W3ctrl Smart Image Optimizer

W3ctrl Smart Image Optimizer

By w3ctrl
Details
View on WordPress

W3ctrl Smart Image Optimizer reduces Media Library image size on your WordPress server. Files are not sent to a remote optimization API.

It uses WordPress image editors (Imagick or GD). Originals can be backed up before a file is replaced, and a file is replaced only when the result is smaller.

Features

  • JPEG and PNG optimization, including optional EXIF/metadata stripping
  • WebP copies next to originals, with optional front-end delivery via a picture element
  • AVIF copies next to originals when the server can encode AVIF, with optional front-end delivery
  • Resize oversized originals during optimize, plus a manual resize control on the plugin Media screen
  • Convert opaque PNG files to JPEG
  • Skip files above a maximum size or below a minimum size
  • Exclude JPEG, PNG, WebP, or selected uploads folders
  • Automatic optimization when images are uploaded
  • Bulk optimization with progress, pause, cancel, and retry failed
  • Dry-run savings estimate before a bulk run
  • Per-image optimize, restore, and resize
  • Original backups; restore one image, restore all, or delete backups
  • Dashboard statistics and server capability checks
  • WP-Cron scheduled optimization
  • Optional LiteSpeed Cache and Cloudflare URL purge after optimize or restore
  • Media Library column, row actions, and bulk actions
  • WP-CLI and a REST API for optimize, stats, and restore
  • Optional removal of plugin stats and backups on uninstall (Media Library files are never deleted)

Privacy

Images are processed on your own server. The plugin does not phone home and does not add telemetry.

LiteSpeed cache purge (when enabled) runs only on this server when LiteSpeed Cache is present. It does not send data to a remote LiteSpeed service.

External services

This plugin can optionally connect to Cloudflare to purge cached image URLs after an attachment is optimized, restored, or resized.

It sends only the affected media file URLs to api.cloudflare.com, and only when an administrator enables Cloudflare purge and saves a Cloudflare Zone ID and API token in Settings. Image files themselves are not uploaded to Cloudflare. The feature is off by default.

This service is provided by Cloudflare, Inc.:
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy

WP-CLI

wp sio optimize
wp sio optimize --limit=100
wp sio stats
wp sio restore <attachment_id>

Developers

Filters and actions include w3ctrl_sio_booted, w3ctrl_sio_after_optimize, w3ctrl_sio_after_restore, w3ctrl_sio_after_resize, and w3ctrl_sio_supported_mime_types.

The admin menu parent slug is w3ctrl. Other W3ctrl plugins can add a submenu under that slug and register themselves on the w3ctrl_admin_plugins filter.

Details

Plugin code:
w3ctrl-smart-image-optimizer
Plugin version:
1.0.3
Author:
Outdated:
No
WP version:
6.0 or higher
PHP version:
7.4 or higher
Test up to WP version:
7.1.1
Total installations:
0
Last updated:
2026-09-20
Rating:
Times rated:
0
avif
compression
images
optimize
webp