Imagify: optimize your images on WordPress

The Imagify plugin is one of the best plugins ever. I just learned something crazy about websites. You know what seriously slows down your web pages? No no, it's not CSS or JavaScript like you might think... Hold on tight: these are the pictures! Seriously, more than half of the time it takes to load a page is just to load the images. Isn't that crazy?

So my friend, if you don't want your WordPress site to lag like a cart pulled by oxen (personally I prefer mine to run like a rocket), you really have to be careful about the weight of your images! In this article, I'm going to talk to you about Imagify plugin who will help you solve the problem.

What is Imagify?

Imagify is a crazy tool for WordPress that will reduce the weight of all your images, whether they are new or those you already have on your site. And the craziest thing is that it keeps the same quality! 🔥 You can use it in two different ways my friend:

• Either directly on their website, without installing anything (SaaS style, you see)
• Either by installing the extension on your WordPress

Imagify can automatically optimize images as you upload them, but it also has a bulk optimizer. You can use this tool to scan your entire website for unoptimized images, then compress, resize, and convert them to other formats, based on your Imagify settings.

The free plan allows you to optimize about 200 images per month (20MB), and that on as many sites as you want! If you need more, they also have paid versions that give you either 500MB or unlimited. If you want to optimize more files, you have to buy a premium license.

Do you remember when I told you that the images were 50% of the weight of a page? Well, imagine that if you don't pay attention to this, it can really ruin your life... and especially that of your visitors! I'm going to give you two statistics that will scare you. You know what annoys people the most on the web? A site that takes a long time to load! Almost 1 in 2 people say that this is their biggest annoyance.

And hold on tight: according to Google, if your site takes 1 to 3 seconds to load, you have a 32% greater chance that people will leave right away! 🏃‍♂️ In short, you need to improve core web vitals of your site. Basically, if your site loads like a snail because of heavy images, people won't stick around.

The benefits of Imagify

1. Ease of use : Imagify stands out for its simplicity. Once the extension is installed, it only takes a few minutes to configure it. After that, mass image optimization is done automatically, effectively solving image-related performance issues without requiring frequent interventions.
2. Modern image formats: The extension allows generating images in optimized formats such as WebP and AVIF. This means that after making the appropriate adjustments, users can enjoy high-quality images while reducing file size, which improves page loading speed.
3. API available: Imagify offers an API that allows developers to easily integrate its features into their projects, even outside of WordPress. This expands the possibilities of use and allows for increased flexibility in application development.
4. WP CLI Support: For developers, Imagify offers the ability to run bulk optimizations via WP CLI. This feature is particularly useful for automating tasks and efficiently managing optimizations on large volumes of images.
5. Compatibility with WP Rocket: Since both Imagify and WP Rocket are developed by WP Media, they are fully compatible. This synergy helps to optimize website performance in a harmonious way, thus providing an improved user experience.

How to configure the Imagify plugin?

If you want image compression to be automated, you will need to opt for the Imagify plugin. This way, all the images sent to your site will be compressed as soon as they are uploaded, which represents a significant time saving since you will no longer need to take care of these tedious tasks. To do this, simply install Imagify from the official WordPress repository.

What I like about this extension is that it guides the user step by step, like WP Rocket.

Step 1: Create an Imagify account and enter your API key.

If you don't have an account yet, click on the blue “Register” button, it's free. Enter your email address to receive your API key. Now, head over to your email inbox. There you will find an email from Imagify containing your API key (number 3 in the screenshot below) as well as your login credentials: username and password to be defined later.

In that email, click the confirmation link. Then, in your WordPress dashboard, click the “I got my API key back” and enter the API key provided in the email.

Step 2: Fine-tune your Imagify settings

Imagify settings on WordPress are divided into three parts. In the first part, you can choose the compression level (Normal, Aggressive or Ultra), enable automatic optimization, keep a copy of the original images and keep the EXIF ​​data.

Imagify General Settings 

In this first menu, you have the option to choose the desired compression level, whether it is Normal, Aggressive or Ultra. It is important to note that the higher the optimization level, the stronger the compression will be, which can result in a slight reduction in image quality.

You can also enable automatic optimization, which is recommended (leave this option checked). Additionally, it is advisable to keep a copy of the original images, so leave this box checked as well. Finally, you have the option to keep EXIF data, which includes information such as the date of the photo and the camera used. Unless there is an exceptional situation, it is best not to check this box.

Optimizing images

The Optimization menu offers 4 main settings: WebP format for optimal image compression, automatic resizing of images that are too large, selection of image sizes to optimize, and optimization of images in custom folders. The free version of Imagify does not require the creation of WebP versions to avoid consuming the monthly optimization credit.

For the WebP, it's a crazy format that compresses even more than JPG or PNG, without losing quality! If you have the premium version of Imagify, keep the basic settings. On the other hand, if you are on the free version, do not activate WebP – it will eat up your monthly quota for nothing!

In the game Mediatheque, you can make sure that images that are too big are automatically resized. Personally, I recommend 2000 pixels max, but you can put less if you want, it depends on your site. For the “Sizes to optimize”, check thumbnail, medium, medium_large and large, in addition to what you need. Ok, it will use more of your compression quota, but this way WordPress will be able to adapt to small screens. Practical, right?

And the last cool thing: the “Custom folders“. You can choose specific folders (like wp-content) to optimize all the images inside. And if you want, you can even optimize the images in your theme!

Display options

You can choose to show or hide the Imagify settings menu in your WordPress admin toolbar using the “Display Options” option.

Once you have made the desired adjustments, don't forget to save the changes at the bottom of the page. Now it's time to proceed with the bulk optimization.

Step 3: Optimize your images

Imagify can resize and compress files JPG, PNG, WebP and GIF, as well as PDFs you've uploaded to WordPress. You can also configure Imagify to optimize images in a specific folder. To improve image loading times, you can:

• Convert images to a format that is optimal for the web
• Use the most appropriate image size
• Set a maximum image size on the site
• Compress images to reduce their weight

Once the settings are done, click Save and go to Bulk Optimization. You are now redirected to the Bulk Media Optimization tab. This screen displays a preview with important metrics such as the number of optimized images, the weight before/after optimization, the percentage of savings and the percentage of optimized images.

The main table lists the media sources to optimize, including your media library and previously added side folders. You can change the compression mode between Lossless or Smart.

It is recommended to test on Smart first and then return to Lossless if the results are not satisfactory. Start with a small sample of images before starting the mass optimization. A modal window displays the remaining credit, and the progress bar allows you to follow the progress of the process.

By default, Imagify will optimize all image sizes created by WordPress, such as post thumbnails and medium-sized images. However, you can tell it to ignore some of these sizes. This is especially useful if you have the free plugin, as the extra sizes count towards your monthly Imagify usage.

Have you ever uploaded images to your website, blog or online store? In that case, Imagify has a bulk optimizer that can scan your site for unoptimized images.

Top 3 alternatives to the Imagify plugin

ShortPixel – The Premium Alternative par excellence

As an image optimization expert for over 8 years, I can say that ShortPixel stands out considerably. Its strength lies in its intelligent compression algorithm that remarkably preserves visual quality while reducing the file size up to 85%Its intuitive interface and robust API make it a tool of choice for high traffic sites.

Developers will especially appreciate its automatic backup system and its exceptional compatibility with different PHP versions. The free plan offers 100 images/month, and the paid plans are surprisingly affordable for the features offered. I have personally seen a significant improvement in loading times on over 200 client sites after its implementation.

Smush – The Web Professionals’ Choice

With over 10 years of experience using Smush, I can attest to its exceptional reliability. WPMU DEV has developed a tool that excels in batch optimization, allowing you to process up to 50 images simultaneously. Its automatic resizing function is particularly effective for e-commerce sites.

The free version is generous, offering unlimited image optimization up to 5MB. Its strong point? Lossless compression that maintains image quality while significantly reducing their weight. I have personally observed an average reduction of 20-30% in page load time on my clients' sites.

Compress JPEG & PNG Images by TinyPNG – The Versatile Solution

With my experience on over 300 WordPress projects, TinyPNG has proven to be an exceptional tool. Its strength lies in its ability to intelligently compress images while preserving their transparency – crucial for logos and graphics. The API is particularly robust, allowing seamless integration with development workflows.

The compression is impressive, often reaching 60-80% off without any visible loss of quality. The plugin offers 500 free compressions per month, which is more than enough for small sites. The interface is minimalistic but effective. In my projects, I have seen an average improvement of 40% in PageSpeed ​​scores after its implementation.

Conclusion

Imagify is a remarkable tool to automatically compress your images. Its free offer is suitable for most personal sites, while its unlimited offer will please agencies for intensive use without constraints. Thanks to Imagify, your images are optimized, consume less bandwidth and improve your conversions. An essential tool!

FAQ

Q: Can I optimize my old images with Imagify?

A: Absolutely, my friend! You can optimize your entire media library at once, even the old images you put a long time ago. There's even a button “Optimize in bulk” to do everything at once. Practical, right?

Q: If I optimize my images, won't they become ugly?

A: Not at all! That's what's crazy about Imagify. Even in "aggressive" mode, the images remain perfect. The plugin uses intelligent algorithms that reduce the weight without ruining the visual quality. You can even do before/after tests to see the difference!

Q: I exceed my free quota of 20MB per month, what do I do?

A: Don't worry, you have several options! Either you switch to a paid plan (500MB or unlimited), or you optimize only the new images that you upload as a priority. Pro tip: start by optimizing the images that appear on your most visited pages!