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PNG/JPG Thumbnails Deletion

Dec 31, 2025 | Docs

This page explains how JPG/PNG thumbnail deletion and restoration work in CompressX.
This feature is designed to reduce disk usage by removing unnecessary JPG/PNG thumbnails after images have been converted to WebP or AVIF, while keeping your site fully functional and reversible.

How Thumbnail Deletion (JPG/PNG) Works

CompressX follows strict rules when deleting thumbnails:

  • 1. Only JPG/PNG thumbnails that have been converted
    Thumbnails are deleted only if a WebP or AVIF version exists (or both). If an image has not been converted, its JPG/PNG thumbnails are kept.
  • 2. Featured image thumbnails are always preserved
    Featured image thumbnails are retained to ensure compatibility with third-party themes and platforms that rely on them.
  • 3. Original images are never deleted
    Only generated thumbnails are affected. Original uploaded JPG or PNG images remain untouched
Tip
Enable Automatically delete thumbnails once PNG and JPG images are uploaded and converted. When enabled, CompressX will delete JPG/PNG thumbnails automatically after successful conversion to WebP or AVIF.

Delete Thumbnails (JPG/PNG)

Delete JPG/PNG Thumbnails
Use this section to delete redundant JPG/PNG thumbnails in bulk.

Bulk Deletion Steps

CompressX provides two restoration options:

  • Go to CompressX → Toolkit → Delete Thumbnails (JPG/PNG).
  • Click Start Bulk Deletion to begin

Dry Run (Recommended)

Before running deletion on a large library, enable Run as dry run.

  • Dry run does not delete files.
  • It shows what would be deleted under the current rules.

Then click Start Bulk Deletion.

Restore Thumbnails (JPG/PNG)

CompressX allows you to restore deleted JPG/PNG thumbnails at any time.
This ensures that thumbnail deletion is fully reversible and safe to use, even on large or long-running sites.

Restore Methods

Restore JPG PNG Thumbnails

CompressX provides two restoration options:

  • Restore via Database Records (Fast)
    Quickly restores thumbnails using existing database records. Recommended for most cases.
  • Force Regenerate (Reliable)
    Fully regenerates all JPG/PNG thumbnails to ensure maximum reliability. Useful if thumbnails were heavily modified or records are missing.

When to Use This Feature

You may consider deleting JPG/PNG thumbnails when:

  • WebP or AVIF conversion is enabled
  • Disk space usage is a concern
  • You want to reduce redundant image files

Restoration is useful when:

  • JPG/PNG thumbnails are required again
  • Theme or plugin compatibility depends on them
  • You want to fully rebuild image thumbnails