Guide · 5 min read
What Is WebP and When Should You Use It?
WebP explained plainly: what it is, where it wins, where it doesn't, and how to convert existing images.
Last updated: 2026-09-29
Tools for this guide
What WebP actually is
WebP is Google's image format that handles both lossy photos and lossless graphics (with transparency) in one container. Think of it as JPG and PNG combined, at roughly two-thirds the file size.
It was standardized in 2010 and took a decade to reach universal support — which it now has.
When to use it
Websites, blogs, documentation, app assets: WebP by default. The bandwidth savings compound across every visitor and every page view.
Skip it when a recipient explicitly demands JPG or PNG (print shops, legacy portals), or when archiving originals you may re-edit — keep those lossless.
How to switch
Convert existing images with JPG to WebP or PNG to WebP — both run in your browser with a quality slider. Compare sizes, keep the winners, and serve WebP going forward.
Frequently asked questions
Do all browsers support WebP?
All current browsers do — Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (since 2020) and their mobile versions. Only genuinely ancient software still chokes on it.
Is converting JPG to WebP lossless?
The conversion re-encodes the image, so technically there's a generation of loss — but at high quality settings it's visually transparent and the file gets notably smaller.