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Why Your Images Aren't Optimized: Troubleshooting Common Imagify Issues

43 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Imagify image optimization – optimize images | compress images | convert webp | convert avif

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Many WordPress users turn to the 'Imagify Image Optimization – Optimize Images | Compress Images | Convert WebP | Convert AVIF' plugin to improve their site speed. However, a common and frustrating issue occurs when the plugin appears to have optimized images in the Media Library, but third-party tools like GTmetrix, Google PageSpeed Insights, or a simple browser inspection reveal that the original, unoptimized files are still being served to your visitors.

This guide will explain why this happens and provide the most common solutions to ensure your optimized images are actually being used on your frontend.

Why This Happens

The discrepancy between the backend and frontend is rarely due to the optimization process itself failing. More often, it's related to how the optimized images are delivered. The most common causes are:

  • WebP Display Method: If you use the "Rewrite Rules" method and your server configuration (e.g., NGINX) doesn't support the .htaccess rules Imagify uses, the WebP versions cannot be served.
  • Caching: Aggressive page, browser, or server caching can stubbornly serve old, cached versions of your unoptimized images.
  • Theme or Plugin Conflicts: Certain themes (like Avada) and page builders handle images in a specific way, particularly in sliders or custom modules, which can bypass the standard image delivery hooks.
  • External Domains/CDNs: If your images are served from a subdomain or CDN, the default WebP display method may not work correctly without additional configuration.

How to Troubleshoot and Fix the Issue

1. Test Your WebP Delivery

First, determine if the issue is specifically with WebP files or all optimized images. Visually check a few image URLs on your frontend:

  • Right-click an image and select "Open image in new tab."
  • Look at the URL in the address bar. If the image is a WebP, it should end in .webp. If it ends in .jpg or .png, the WebP version is not being served.
  • If the non-WebP image is also unoptimized (i.e., its file size is large), then the problem is broader than just WebP conversion.

2. Switch Your WebP Display Method

This is the most common fix. The Imagify team suggests trying the alternative method for displaying WebP images.

  1. Go to Settings > Imagify in your WordPress admin.
  2. Find the "Display images in WebP format on your site" option.
  3. If it's set to "Rewrite Rules," change it to "Use <picture> tags." If it's already set to "Use <picture> tags," change it to "Rewrite Rules."
  4. Save your changes and clear all your caches (page cache, browser cache, etc.).
  5. Re-test your site. The <picture> tag method is more compatible with different server setups and CDNs.

3. Clear All Caches Thoroughly

Caching is a frequent culprit. You must clear every cache layer between your server and your browser:

  • WordPress Cache: Clear any caching plugin you have (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache).
  • Server Cache: Contact your host to clear any server-level cache (e.g., Varnish, Nginx FastCGI Cache).
  • CDN Cache: Purge the cache on your Content Delivery Network (e.g., Cloudflare, StackPath).
  • Browser Cache: Do a hard refresh (Ctrl + F5 on Windows, Cmd + Shift + R on Mac) or test in a private/incognito browser window.

4. Check for Conflicts with Themes and Plugins

Some themes and plugins can interfere with image delivery. To test for a conflict:

  1. Temporarily switch your theme to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-One.
  2. Clear your cache and check if optimized images are now being served. If they are, the issue is with your theme.
  3. If the problem persists, disable all plugins except Imagify.
  4. Check your site again. If it works now, re-enable your plugins one by one, checking each time, to identify the conflicting plugin.

5. Verify CDN or External Domain Configuration

If your images are served from a domain like cdn.yoursite.com instead of yoursite.com, you may need to add the CDN URL in the Imagify settings.

  1. Go to Settings > Imagify.
  2. Scroll to the "WebP & AVIF" section.
  3. If there is a field for a CDN URL, enter the domain your images are served from (e.g., cdn.yoursite.com).
  4. Save changes and clear all caches.

By methodically working through these steps, you can identify and resolve the issue preventing your optimized images from being displayed, ensuring your site benefits from the faster load times Imagify provides.

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