What Is WebP and Why Is It Useful?

· 2 min read

If you have ever saved an image from a website and ended up with a “.webp” file, you have met WebP. It is an image format designed to make pictures on the web smaller without making them look worse.

What WebP does differently

WebP was developed to replace JPG, PNG and GIF on the web with one more efficient format. It can work in two modes:

  • Lossy, like JPG, for photographs. At similar visual quality, files are typically around 25 to 35 percent smaller than JPG.
  • Lossless, like PNG, for graphics. Files are usually smaller than the equivalent PNG.

Unlike JPG, WebP supports transparency even in lossy mode, so you can have a small, compressed image with a see-through background — something neither JPG nor PNG offers on its own. It also supports animation, as a lighter replacement for GIF.

Why it matters

Images are usually the heaviest part of a web page. Smaller images mean pages load faster, use less mobile data and feel more responsive — which visitors notice and search engines take into account.

Where WebP works

All current major browsers display WebP, including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and Samsung Internet. Modern versions of Windows, macOS, Android and iOS can open WebP files, and WordPress has accepted WebP uploads for several years.

When not to use WebP

  • Upload forms that list accepted types. Many government, exam and job portals still accept only JPG or PNG.
  • Older software. Some older image editors and office programs cannot open WebP.
  • Sending files to people who may open them in unknown software: JPG is the safest choice.

Creating WebP images

The Felx Image Compressor can save images as WebP. With the format set to Automatic, PNG files are saved as WebP so they shrink while keeping transparency. Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Samsung Internet can create WebP; if your browser cannot, Felx tells you and saves a JPG instead.

Converting WebP to something else

If you have a WebP image that a website will not accept, open it in the Image Compressor and set the output format to JPG or PNG.