From first install to
your first optimized image.

Use a recent WordPress installation with suitable image-processing support. The plugin's published requirements are WordPress 6.0+ and PHP 7.4+. WebP/AVIF writing depends on GD, Imagick or available server encoders.

1. Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Open Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
3. Select the downloaded uwh-image-optimizer-converter-v3.0.1.zip.
4. Click Install Now, then Activate.
5. Find Image Optimizer in the WordPress admin menu.

Installing the plugin does not start a bulk conversion of existing Media Library files.

On a first installation, the three-step setup recommendation can help you choose an output format, image quality and automatic processing of future uploads. You remain in control:

• Select the suggested settings and finish onboarding if they fit your site.
• Choose Skip for Now or the close button to leave settings unchanged.
• Return later from Settings → Show Setup Recommendations Again.

Start at Image Optimizer → Settings. Select a supported output format and image quality, then optionally cap maximum width/height.

• Higher quality %: more detail and generally lighter compression.
• Lower quality %: stronger compression with possible visible quality trade-offs.
• PNG: stays lossless; percentage affects compression effort rather than pixel detail.
• Max resolution: reduces oversized images while preserving aspect ratio; smaller images are not upscaled.

Use Beginner Mode for the main controls or open Advanced for source-format include/exclude and policy settings.

When automatic optimization is enabled, compatible images uploaded after installation may be processed using your configured settings. It is separate from the manual conversion of pre-existing library files. Check format support and test with one upload before enabling it for a production workflow.

1. Open Optimize, Optimize by Page or Bulk Optimizer.
2. Select the target image(s) or library.
3. Choose Analyze or Analyze Library (Dry Run).
4. Review eligible images, skipped files, potential output weight and projected savings.

Dry Run uses temporary output where applicable; it is designed not to replace Media Library attachments or create rollback/history entries.

1. Open Optimize and choose images from Media Library.
2. Select your output format, quality and maximum resolution for this run.
3. Use Preview to check the before-and-after comparison.
4. Press Optimize Selected (or apply from Preview).
5. Review the result toast, savings and available rollback controls.

You can re-optimize with a changed format, quality or max resolution. Repeating the exact same profile may be skipped to avoid needless recompression.

1. Open Optimize by Page, or select Optimize Images from a Page/Post row action.
2. Search for and select your page or post; the scanner identifies supported local attachments.
3. Review the Page Optimization Report and image thumbnails.
4. Select only the images you want to process.
5. Analyze, preview and optimize using your chosen settings.

1. Open Bulk Optimizer.
2. Run Analyze Library (Dry Run) first.
3. When ready, click Start Bulk Optimization.
4. Watch live processed, converted and skipped counters.
5. Use Pause, Resume or Cancel when necessary.
6. After completion, review the run summary and skipped-reason details.

Existing library conversion is intentionally manual. The live admin worker helps when WP-Cron is delayed, and server-capacity safety checks can skip demanding files. Avoid running other heavy server tasks concurrently.

Open History & Rollback to see successful conversions that still have valid restore snapshots. Restore a previous state or inspect recorded bulk runs. Up to three prior states can be retained per attachment.

Bulk Restore reverts files in a specific run when valid snapshots still exist, but skips later-modified images to prevent overwriting new work. You can delete old backup snapshots from the dashboard; doing so removes related restore options.