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Understanding and Managing the uploads-webpc Folder in Converter for Media

29 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Converter for media – optimize images | convert webp & avif

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If you're using the 'Converter for Media – Optimize images | Convert WebP & AVIF' plugin, you've likely noticed a new folder in your WordPress installation: uploads-webpc. This folder is a core part of how the plugin operates, but it can sometimes lead to confusion about disk space, file management, and how images are served. This guide explains the purpose of this folder and how to manage common related issues.

What is the uploads-webpc Folder?

The plugin creates the /wp-content/uploads-webpc/ directory to store all the images it converts into WebP and AVIF formats. This is a deliberate design choice to ensure safety and reversibility. The original images in your standard uploads folder are never touched or deleted. This means you can deactivate the plugin at any time, and your site will immediately fall back to serving the original images without any broken links or missing media.

Why Are My Original Images Still There?

This is not a bug; it's by design. The plugin's primary goal is to improve website performance by serving next-gen images to compatible browsers, not to optimize server disk space. Retaining the originals ensures your site remains functional if you decide to stop using WebP/AVIF or if a user's browser does not support them.

Common Questions and Solutions

1. Can I Delete the uploads-webpc Folder?

Answer: Yes, but only if you have uninstalled the plugin and are certain you no longer want to serve WebP/AVIF images. If the plugin is active, this folder is essential for its operation. Deleting it while the plugin is active will break image delivery until the conversion process is run again.

2. How Do I Exclude Specific Folders from Conversion?

Many users need to exclude images uploaded by forms (e.g., Contact Form 7, Formidable) or other plugins. The 'Converter for Media' plugin does not have a built-in UI for this, but it can be achieved with a code snippet. To exclude a directory within your uploads folder, add the following filter to your theme's functions.php file:

add_filter( 'webpc_dir_excluded', function( $dirs ) {
    $dirs[] = 'formidable';
    return $dirs;
});

Replace 'formidable' with the name of the directory you wish to exclude.

3. My Server is Running Out of Space. What Can I Do?

Since the plugin duplicates images, your disk usage will increase. The plugin is not intended as a disk space optimization tool. If server space is a critical concern, you may need to:

  • Manually clean out your main uploads folder using a plugin that finds unused images, but this is risky and not recommended.
  • Consider that the benefits of faster page loading times may outweigh the cost of additional disk space.

4. The Plugin Isn't Converting Images Outside the Uploads Folder

The plugin is designed to work only with images that are part of the WordPress Media Library, which are stored in the standard wp-content/uploads directory. It will not convert images located in your theme folder or other custom locations. The recommended solution is to add those images to your media library.

5. Why Do Some Files Have a .deleted Extension?

If the plugin converts an image and the resulting WebP/AVIF file is larger than the original, it will save it with a .deleted extension. This prevents the plugin from serving a larger file, which would harm performance instead of helping it. This is normal behavior.

Conclusion

The uploads-webpc folder is a fundamental component of the 'Converter for Media' plugin's safe and reversible approach to image optimization. Understanding its purpose helps in effectively managing your website's media and avoiding confusion about disk space usage. For more advanced configurations, such as excluding directories, the plugin provides filters that offer significant flexibility for developers.

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