Why websites use WebP
WebP is an image format developed by Google for the web. At similar visual quality, a WebP file is usually noticeably smaller than the same image saved as JPG, and it can keep transparency like a PNG. Smaller images mean pages load faster, which helps visitors on mobile data and can improve page speed scores. All current major browsers display WebP, so you can use it on most sites without worry.
How to use it
- Add your images by dragging them onto the page or clicking to choose. JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, AVIF, HEIC, TIFF and SVG files are accepted.
- Set the quality slider. The default is 80.
- Optionally choose a maximum width so oversized photos are scaled down at the same time.
- Download each WebP file or get them all in one ZIP. The tool shows the saving for every file and the total.
Conversion happens in your browser, so your images are not uploaded to any server.
Picking quality and size for the web
Quality 80 is a sensible default for photos on a web page. Product photos or portfolio images that visitors will zoom into may deserve 85–90; small thumbnails and background images can often go down to 60–70. Judge the result at the size it will actually appear on the page, not zoomed in to 400 percent.
Dimensions usually matter more than the quality number. A photo straight from a phone may be 4000 px wide, while a blog column is often well under 1000 px. Scaling to roughly the largest size the image will be shown at, or about twice that for sharp display on high-density screens, saves far more than lowering the quality. For a full checklist, see image optimization for websites.
Limits to know about
- Lossy only. The browser's WebP encoder produces lossy WebP, so there is no lossless option here. Transparency is still kept. For pixel-perfect graphics where every edge must stay identical, PNG may remain the better choice.
- Animated GIFs. Only the first frame of a GIF is converted. The result is a still image, not an animation.
- Older software. Most current tools open WebP, but some older desktop programs and email clients do not. Keep a JPG or PNG copy if you need to share the image outside the web. You can convert back with WebP to JPG.
If you want to support very old browsers as well, the HTML picture element lets a page offer a WebP version with a JPG fallback.
For even smaller files, look at the AVIF converter, which compresses further but encodes more slowly; our WebP vs AVIF guide compares the two. To process a whole folder of images at once, try the bulk image compressor, which can also output WebP.
Frequently asked questions
Will WebP make my images look worse?
At quality 80 most photos look the same as the original at normal size. WebP is lossy here, so some fine detail is reduced; raise the slider if you notice softness or blotches.
Does WebP keep transparency?
Yes. Transparent areas in PNG, GIF or SVG files stay transparent in the WebP output.
Can I convert an animated GIF to an animated WebP?
No. Only the first frame is converted, so you get a still WebP image.
Do all browsers support WebP?
All current versions of the major browsers do. Very old browsers may not, which is why some sites still keep a JPG fallback. Read more on the WebP format page.