Troubleshooting WebP Images Not Displaying in Elementor

Many WordPress users rely on both Elementor and the 'Converter for Media – Optimize images | Convert WebP & AVIF' plugin to build fast, visually appealing websites. A common issue reported in the community is that while the plugin successfully converts images to WebP format, these images sometimes fail to display within Elementor-built pages. This guide will explain why this happens and walk you through the most effective solutions.

Why This Happens

The 'Converter for Media' plugin typically works by using server-level redirects (via the .htaccess file) to serve WebP images to compatible browsers. This process is independent of your page builder. However, conflicts can arise due to specific server configurations, caching layers, or how Elementor's editor environment handles these redirects. An error message like rewrites_not_working is a clear indicator that the server's redirect configuration is the root cause.

Common Solutions

1. Verify the Plugin is Actually Working

Before making any changes, it's crucial to confirm the issue is with the display and not a misdiagnosis of the plugin's function. A standard browser inspection might not tell the whole story.

• How to Check: Thoroughly review the plugin's official testing guide, often found under a support forum topic titled "How can I check if the plugin is working properly?". This usually involves checking the server response headers for an image request to confirm it is being served as WebP.

2. Change the Loading Mode (Most Common Fix)

If the plugin is working elsewhere but not in your Elementor editor or frontend, the default redirection method (via .htaccess) may be conflicting with your server setup or a caching plugin.

• How to Do It:
  1. Go to your WordPress admin dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Settings > WebP Converter.
  3. Locate the "Loading mode" setting.
  4. Switch from the default "Via .htaccess" to the alternative "Via Pass Thru" mode.
  5. Save changes and clear all your site and server caches (including any on WPEngine or other hosting platforms).
• Why It Works: This mode uses a different method to deliver WebP files that can bypass certain server configuration issues that break the .htaccess redirect method.

3. Investigate Server Configuration

If you see a rewrites_not_working error, it means the server is not processing the rewrite rules in the .htaccess file. This is common on certain hosting environments like NGINX or LiteSpeed servers that may require manual configuration.

• How to Do It: Contact your web host's support team. Provide them with the error message and ask if there are any restrictions on .htaccess rewrite rules for serving alternative image formats. They may need to apply specific server-level configurations.

4. Check for Caching Conflicts

Aggressive caching, especially on hosting platforms like WPEngine, can serve old HTML that references the original .jpg/.png images instead of the newly converted WebP versions.

• How to Do It: After converting images and changing any plugin settings, purge all caches—this includes your WordPress caching plugin, your CDN (like Cloudflare), and your host's server-level cache. Then, test the page in a fresh incognito/private browser window.

Conclusion

The integration between 'Converter for Media' and Elementor generally works well, as the plugin operates at the server level for images in the Media Library. The most frequent point of failure is the server's handling of the .htaccess redirects. Switching the loading mode to "Via Pass Thru" is the most effective first step to resolve display issues within Elementor. If problems persist, further investigation into server configuration and caching is recommended.