Modern Image Formats
by WordPress Performance Team · Performance
Also makes 9 other plugins · 550K+ installs across the portfolio →
Converts images to more modern formats such as WebP or AVIF during upload.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
B 81/100
no flags
Active installs
100K+
≈190K estimated
Momentum
+17%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “images”, “performance” and “avif” for “jpeg”, “png to webp” and “convert images”. “images” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “jpeg” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “performance” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “png to webp” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “avif” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #21. “convert images” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
81 health vs 69 average across 1,806 Performance plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →8.2%
of downloads still active
At least 100K of 1.2M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Performance plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,104 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Performance plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 4 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 67 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
3.6★ over 26 reviews, smoothed to 3.93★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
38
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.3
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
20%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.5
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| formats | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| modern image formats your tag | #1 | #3 | 0 |
| modern images | #1 | #3 | 0 |
| modern | #3 | #7 | 0 |
| post formats | #5 | #10 | down 1 |
| webp your tag | #15 | #19 | up 2 |
| png to webp | #9 | #17 | up 1 |
| jpeg | #9 | #16 | 0 |
| convert images | #10 | #20 | up 1 |
| png | #10 | #18 | up 2 |
| webp convert | #11 | #16 | 0 |
| convert webp | #11 | #15 | up 1 |
| avif your tag | #21 | #20 | down 2 |
| output | #13 | #18 | 0 |
| convert to webp | #13 | #17 | 0 |
| regenerate | #14 | #19 | 0 |
| webp images | #10 | #17 | 0 |
| webp file upload | #10 | #20 | 0 |
| regenerate thumbnails | #17 | #21 | down 1 |
| convert avif | #22 | #21 | down 2 |
| images your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| performance your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
74 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 53 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “images”, “performance” and “avif” for “jpeg”, “png to webp” and “convert images”. “images” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “jpeg” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “performance” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “png to webp” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “avif” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #21. “convert images” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “webp”. #15 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 7 Apr 2023 · 1,305 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 124.3K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
4
releases in the last 12 months
4mo ago
latest release · v2.7.1 · 3 Jul 2026
21
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 41% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “100K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 21 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 6 Apr 2023
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ couponsoffers4mo ago
Easy, fast, and works instantly; I highly recommend it. This topic was modified 2 weeks, 3 days ago by couponsoffers.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ DigitalGdn4mo ago
This works perfectly for my needs and I see it as an essential plugin. I use it with these settings enabled: ✅ AVIF ✅ Output fallback images ✅ Picture element Then just a question of running wp media regenerate. For images I output in custom blocks (e.g. an ACF image field) I created a theme function that calls wp_get_attachment_image then applies the filter wp_content_img_tag. I guess there was some technical reason why the plugin couldn’t do that part.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ lacoste898mo ago
Ich nutze dieses Plugin auf allen neuen Webseiten, damit Bilder automatisch nach AVIF konvertiert werden. Es funktionierte bisher immer ohne Probleme, deshalb kann ich es uneingeschränkt empfehlen. Ich hoffe es wird bald auch direkt in den WordPress Core übernommen.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ primerpizza11mo ago
Been trying to get this thing to work but it just wont serve the generated images. Support stopped replying.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ pdjp11mo ago
Good plugin, but no option to set the WebP compression value. What compression is used here?
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ faospark1.0y ago
Its been years since I had a terrible experience in this eco system UP UNTIL this one. The plugin needs to warn users that once youve regenerated post thumbnails and complete entire process is complete even if you deactivate the plugin wordpress will would force you to use tha Avif or webp version of your images. in which a lot of cases will break site. And one would think you can reverse nope that is not case. I had to result to using a back up data base to restore content. I have about 10K images that includes is variable sizes and variable formats on 2 websites . I Have ZERO plans to figure out which is a jpg and png on those let alone re attach them. There is no official wordpress to manually restore them. This plugin needs to be further improved.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ nmask1.2y ago
Nice light plugin, does what is says.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Masoud Golchin1.2y ago
Thanks for developing this plugin!It’s my #1 plugin for image optimization!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.7.1 Bug Fixes Prevent fatal error in webp_uploads_filter_wp_get_attachment_image() when wp_get_attachment_image_src() returns false and during rest_prepare_attachment filtering. ( 2565 ) 2.7.1
- — Version 2.7.0 Enhancements Add explanation for discarded modern image outputs. ( 2518 ) Link to FAQ from settings section. ( 2480 ) Rewrite img tags output by wp_get_attachment_image() . ( 2451 ) Bug Fixes Disable AVIF when ImageMagic 2.7.0
- — Version 2.6.1 Bug Fixes Add a simple PHP version check around a deprecated function. ( 2285 ) Fix missing PICTURE element support for post thumbnail and add missing Modern Image Formats support for Widget block. ( 2179 ) 2.6.1
- — Version 2.6.0 Bug Fixes Use modern image formats in background images for Cover blocks and Group blocks. ( 2121 ) Fixes palette-based PNG uploads failing original full-size AVIF/WebP conversion under GD. ( 2024 ) 2.6.0
- — Version 2.5.1 Bug Fixes Fix Modern Image Format not cropping image if crop is an array. ( 1887 ) Fix incorrect image size selection in PICTURE element. ( 1885 ) 2.5.1
- — Version 2.5.0 Enhancements Switch to wp_content_img_tag filter for improved image handling. ( 1772 ) 2.5.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 26 languages, 17 at 90% or more
Plus 2 more locales with partial translations.
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
6 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Converts images to more modern formats such as WebP or AVIF during upload."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 5 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 5 of 5 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WP-CLI.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,179 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "modern image formats", "performance" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-02-15 90K+ → 100K+ up after 56 days in tier
- 2024-12-21 80K+ → 90K+ up after 43 days in tier
- 2024-11-08 70K+ → 80K+ up after 49 days in tier
- 2024-09-20 60K+ → 70K+ up after 48 days in tier
- 2024-08-03 50K+ → 60K+ up after 42 days in tier
- 2024-06-22 40K+ → 50K+ up after 37 days in tier
- 2024-05-16 30K+ → 40K+ up after 33 days in tier
- 2024-04-13 20K+ → 30K+ up after 37 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
WebP Express 300K+ installs · 4.4★ · 3 shared tags A -
QuickWebP – WebP & AVIF Image Optimizer, Compression & SEO for WordPress 8K+ installs · 4.4★ · 3 shared tags A -
Autoptimize 800K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Optimole – Optimize Images | Convert WebP & AVIF | CDN & Lazy Load | Image Optimization 200K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Robin Image Optimizer – Unlimited Image Optimization, WebP & AVIF 100K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A -
Cache Enabler 100K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Modern Image Formats into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/webp-uploads" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Modern Image Formats — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Modern Image Formats: 100K+ active installs, 3.6★ (26 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/webp-uploads
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