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Free Plugin by WordPress Performance Team v1.3.0

Image Placeholders

Displays placeholders based on an image's dominant color while the image is loading.

Image Placeholders

The facts

Rating
3.5★ from 2
Active installs
60k+
Price
Free
Last updated
26 Aug 2026
Added
Oct 2023
Requires WP
6.9
Tested up to
WP 7.1
Requires PHP
7.4
Downloads
469,114

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Image Placeholders is a WordPress plugin that identifies and stores the dominant colour of newly uploaded images in the media library. It creates a placeholder background of that colour on the frontend, which is displayed until the image is fully loaded.

This plugin is suitable for users who want to enhance the loading experience of their images by providing a visual placeholder that matches the image's dominant colour, potentially improving perceived performance.

Best for: This plugin suits WordPress users looking to improve image loading aesthetics on their sites.

What it does well

  • Determines and stores the dominant colour of images
  • Creates a placeholder background visible until images load
  • Free to use from the WordPress.org directory
  • Active installation count of 60,000
  • Grade A directory score of 86/100

Where it falls short

  • Limited feature information available
  • Only tested up to WordPress version 7.1

Verdict

Image Placeholders offers a straightforward solution for enhancing image loading with colour-matched placeholders. It is a useful tool for those focused on performance and user experience.

From the developer

WordPress Performance Team's own description of Image Placeholders, lightly tidied.

This plugin determines and stores the dominant color for newly uploaded images in the media library within WordPress and then uses it to create a placeholder background of that color in the frontend, visible until the image is loaded.

This plugin was formerly known as Dominant Color Images.

Read the full description on the official page →

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