default is a WordPress plugin designed to prevent the automatic generation of WebP images during the upload process. It adds a setting under Settings -> Media that allows site owners to enable or disable WebP creation for JPEG uploads. This functionality is particularly useful for those who may not have sufficient storage to accommodate the additional file types created by WebP generation.
The plugin is suitable for both individual sites and Multisite installations, allowing for network-wide or individual site activation. It addresses concerns from site owners about increased storage requirements associated with WebP images.
Best for: Site owners who want to manage image upload settings and storage requirements.
What it does well
- ✓Free to use from the WordPress.org directory
- ✓Allows control over WebP image generation
- ✓Can be activated on individual sites or network-wide in Multisite
Where it falls short
- •May become unnecessary as WordPress core evolves
- •Limited feature set based on provided information
Verdict
This plugin offers a straightforward solution for controlling WebP image generation, but its necessity may diminish with future WordPress updates.
From the developer
David Baumwald's own description of Disable WebP By Default, lightly tidied.
*** 2022-09-12 UPDATE ***
@matt published a post and codified a final decision that WebP by default would not be coming to WordPress Core in version 6.1. That being the case, this plugin will not be necessary for users to prevent WebP generation by default as part of the Core upload process.
Proposed to be included in WordPress 6.0 is a new feature to generate and use webp images by default. Specifically, when an image is uploaded, a WebP version of every image subsize is created. According to the proposal, one downside is that generating WebP versions along with the original JPEGs will “use an additional ~70% of the storage space to store both file types.” Although this is hugely beneficial to most websites and, more importantly, their visitors, some site owners may not be immediately able to increase the size of their storage to accommodate the additional files. For more information, see the proposal or the Trac ticket.
To help site owners manage the transition, this plugin adds a setting under Settings -> Media to either enable or disable WebP creation on the initial upload of JPEGs. For Multisite installations, the plugin can be activated network-wide or on individual sites.
*** 2022-07-22 UPDATE ***
Although the original implementation was not merged in 6.0 due to community feedback, changeset 53751(https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/53751) merged an updated implementation that addresses some(but not all) concerns from the community. This merge will be part of the 6.1 release, unless further changes are needed. Some site owners may not be able to immediately cope with doubling their required storage allotment with their host, so the original goal of this plugin remains. The code has been updated to disable WebP creation on upload globally. There is a new ticket discussing the possibility of making this feature into a setting(see https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/56263). However, given WordPress’s core philosphy of “Decisions, Not Options”, it’s unlikely to proceed.
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