Designed2Use Convert to WebP/AVIF

Maelezo

Designed2Use Convert to WebP/AVIF is a privacy-first image optimizer with one promise the
big-name plugins can’t make: your images never leave your server, and every conversion
can be undone.

Most popular optimizers upload your images to a third-party cloud service to do the work —
counting against monthly quotas and handing your media to someone else’s servers. This
plugin does everything locally, using WordPress’s own image editor (Imagick, falling
back to GD). No accounts, no API keys, no external requests.

Why it’s different

  • 100% local & private — no cloud service, no telemetry, no phone-home. Every image is
    processed on your own site.
  • Fully reversible — bulk conversion (and uploads made with “Keep original file” on)
    keep your original JPG/PNG on disk and record a restore manifest, so you can put any image
    (or all of them) back with one click. Uploads that replace the original can’t be undone.
  • WebP or AVIF — choose the modern format you want. AVIF (newer, smaller) is offered
    automatically when your server supports it, with a safe fall back to WebP.
  • See your savings — a built-in dashboard shows how much disk space you’ve saved, all
    calculated on-site.

What it does

  • Converts on upload — JPG/JPEG and PNG uploads become WebP or AVIF automatically, and
    because the conversion happens before WordPress builds its sub-sizes, every thumbnail size
    is generated in the new format too.
  • Converts existing media — a batch tool under Media Convert Existing processes
    your library a few images at a time with a live progress bar (no timeouts).
  • Convert & restore from the Media Library — convert or restore a single image right
    from its details (both list and grid view), or select several and use the Media-list bulk
    actions; roll back the whole library from the Tools page.
  • Resizes oversized images — anything larger than your chosen longest-edge limit is
    scaled down (aspect ratio preserved); smaller images are never enlarged.
  • Never breaks an upload — if anything goes wrong, or the server can’t write the format,
    the original file is kept and the upload proceeds normally.

Settings

Under Settings Convert to WebP/AVIF:

  • Enable conversion — master on/off switch for upload-time conversion.
  • Output format — WebP (broad support) or AVIF (smaller, when available).
  • Quality — 1–100 (default 80). Lower means smaller files.
  • Max longest edge (px) — default 1600. Set 0 to convert without resizing.
  • Keep original file — affects new uploads only; off by default (the original is
    replaced). Turn on to keep both — and only then can an upload be restored later.
  • Convert these formats — JPG/JPEG and PNG.

Converting and restoring existing images

Go to Media Convert Existing. The page shows how many images still need converting,
how many can be restored, and your running savings total. Conversions run in safe batches.

Because bulk conversion always keeps the original file on disk, the change is never
destructive: use Restore all to originals on the Tools page, or the Restore original
row action on any converted item in the Media list (single images, or several at once via the
Media-list bulk actions), to delete the converted files and put the attachment back exactly
as it was. Uploads converted with Keep original file turned on are restorable the same
way; uploads that replaced their original cannot be undone.

Privacy

This plugin contacts no external server, collects no data, and adds no tracking. WebP
and AVIF are written by your own server’s image library. Everything happens on your site.

Screenshots

Installation

  1. Upload the designed2use-convert-to-webp folder to /wp-content/plugins/, or install through Plugins Add New.
  2. Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen.
  3. Go to Settings Convert to WebP/AVIF, choose your output format, quality, and maximum edge (sensible defaults are set for you).
  4. Upload an image as usual — it’s stored in the modern format automatically.
  5. To convert your existing library, open Media Convert Existing and click Convert existing images.

FAQ

Does it send my images to a cloud service?

No. Unlike many optimizers, this plugin does all conversion on your own server using
WordPress’s built-in image editor. There are no external requests, accounts, or quotas.

Can I undo a conversion?

Yes — as long as the original is still on disk. Bulk conversion always keeps originals, and
uploads keep theirs when Keep original file is enabled. Use Restore all to originals
on the Tools page, the Restore original row action on any converted image, or the
Media-list bulk action for several at once. Restore deletes the converted files and puts the
attachment back to its original JPG/PNG, mime type, and thumbnails. Uploads that replaced
their original (the default) cannot be undone.

WebP or AVIF — which should I choose?

WebP has the broadest browser and host support and is the default. AVIF produces smaller
files and is offered when your server’s image library can write it; if you select AVIF on a
server that can’t, the plugin safely falls back to WebP.

Does it convert images already in my Media Library?

Yes — that’s what Media Convert Existing is for. It processes JPG/PNG attachments in
batches with a progress bar and updates the savings dashboard as it goes.

Will my originals be deleted?

Bulk conversion never deletes originals — that’s what makes restore possible. For new
uploads, the original is replaced by default; turn on Keep original file to keep both,
which is also what makes an upload restorable later.

Does it work on shared hosting?

Yes, as long as the server’s image library can write the chosen format — the Imagick PHP
extension, or GD with WebP/AVIF support. If it can’t, the plugin shows a notice and leaves
your images untouched.

Reviews

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Wachangiaji & Wasanidi

“Designed2Use Convert to WebP/AVIF” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

1.0.0

  • Initial release: private, on-server conversion of uploads and existing media to WebP or
    AVIF; resize-to-max-edge; convert and restore from the Media Library (row actions and bulk
    actions); one-click restore of a single image or the whole library — including uploads kept
    with “Keep original file”; and a local savings dashboard. No external services.