Why this matters
WooCommerce generates multiple image sizes for each product — thumbnail, medium, large, full. Converting all of these to WebP improves load time for every page that displays product images. Most modern browsers support WebP natively; the few that do not receive JPEG fallbacks automatically. This directly improves your Largest Contentful Paint score.
Implementation options: enable WebP in your optimisation plugin and regenerate thumbnails. Plugins like Imagify, ShortPixel, or WebP Express convert and serve WebP automatically. Many managed WordPress hosts offer WebP conversion at server level — check your hosting dashboard. After conversion, verify with Google PageSpeed Insights that serving next-generation image formats no longer appears as a recommendation.
Combine WebP conversion with lazy loading — images below the fold should not load until the user scrolls to them, further reducing initial page weight. For new product uploads going forward, set your workflow to deliver WebP from the source where possible. Also see our tips on image alt text for the full image optimisation picture.
Expert insight — Vesa Nippala
Vesa Nippala has optimised dozens of WooCommerce stores and built the ProsperCart e-commerce platform. This advice comes from real-world experience, not theory. Learn more about Vesa →
Key takeaways
- 25–35% smaller files vs JPEG
- Imagify, ShortPixel, or WebP Express
- Combine with lazy loading
- Check PageSpeed Insights after conversion