Does Imagify Delete/Replace the Original Uploaded Image after Converting

  • NagaTheme

    (@nagatheme)


    16 hours, 29 minutes ago

    Hello Imagify Support,

    1. I have a technical question regarding your plugin because I am conducting an in-depth comparison of WordPress image optimization plugins.

    Could you please clarify the following behavior?

    Suppose a user uploads this file:

    example.jpg or example.png

    After your plugin optimizes and converts it to WebP or AVIF, what exactly happens to the original (source) uploaded JPG/PNG file?

    To avoid any misunderstanding, I’m not asking about backup files created before optimization.

    I’m specifically asking about the original (source) uploaded image that WordPress stores in the Media Library.

    Which of the following best describes your plugin’s behavior?

    Option A

    • The original JPG/PNG remains on disk.
    • A WebP/AVIF version is created alongside it.
    • Both files continue to exist on the server.

    Option B

    • After successful conversion, the original JPG/PNG is automatically deleted.
    • The optimized WebP/AVIF becomes the only image stored on disk.
    • WordPress Media Library is updated to use the new image.

    2. If your plugin supports both behaviors, could you please specify:

    • Which option is the default?
    • Which settings enable each behavior?

    3. If the original JPG/PNG is deleted (Option B), are all generated WordPress image sizes (thumbnails, medium, large, etc.) also generated from the WebP/AVIF image, and does this remain fully compatible with the standard WordPress Media Library and image editing features?

    Or does your plugin intentionally keep the original JPG/PNG to maintain compatibility with WordPress core and third-party plugins?

    4. If the original JPG/PNG is deleted (Option B), does it work for pre-existing images? Or just work for new uploads?

    Thank you very much for your clarification.

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
  • Plugin Support Saransh

    (@saranshwpm)

    12 hours, 32 minutes ago

    Hi,

    Thank you for your questions. I’m happy to clarify how Imagify works.

    1. What happens to the original uploaded JPG/PNG?

    Imagify follows Option A.

    When you optimize an image, the original file in the WordPress Media Library remains in place. Imagify optimizes that original JPG/PNG file and, if Next-Gen formats are enabled, generates a corresponding WebP and/or AVIF version alongside it.

    For example:

    example.jpg
example.jpg.webp
example.jpg.avif

    The original file is not replaced with a .webp or .avif file, and the Media Library continues to reference the original JPG/PNG.

    2. Does Imagify support both behaviors?

    No.

    Imagify does not support replacing the original JPG/PNG with a WebP or AVIF file (Option B).

    The plugin is designed to preserve the original file while generating Next-Gen versions alongside it.

    3. Why does Imagify keep the original JPG/PNG?

    This is intentional to maintain compatibility with WordPress core and third-party plugins.

    The original image remains the source image in the Media Library, while WebP/AVIF versions are delivered on the frontend based on the display method you’ve selected.

    This also ensures compatibility with WordPress image editing, regeneration of thumbnails, fallback support if browser does not support next-gen and other plugins that expect the original image to exist.

    4. Does Imagify ever delete the original JPG/PNG?

    No.

    Imagify does not delete the original Media Library image as part of the optimization or Next-Gen generation process, whether the image is newly uploaded or already exists in the Media Library.

    I hope this clarifies how Imagify handles image optimization. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

    Best Regards,

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)

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