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Troubleshooting Missing or Broken Images with EWWW Image Optimizer

43 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → Ewww image optimizer

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Encountering missing, broken, or incorrectly sized images after installing an optimization plugin can be a frustrating experience. Based on common community reports, this guide will help you diagnose and resolve the most frequent causes of image display issues when using the EWWW Image Optimizer plugin.

Why Do These Image Issues Happen?

Image display problems are rarely caused by a single factor. They often stem from conflicts between plugins, specific theme configurations, or caching mechanisms. The EWWW Image Optimizer team has identified several common triggers, which we'll explore below.

Common Causes and Their Solutions

1. Lazy Load Conflicts

This is one of the most prevalent causes of missing images. It occurs when multiple plugins or theme features try to handle lazy loading simultaneously.

  • Symptoms: Images appear as gray backgrounds, blank spaces, or only load after deactivating the plugin.
  • Solution: Identify and disable duplicate lazy load features. Check your caching plugin (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache) and your theme settings for their own lazy load options. If you wish to keep EWWW's lazy load active, you may need to add CSS class exclusions (like .compare_product_image) for elements handled by other plugins. Always clear your cache after making these changes.

2. External CSS Background Images

Many page builders (like Divi) and themes load images via CSS rather than direct HTML <img> tags.

  • Symptoms: Background images, cover images, or section images do not get converted to WebP or optimized.
  • Solution: The plugin's JS WebP rewriting cannot alter URLs defined in external or internal CSS. For these cases, the only method to optimize them is by using a service that can process and serve them from a CDN.

3. Resize Detection Overlay

A helpful debugging feature can sometimes be mistaken for a problem.

  • Symptoms: Logged-in users see images with a blue/black dotted border and a tooltip about being "forced to the wrong size."
  • Solution: This is not an error but a warning. It highlights images that are being scaled down in your browser, suggesting you should use a smaller source image for better performance. You can disable this visual indicator by navigating to the Resizes tab in the plugin settings and unchecking the Resize Detection box. You may need to enable "Ludicrous Mode" from the Basic tab to see this option.

4. Database Caching or Minification Conflicts

Aggressive caching or minification can interfere with how the plugin operates.

  • Symptoms: Plugin settings not saving, JavaScript errors, or sliders/other plugins breaking.
  • Solution: If settings won't save, contact your web host; this is often caused by aggressive object caching that needs to be cleared. If other plugins break (like sliders), check your minification plugin settings (e.g., Autoptimize, Fast Velocity Minify) and ensure critical scripts like jquery.js are excluded from being combined or minified.

5. Migration or File Path Issues

Moving a site can sometimes break the connection between the database and image files.

  • Symptoms: Images exist in the file system but do not appear on the front end, often accompanied by "Could not retrieve file path" errors.
  • Solution: After a migration, try using a regeneration thumbnails tool. This can help rebuild the database references to your image files.

General Troubleshooting Steps

  1. Isolate the Problem: Deactivate the EWWW Image Optimizer plugin. If the images return, the issue is likely a conflict with its settings.
  2. Check for Conflicts: Reactivate EWWW and then deactivate other plugins one by one (especially caching, minification, and other image plugins) to identify the specific conflict.
  3. Clear All Caches: Always clear your site, browser, and CDN caches after any configuration change. What you see might be a cached version of the page.
  4. Inspect the Console: Use your browser's developer tools (F12) to check the Console tab for JavaScript errors and the Network tab to see if image requests are failing (404 errors).

By methodically working through these common scenarios, you can usually identify and fix the cause of your image display issues. Remember that plugin conflicts are highly dependent on your specific setup, so patience and systematic testing are key.

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