Big images are the most common reason a page loads slowly. Compress images in the WordPress plugin (from version 2.4.0) saves your JPEG and PNG images smaller, so pages load faster, without changing how they look.
Turn it on
In WordPress, open Arva SEO → Speed → Images and media (from version 2.11.3), find Compress images under "Your images get smaller", and turn it on. From then on, each image you upload is compressed a minute after WordPress has made its sizes.
To do the images already in your media library, open Compress your existing images too on the same card and choose Compress existing images. It runs in the background, a few images at a time, so you can leave the page.
Where images are compressed
- On your own server, free. Full-size photos lose the hidden camera data (the colour profile is kept) and are saved at a quality you can’t tell apart, and PNGs are saved again without losing anything. Photos that are already compressed are left alone.
- On Arva SEO’s servers, stronger. When your site is connected, turn on Use Arva SEO’s servers under Where images are compressed, and the originals. Each image and its sizes are sent to Arva SEO, compressed, sent back and deleted from Arva SEO straight away.
Arva SEO’s servers count each image once, with all its sizes, and only when it gets at least 5% smaller. Each month the Free plan includes 100, Starter 1,000, Professional 5,000 and Business 15,000. Top-ups of 2,000 ($4) and 10,000 ($15) never expire (Settings → Plan & billing). When none are left, your own server carries on until the month resets.
The originals
A file is only replaced when the result is at least 5% smaller, and the original is kept in wp-content/arvaseo-originals. Restore the originals puts them all back, except files that were changed since they were compressed. To save disk space you can turn off Keep the originals; images compressed after that can’t be put back.
Another image plugin?
If Smush, EWWW, ShortPixel, Imagify, Optimole or TinyPNG is active, Compress images shows Done by another plugin and stays off, so images aren’t compressed twice. The Other speed plugins card on the Speed page offers to deactivate it; images it already compressed stay compressed.