Utilizing large images on your WordPress website not only consumes storage space but also reduces the speed of your site. Rather than spending time and energy manually compressing them, find out how Smush can assist you in doing it all at once.
Smush is a recognized image optimization tool that concentrates on reducing the size and dimensions of your images. It conserves storage space and reduces the burden on your server, resulting in a faster website.
Ensure you have downloaded the Smush plugin for free from WordPress.org if you haven’t done so already.
It is possible to manually reduce the size of your images before uploading them to WordPress, however, this process is much more time-consuming compared to utilizing a plugin such as Smush.
Smush gives you full control over when and how your images are compressed and optimized in at least 7 ways.
In this written piece, we demonstrate the steps on how to:
1. Activate Smush Scan
2. Exclude Selected Image Sizes
3. Super-Smush for 2x More Compression (or Ultra-Smush for 5x)
4. Remove Image Metadata
5. Choose JPEGS Over PNGs
6. Manage Your Original Images
7. Bulk Smush Images
1. Activate Smush Scan
When you activate Smush, it automatically combs through your site and takes note of any images that can be compressed.
Smush presents the quantity of images requiring attention on its primary interface.
Before hitting the Bulk Smush button, it’s worth checking out Smush’s other image compression features.
Let’s review each of these choices.
2. Exclude Selected Image Sizes
First, you can exclude images of certain sizes from being compressed by simply unticking the checkboxes shown below:
WordPress creates multiple copies of an image. If you run a site that requires your images to be crystal clear, you may not want your larger images to be compressed, however, you can still compress the smaller image versions using these settings.
3. Super-Smush For 2x More Compression (or Ultra-Smush for 5x)
If you prioritize website speed and storage capacity, you can enhance image optimization even more with Super-Smush.
Super-Smush operates by eliminating as much image data as it can without compromising the quality, resulting in a file size reduction of up to double that of standard smush.
For even more compression and savings (up to 5x more) with minimal image quality loss, choose the Ultra Smush setting.
You have the ability to adjust Smush’s settings so that it keeps a copy of your original images. If you’re not prepared to use the Super-Smush or Ultra-Smush options, there are other methods to reduce the file size by a few kilobytes.
4. Remove Image Metadata
Smush lets you strip unnecessary metadata from your images.
When this feature is turned on, any extraneous information within your photos will be eliminated while retaining the essential data for search engine optimization.
Whilst a lot of the EXIF data stored within a photo is harmless, other details such as the location it was taken and the camera details are better off removed. The location could lead people to where you took the photo (your house perhaps) and if the serial number of the camera is included, it could be used to trace other photos online taken with the same camera and result in an invasion of privacy.
These scenarios may be unlikely, however since all the extra data is clogging up your site anyway, it makes perfect sense to remove it. Luckily, Smush does it for you automatically once you enable this setting.
Select JPEGs instead of PNGs.
Another way to potentially reduce your file sizes is by converting your PNG images to JPEGs.
If you’re unsure whether you should enable this setting, a good general rule of thumb is that you should convert photographs to JPEG as there is no noticeable loss in quality. You can achieve a file size of less than 10% of the original if you compress as a JPEG compared to PNG.
If you have graphics, screenshots, or images that contain text, it’s better to leave them as PNGs to ensure they stay crystal clear as JPEGs tend to add a little bit of noise/grain around the text
6. How Smush Handles Original Images
As of WordPress 5.3, large images are automatically resized down to the new maximum image size of 2560px in width/height. WordPress then refers to these resized images as “new originals”.
Smush can assist you in bypassing this limitation if you need to upload an image that exceeds this size.
With this setting enabled, Smush automatically creates a new size for super-large images and reduces these to your new custom sizes, rather than WordPress resizing them to its default maximum size of 2560px.
If you manually adjust the size of your images before uploading them to WordPress, you may not need to activate this feature. However, it can save you a considerable amount of time and effort, especially if you have numerous large images that you want to showcase on your website.
Now that you’ve decided how large your original images will be, it’s time to decide what to do with them.
By default, Smush doesn’t compress your original images during a Bulk Smush, it only compresses the thumbnail images that WordPress produces.
It is logical to compress your original images as well, as they are the primary source of storage consumption.
If you’re smushing all of your original images, you might want to have a backup in case you decide to revert back to the pre-smushed version.
If you upload an image higher than the maximum size your site will support (either WordPress’ maximum or a custom maximum you create with Smush) WordPress stores your image as the original and then creates the new max-sized image to display on your site.
If an image you upload is smaller than the maximum allowed, WordPress will not store this as a separate original – this version will be compressed directly by Smush.
Whilst Smush guarantees no loss in quality when compressing your images, we understand that some people will want a backup, which is why the ‘Store a copy of my small originals’ feature exists.
Enable this to store a copy of your original images in wp-content/uploads.
7. Bulk Smush Images
Reducing the file size of your images will save storage space on your website and also decrease the loading time for your visitors. After adjusting the various settings, it’s now time to use Bulk Smush to compress your images.
When you hit the blue button, Smush will compress the images that it identified upon activation.
After the process is complete, Smush will monitor your site for any new images that require compression.
When your image total on Smush’s main screen starts to creep up again, all you need to do is hit the Bulk Smush button and all your images will be compressed. It’s much quicker and easier than doing it manually outside of WordPress.
If you’re happy with your first Bulk Smush, you may want to consider enabling Automatic Compression.
If you turn on Automatic Compression, Smush will immediately compress your images when you upload them, eliminating the need for Bulk Smush in the future.
Image Optimization at the Touch of a Button
Compressing your images with Bulk Smush is just the start.
Optimizing images on your website reduces the strain on the server when handling browser requests. Additionally, using Smush can assist in improving your Google PageSpeed score.
Smush boasts a ton of other features such as a blazing-fast CDN and the ability to convert your images into next-gen formats that can help your site reach its full potential.
[Editor’s note: This post was originally published in July 2020 and updated in Dec 2023 for accuracy.]
Bulk image optimization is a process of reducing the file size of multiple images at once without compromising their quality. This is an essential step for website owners, bloggers, and digital marketers who want to improve their website’s loading speed and overall performance. One of the most popular tools for bulk image optimization is the free Smush tool.
Smush is a WordPress plugin that allows users to optimize their images in bulk with just a few clicks. It is an easy-to-use tool that can help you save time and improve your website’s performance. In this guide, we will show you how to use the Smush tool to optimize your images in bulk.
Step 1: Install and Activate the Smush Plugin
The first step is to install and activate the Smush plugin on your WordPress website. To do this, go to the “Plugins” section of your WordPress dashboard, click on “Add New,” and search for “Smush.” Once you find the plugin, click on “Install Now” and then “Activate.”
Step 2: Configure Smush Settings
After activating the plugin, you will be taken to the Smush dashboard. Here, you can configure the settings for image optimization. You can choose to automatically optimize images when they are uploaded, or you can manually optimize them later. You can also choose to resize images, convert them to a different format, and strip metadata.
Step 3: Bulk Optimize Images
Once you have configured the settings, you can start optimizing your images in bulk. To do this, go to the “Bulk Smush” section of the Smush dashboard. Here, you can select the images you want to optimize and click on “Bulk Smush Now.” The plugin will then start optimizing your images in the background.
Step 4: Monitor Progress
While the images are being optimized, you can monitor the progress in the “Bulk Smush” section. The plugin will show you how many images have been optimized, how much space has been saved, and how much faster your website will load.
Step 5: Enjoy Faster Loading Times
Once the bulk optimization is complete, you can enjoy faster loading times for your website. This will improve the user experience for your visitors and help you rank higher in search engine results.
In conclusion, bulk image optimization is an essential step for improving your website’s performance. The free Smush tool makes it easy to optimize your images in bulk, saving you time and improving your website’s loading speed. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily optimize your images and enjoy a faster, more efficient website.
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