How to reduce an image's size so your website loads fast

Loading speed is one of the factors Google considers for ranking, and images are almost always the heaviest part of a page. Optimizing them well can cut the total size in half or more.

Two steps: resize and compress

The most common mistake is uploading a 4000 px wide photo to display it in an 800 px slot. First resize the image to the actual size it will be shown at, then compress it to remove the excess weight.

• Resize to the actual display width (for example, 1280 px for a full-width image).
• Compress at a balanced level: the visual difference is usually imperceptible.
• Use WEBP when you can: it's lighter than JPG and PNG while keeping quality.

How much should an image weigh?

As a general reference, a well-optimized content image should weigh between 50 and 200 KB. Large header images can reach 300 KB, but you should rarely go beyond that.

Don't forget the format

For photographs, JPG or WEBP. For logos, icons or graphics with transparency, PNG or WEBP. Converting between formats can also save weight depending on the image type.