Free WordPress Plugin
Vacuum Image Optimizer
Modern image optimization toolkit for WordPress. Generate WebP and AVIF, bulk-optimize your media library, automate uploads, and serve modern formats on the frontend — without ever altering your originals.
Vacuum Image Optimizer
Modern image optimization toolkit for WordPress. Generate WebP and AVIF, bulk-optimize your media library, automate uploads, and serve modern formats on the frontend — without ever altering your originals.
Published and available on WordPress.org · v1.2.1 · Tested up to WordPress 7.1
Overview
Everything you need to ship lighter images
A complete optimization pipeline that runs entirely on your own server — no external services, no account, no lock-in.
Product proof
Ownership, distribution, and maintenance
- Ownership
- Owned open-source software
- Distribution status
- Published on WordPress.org
- Maintenance status
- Maintained
- Version
- 1.2.1
- Tested up to
- WordPress 7.1
- License
- GPL-2.0-or-later
Evidence links
Evidence layer
What was built and why it matters
Context
Vacuum Image Optimizer is a public WordPress plugin for WebP and AVIF workflows, with setup, diagnostics, background queues, reports, and restore-safe handling.
Problem
Image optimization can become risky when conversion, bulk processing, uploads, compatibility, and source recovery are treated as one irreversible action.
Constraints
The plugin must work within WordPress and server image-engine limits, keep processing understandable, avoid destructive source replacement, and remain useful across manual, upload, and bulk workflows.
Approach
The product separates detection, queueing, conversion, reporting, and recovery. The documentation makes the supported formats, system checks, backup behavior, privacy boundaries, and upgrade path explicit.
Engineering
The implementation covers WebP source optimization, AVIF generation, upload-time processing, bulk queues, diagnostics, reports, safe backups, restore flows, frontend delivery controls, and WordPress-native extension points.
Observable evidence
- WordPress.org currently lists version 1.2.1 as published and tested up to WordPress 7.1; the public release directory and documentation are available for review.
- The local project includes real product screenshots, the public release archive, and documentation visuals for setup, dashboard, bulk processing, reports, and system status.
- The public documentation records compatibility, queue behavior, backup and restore, privacy, security, testing focus, and WordPress.org review expectations.
Commercial relevance
This is relevant to production-rescue and engineering-partner work where safe change paths, background processing, compatibility checks, recovery, and documentation are part of the engineering outcome.
Relevant services
What is new
What's new in 1.2.1
WordPress 7.1 client/server media-pipeline compatibility, finalized metadata reconciliation, idempotent processing, and the existing AVIF/WebP delivery and migration tools.
Optional setup wizard for a guided first-run configuration, with skip and relaunch paths.
WebP source optimization, alongside existing WebP and optional AVIF generation.
Safer backup and restore handling for originals before file changes are made.
Improved bulk processing feedback for optimized, skipped, and failed images.
Refined Media Library status column and per-image actions.
Clearer server compatibility checks for Imagick, GD, WebP, AVIF, uploads, and backups.
Features
Built for performance and peace of mind
WebP source and copy optimization
Optimize WebP uploads directly, and create optimized WebP copies of JPEG and PNG images using Imagick or GD with WordPress srcset compatibility.
AVIF generation
Generate next-generation AVIF as a parallel format when your server supports it. If AVIF is unavailable, WebP and originals keep working normally.
Bulk optimization queue
Scan unoptimized or all images, then process safe batches with resume, retry, clear-failed, cancel-pending, and clearer operational counters.
Upload automation
Evaluate new JPEG, PNG, and supported WebP uploads after WordPress creates metadata. Safe Mode queues work conservatively to protect upload responsiveness.
Frontend delivery
Serve generated WebP/AVIF on the frontend with automatic, safe fallback to the original. Stored media URLs in your database are never changed.
Existing-media migration
Scan the Media Library for missing or stale modern derivatives, then run a resumable, idempotent migration with pause, resume, cancel, and safe fallback behavior.
Delivery diagnostics
Inspect one attachment's source, registered sizes, derivative status, fallback reason, queue state, and the same registry used by frontend delivery.
Reports & CSV export
Track storage savings, recent activity, top savings, format distribution, and automation stats — with one-click CSV export.
Backup & restore
Each original is copied before optimization when backups are enabled, and the restore workflow brings source files back safely when needed.
10-language interface
A fully translatable admin UI: English plus 9 bundled translations, with an in-plugin interface-language selector independent of the site language.
Documentation
Official product documentation
The full docs cover installation, setup, compression settings, supported formats, backup and restore, queue behavior, developer notes, troubleshooting, privacy, and release history.
docs.mcorucu.com/vacuum-image-optimizer
Screenshots
A clean, modern admin experience
Technical
Safe by design, native to WordPress
No magic, no black boxes — Vacuum works the way WordPress expects and keeps your originals untouched.
- WordPress-native — built on standard WordPress image functions and hooks.
- No external API — all processing happens on your own server, no account required.
- Non-destructive — original images are never modified or deleted.
- GPL-compatible — licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later.
- Requires PHP 8.1 or newer.
- Requires WordPress 6.2 or newer.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does it replace my original images?
No. Your original files are never modified or deleted. Optimized WebP/AVIF copies are created alongside the originals, and the frontend always falls back to the original when needed.
Does it support AVIF?
Yes. AVIF generation is available as a parallel format when your server supports it (via Imagick or a GD build with AVIF). If AVIF is unavailable, WebP and originals continue to work normally.
Does it work with WooCommerce?
Yes. Frontend delivery hooks into the standard WordPress image functions used by WooCommerce product and gallery images, so generated formats are served automatically with fallback to originals.
Does it use external services?
No. There is no external API and no account required — every optimization happens locally on your own server.
Can I restore originals?
Yes. When backups are enabled, each original is copied before optimization, and you can restore it at any time from the per-image Restore action in the Media Library.
Is it free?
Yes. Vacuum Image Optimizer is a free, GPL-licensed WordPress plugin.
Changelog
Release history
- Published on WordPress.org as version 1.2.1; tested up to WordPress 7.1.
- Added WordPress 7.1 compatibility and PHP 8.3 readiness improvements.
- Expanded System Status with Copy Diagnostics, runtime checks, image engines, filesystem, cron, REST, AJAX, and debug feedback.
- Moved automatic upload evaluation to the metadata stage and keeps Safe Mode work queued conservatively.
- Added resilient bulk controls, richer CSV exports, clearer Media Library states, and backup-first restore safety.
Related services
Where this proof connects commercially.
Get Vacuum Image Optimizer
Free and GPL-licensed. Download the latest build, or reach out for help getting set up.
mcorucu.com