General Compression: Simple and Consistent
General compression is the foundational approach available in both the free and pro versions. It treats every image in your library with the same level of priority.
How it works
You set a single, site-wide quality level (from 1 to 99). Every image—whether it is a tiny icon or a high-resolution hero background—is compressed to that exact same quality target.
Predictability
This method is highly predictable. If you set your quality to 80, you know every file will be processed at 80.
Standard Presets
- Default (80 WebP / 60 AVIF)
The industry-standard balance between file size and visual clarity. - Lossless (99 WebP / 80 AVIF)
Maximizes visual integrity with minimal compression, safe for high-end photography sites.
General compression is best for small to medium content websites or blogs where images are relatively uniform in size and importance.
Smart Compression: Intelligent and Scalable
Smart Compression is a pro-level feature that moves away from “one-size-fits-all” optimization. It makes quality decisions based on the file size and its role of the image.
1. Smart Size-Based Presets (Quality Offsets)
This is the “Smart” engine’s ability to scale quality based on the original dimensions of a file. It uses offsets to adjust your base quality automatically:
- Aggressive Savings for Large Files (e.g., 4MB+)
Large images can handle more compression without noticeable detail loss. The system applies a negative offset (e.g., -25) to drastically reduce file weight. - Protection for Small Files (e.g., 0-50KB)
Tiny images are prone to pixelation. The system applies a positive offset (e.g., +15) to increase quality and preserve crucial details. - Balanced Mid-range (e.g., 50KB-4MB)
Standard-sized images typically receive a 0 offset, maintaining your base global quality.
2. WooCommerce Images
On a WooCommerce site, CompressX Pro allows you to assign different quality rules based on how the image is used to protect your brand’s visual integrity:
- Product featured image:
WebP (85-90), AVIF (85-90). Highest quality for primary product displays. - Product gallery & Variation images:
WebP (75-85), AVIF (75-85). Compressed more efficiently for secondary views to ensure fast page loading. - Category image (taxonomy thumbnail):
WebP (70-80), AVIF (70-80). Used for smaller thumbnails where the image is not the full focus.
3. WordPress Standard Images
CompressX Pro allows you to override the Global Compression Level for specific image types or roles within WordPress to ensure a professional look:
- Site logo:
WebP (88+), AVIF (85+). Essential for branding clarity. - Featured image (Post/Page):
WebP (85-90), AVIF (85-90). For visually impactful images that are often shared. - Header background image:
WebP (75-85), AVIF (75-85). Retains clarity for images that span the full width of a screen. - Sidebar & ACF fields:
WebP (60-80), AVIF (60-80). Optimized for supportive or context-dependent content.
Smart Compression is best for image-heavy sites and WooCommerce. It uses an adaptive quality method based on size/role for maximum speed and storage savings.
Applying Your Strategy
Regardless of the method you choose, your settings are applied globally to new uploads once saved.
To update your existing library with these new logic rules, you can trigger a Bulk Optimization from the dashboard. This will re-process your images using your newly defined General or Smart presets.
