BD Image Optimizer now generates AVIF images, offers compression presets, and converts more of your images than before — including theme and widget images, not just post content. This guide covers how to set it up and read your savings.
Generate and deliver AVIF
AVIF is a modern image format that is usually smaller than WebP at the same quality. Turn on AVIF under BD Image → Settings and the plugin creates AVIF versions of your images and serves them to browsers that support the format. Browsers that do not get WebP or the original, so nothing breaks for older clients.
Use server encoders
The plugin prefers server tools — cwebp and ImageMagick — over PHP’s built-in GD library when they are available. Server encoders produce smaller, higher-quality files. The plugin detects what your host offers and shows the active encoder in Settings.
Pick a compression preset
Choose a preset that matches your priorities:
- Lossless — no visible quality change, smaller savings. Best for product or detail imagery.
- Balanced — strong savings with quality most visitors will not notice. The recommended default.
- Aggressive — largest savings, with some quality trade-off. Good for thumbnails and decorative images.
Convert your whole library
Run a bulk optimization to process existing images. The job runs in the background on cron, so you can close the page and let it work through your library a batch at a time. Progress shows on the dashboard.
Featured and widget images
Conversion now covers more than post-content images. Featured images and widget images get AVIF and WebP versions too, so a larger share of every page benefits, not just the body content.
Restore originals safely
Your original files are kept in a secured backup directory that is not web-accessible. You can restore any image to its original at any time, and restore preserves the optimization history so you keep a record of what was done.
When you delete an attachment in WordPress, its generated and backup files are cleaned up too, so nothing is left behind.
See savings by format
The dashboard breaks down your savings by format, so you can see how much space AVIF and WebP each saved against the originals. Use this to judge whether a more aggressive preset is worth turning on.
Quick start
- Turn on AVIF and confirm the active server encoder.
- Pick the Balanced preset to start.
- Run a bulk optimization to convert your existing library.
- Check the savings-by-format chart after the job finishes.