Perxel Image Optimizer

Perxel Image Optimizer converts your WordPress media library to WebP locally, on your own server, and serves it - entirely from an admin page, built for shared hosting.

• No third party. Conversion runs in PHP via WP_Image_Editor (GD/Imagick). Nothing is uploaded to a CDN or an external optimization service, and there is no API key, account or paid tier. Your images never leave your host.
• Free. The whole plugin, no upsell.
• Runs in the background. A light scan estimates the work, then a background job (Action Scheduler) converts the library newest-to-oldest, one calendar month at a time. Pause, resume, cancel, close the tab - progress is durable. Optional email report when a run finishes.
• Or run it Fast. An opt-in mode that drives the conversion from the open admin tab, so the server works continuously - much quicker on shared hosting with no cron. It throttles itself if the host pushes back, and stopping never loses work.
• Originals are untouched. foo.jpg gets a foo.jpg.webp sibling; the source file is never modified.
• Serving through a managed .htaccess block on Apache/LiteSpeed, with an <img> to <picture> fallback on nginx or when .htaccess is not writable.
• Per-attachment Convert / Reconvert / Remove buttons in the Media library.
• New uploads are converted automatically, shortly after upload.

The admin area is two screens under Media > Optimization: an Optimization page (scan → prepare → live monitor) and a separate Settings page (environment, conversion options, serving, notifications, cleanup).

1.0.2

• Housekeeping only, no behaviour change. Plugin URI now points to the product page on perxel.com instead of the GitHub repo.

1.0.1

• Tightened output-escaping suppressions in the admin views to per-file targeted ignores, addressing the plugin review's escaping feedback.
• Media Library scripts/styles now load only on the Media list and the single-attachment edit screen.

1.0.0

• First public release.
• Local WebP conversion via WP_Image_Editor - no CDN, no external service, free.
• Month-scoped bulk run with two drivers: a background run on Action Scheduler (pause, resume, cancel, durable progress, optional completion email) and an opt-in Fast mode where the browser tab drives the encode loop directly, for shared hosting with no working WP-Cron loopback. Fast mode self-pauses when the host throttles and resumes after an escalating cooldown; a live Gentle / Balanced / Turbo control sits on the running monitor.
• Closing the tab, Stop, or Cancel never reverts converted files - the run parks and resumes from where it left off.
• Per-attachment Convert / Reconvert / Remove buttons in the Media library, and automatic conversion of new uploads.
• Serving via a managed .htaccess block on Apache/LiteSpeed, with an <img> to <picture> fallback elsewhere.
• Two admin screens under Media > Optimization - Optimization (prepare + live monitor) and Settings - in a shared sidebar layout, server-rendered.