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Why Are My Images Pixelated or Blurry After Using Smush?

28 threads Sep 10, 2025 Plugin → Smush image optimization – optimize images | compress & lazy load images | convert webp & avif | image cdn

Content

If you've installed the Smush Image Optimization plugin and found that some of your images now appear pixelated, blurry, or of lower quality, you're not alone. This is a common issue reported by users, but the good news is that it's often easy to diagnose and fix. This guide will walk you through the most likely causes and their solutions.

Why This Happens

Pixelation is rarely caused by the image compression itself. The Smush plugin is designed to reduce file size without a visible loss in quality. Instead, the blurriness is typically a side effect of other features, most commonly Lazy Load, or a symptom of the wrong image size being served for its container.

Common Solutions

1. Disable Lazy Load (The Most Common Fix)

Lazy Loading is a fantastic feature for improving page load times by loading images only as they enter the viewport. However, it can sometimes cause display issues.

  • How to check: Navigate to Smush > Lazy Load in your WordPress dashboard and toggle the feature off.
  • What to do: Clear your site's cache (including any caching plugins and your browser cache) and check your site again. If the image quality is restored, you've identified Lazy Load as the culprit. You can try re-enabling it and adjusting its settings, such as the animation or placeholder, to find a configuration that works.

2. Check Your Image Sizes

A small, low-resolution image will always look blurry if it's stretched to fit a large container. This is a web design issue, not a plugin bug.

  • How to check: Right-click on the blurry image in your browser and select "Inspect." Look at the displayed dimensions of the image and compare them to the actual size of the image file being served (often visible in the network tab).
  • What to do: Ensure you are using the appropriate WordPress-generated image size (e.g., 'large', 'medium') for its location on the page. You may need to work with your theme's settings or templates to call the correct image size.

3. Clear All Caches

Old, cached versions of your images or pages can stubbornly persist, making it seem like your changes aren't working.

  • How to fix: After making any changes in Smush, always clear your:
    • WordPress caching plugin's cache (if you use one like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache).
    • Server-level cache (if your host provides one, e.g., SG Optimizer for SiteGround).
    • Browser cache (or view the site in an incognito/private browser window).

4. Verify the Image Was Optimized Correctly

In rare cases, an image might not process correctly. You can verify the optimization was successful within your Media Library.

  • How to check: Go to your WordPress Media Library and switch to the list view. The Smush plugin will list the savings for each image size of an attachment. If an image shows no savings, it may not have been processed.

Conclusion

In most instances, pixelation after installing Smush is a temporary display issue related to Lazy Load or caching. By systematically disabling features and clearing caches, you can usually identify and resolve the problem quickly. If the issue persists after trying these steps, it may be worth investigating potential conflicts with other plugins on your site.

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