Image formats for the web: WebP, AVIF, and “good enough” JPEG
Short answer: Modern formats like WebP and AVIF cut bytes—but only when your CMS, CDN, and fallback strategy support them without breaking old browsers you still care about.
NZ SMEs often upload giant PNG screenshots where compressed JPEG or WebP would look identical.
Format cheat sheet
- Photos: JPEG at appropriate quality, or WebP/AVIF with fallbacks.
- Logos with sharp edges: SVG or PNG—avoid JPEG artifacts.
- Icons: SVG where possible.
Responsive delivery
Serve smaller dimensions to small screens—`srcset` helps more than exotic codecs alone.
Workflow
Compress before upload; enforce max dimensions in CMS where editors upload casually.
Frequently asked questions
Should we convert the whole library at once?
Plan batches—verify visuals on key pages and watch CMS plugin behaviour.
Does Google prefer AVIF?
Google cares about speed and quality of experience—not a single codec preference.