Converter for Media plugin review and common issues

Check which serving method is active in Converter for Media → Settings → Serving Method. If using .htaccess (Apache), verify the rules were written to your .htaccess file — the plugin shows a status indicator. On Apache with AllowOverride disabled, .htaccess rules are ignored — contact your host to enable AllowOverride. If using PHP-based serving (recommended for Nginx), ensure your permalink structure is not set to “Plain” — WordPress rewrite rules are required for this method to function.

Bulk conversion errors usually indicate the conversion library (GD with WebP support or Imagick) is not available or the images have unusual properties. Go to Converter for Media → Settings → Converter and check which conversion library is detected. If no library supports WebP encoding, contact your host to enable PHP GD with WebP support (the most common fix). GIF images with animation often fail WebP conversion — static GIFs convert successfully but animated GIFs may not be supported.

Auto-conversion on upload should work by default. Check: (1) the plugin is active; (2) go to Converter for Media → Settings → Conversion and verify “Convert on upload” is enabled; (3) upload a test image and check the media library attachment page — the Converter for Media panel should show the WebP file generated. If it is not generating, check your PHP error log for conversion-related errors that might indicate a library issue.

Go to Converter for Media → Settings → Conversion Tools → Delete converted files. This removes all existing WebP files. After deletion, change the quality setting to your preferred value, then run bulk conversion again via Converter for Media → Bulk Conversion. This regenerates all WebP files at the new quality level. Note that deleting converted files temporarily removes WebP serving until regeneration completes — browsers will fall back to JPEG/PNG during this period.

If ShortPixel or Imagify already generate and serve WebP, you do not need Converter for Media — it would create duplicate WebP files. Use Converter for Media specifically for plugins or scenarios where WebP generation is not included. For example: EWWW Image Optimizer free (local compression, no WebP CDN) + Converter for Media (WebP generation and serving) is a fully free image optimization stack. Check whether your existing optimization plugin is already serving WebP before adding another plugin.

Both convert images to WebP for free, but they differ in approach. WebP Express supports more conversion methods (cwebp binary, multiple PHP extensions, vips) and more serving configurations, making it more flexible but more complex to configure. Converter for Media focuses on GD/Imagick conversion with two clear serving options (.htaccess or PHP), making setup simpler. Both are free. Converter for Media Pro adds AVIF. Choose based on your server environment — Converter for Media’s PHP serving is often more compatible on restrictive shared hosting.

Converter for Media applies lossy WebP compression at the quality level you set (default 82). The WebP versions will have slightly reduced quality compared to the source JPEG at equivalent visual perception, which is the nature of WebP compression. The originals (JPEG/PNG) are not modified — only WebP versions are generated separately. If quality is critical (print assets, medical images), use lossless WebP — set quality to 100, which activates lossless encoding for lossless-type images, though file sizes will be larger.

Yes, that can happen, especially on older sites with many plugins. This usually happens when the plugin, theme, and add-ons are updated out of sequence. In most cases, testing on staging catches the issue before it reaches the live site. From experience, backups and changelog reviews save a lot of cleanup time.

Start by checking whether another plugin already does the same job. In most cases, overlap is what creates avoidable conflicts and performance issues. A common issue is installing a plugin because it looks convenient without checking the stack first. From experience, a short compatibility review avoids most of the pain later.