Title: TIO – The Image Optimizer – Smart Image Compression & Optimization, Built for the Web Author: NerdCow Published: መጋቢት 19, 2026 Last modified: ሰኔ 18, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=3486217) ![](https://ps.w.org/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=3486217) # TIO – The Image Optimizer – Smart Image Compression & Optimization, Built for the Web By [NerdCow](https://profiles.wordpress.org/nerdcow/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer.1.2.0.zip) * [Details](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/#description) * [Reviews](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/#reviews) * [Installation](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/#installation) * [Development](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/#developers) [ድጋፍ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/) ## ማብራሪያ Make your website faster than ever with TIO’s smart optimization. Upload your images like you’ve always done before, and we’ll handle the rest. The Image Optimizer compresses your image and converts it to a modern file format. The result is the lightest image possible, without losing the quality. Already have a media library full of images? The new **Bulk Optimize** tab works through your existing uploads one at a time, with live progress, ETA, and pause/ resume/stop controls — no need to leave it running in the foreground. **Why choose our plugin?** The Image Optimizer uses smart optimization parameters tuned specifically for website images. It’s designed to be a simple companion that gives you the perfect image every time. We decide on the perfect balance of size and quality for your uploaded image. TIO automatically converts your new uploads to the best format (including modern formats like WebP and AVIF), applies lossless conversion or uses lossy compression settings that don’t affect the quality. It’s perfect for small marketing teams who don’t have the time and know-how to optimise images manually and busy agencies who can’t afford the time to do it manually at scale. We developed TIO to solve our own frustration with image optimizers. As a result, we were able to achieve results up to 35% file size reduction compared to other compressors. Going the extra mile helps ticking off the Google PageSpeed insights image checks, especially those for next-gen image formats. **How it works?** You upload your images as you normally do — one by one or in bulk, either way is fine. You can do it via the WordPress media library and by uploading directly into your pages. We categorise what’s in the image to apply the right optimization settings. We use suitable compression and file format conversion, as well as remove unnecessary metadata. As an example, screenshot compression makes sure to not sacrifice text sharpness, while plain illustrations with low colour depth use more aggressive compression since it won’t affect the quality nearly as much. We optimise the source file, so WordPress thumbnails come pre-optimised as well. **Bulk Optimize for existing media** Open Tools The Image Optimizer Bulk Optimize, hit Scan, then Start. The plugin processes one attachment per tick so your site stays responsive, shows live counts for done / savings / credits left, and gives you an ETA once it has enough data. Pause and resume any time — progress is saved server-side, so closing and reopening the tab picks up exactly where you left off. Bulk runs preserve the original file format (JPG stays JPG, PNG stays PNG), so URLs in your posts and pages never break. Thumbnails are regenerated locally — you’re charged one credit per attachment, not one per thumbnail size. Images that can’t be optimized (too small, unsupported format, missing file, oversized, or already smaller than we can compress) are clearly labelled in the Media Library so you can see at a glance what’s been done. **Next-gen delivery (WebP & AVIF)** Optimizing an image now also creates WebP and AVIF copies of it — and of every thumbnail size — and serves them automatically to browsers that support them through a `` tag. The result is faster pages and a clean pass on Google PageSpeed’s “Serve images in next-gen formats” check. Your original files and their URLs never change( browsers that can’t take the modern formats simply get the original), it’s all part of the same one-credit-per-image optimization with nothing extra to switch on, and the copies are tidied up automatically when you delete an image. This applies both to new uploads and to your existing library when you run Bulk Optimize. **Supported file formats** The only excluded file format is GIF. We support all other file formats that WordPress allows, including HEIC. **Try it for free** TIO allows you to generate one license key with 50 free image credits per website. That’s enough to test a few core pages and measure the impact. 1. Get a free license key at [theimageoptimizer.com/key](https://theimageoptimizer.com/key) 2. Paste the key in Tools > TIO Image Optimizer 3. Upload images as usual — they are compressed automatically **Credit restoration for peace of mind** Uploaded an image by mistake or we didn’t optimise it to your liking? You can reclaim the credit straight from the WordPress Media Library, subject to our [Terms](https://theimageoptimizer.com/terms). And if we notice that your image was already optimal, we won’t charge a credit in the first place — nothing to reclaim there! **External Service Disclosure** This plugin relies on **The Image Optimizer API**, a third-party service hosted at `api.theimageoptimizer.com`, to compress images. When you upload an image with auto-compress enabled, the plugin sends the image file and your site URL to this API. The API returns a compressed version of the image, which replaces the original in your media library. No data is collected or stored beyond what is needed to process the compression request and manage your credit balance. * Service website: [theimageoptimizer.com](https://theimageoptimizer.com) * Terms of Service: [theimageoptimizer.com/terms](https://theimageoptimizer.com/terms) * Privacy Policy: [theimageoptimizer.com/privacy](https://theimageoptimizer.com/privacy) ## Screenshots [⌊Settings page — connect your site with a license key⌉⌊Settings page — connect your site with a license key⌉[ Settings page — connect your site with a license key [⌊Connected state — view credits, plan, and auto-compress toggle⌉⌊Connected state— view credits, plan, and auto-compress toggle⌉[ Connected state — view credits, plan, and auto-compress toggle [⌊Batch upload — images are compressed automatically as they land in the media library⌉⌊ Batch upload — images are compressed automatically as they land in the media library⌉[ Batch upload — images are compressed automatically as they land in the media library [⌊Batch upload — some originals converted to WebP/AVIF for extra savings⌉⌊Batch upload — some originals converted to WebP/AVIF for extra savings⌉[ Batch upload — some originals converted to WebP/AVIF for extra savings [⌊Illustration example — compression stats on an illustration⌉⌊Illustration example— compression stats on an illustration⌉[ Illustration example — compression stats on an illustration [⌊Photo example — compression stats on a photo⌉⌊Photo example — compression stats on a photo⌉[ Photo example — compression stats on a photo ## መጫን 1. Upload the `nerdcow-the-image-optimizer` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/` 2. Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress 3. Go to Tools > TIO Image Optimizer 4. Get a free license key at [theimageoptimizer.com/key](https://theimageoptimizer.com/key)( no account needed) 5. Paste your license key and click Connect 6. Upload images — they will be compressed automatically ## የተለመዱ ጥያቄዎች ### Do I need an account to use this plugin? No. You only need a license key, which you can get for free at [theimageoptimizer.com/key](https://theimageoptimizer.com/key). No login, email, or credit card is required. ### How many free credits do I get? Every license key comes with 50 free credits. One credit is used per image compressed. ### What image formats are supported? The plugin compresses JPEG, PNG, WebP, and HEIC sources. GIF and AVIF aren’t processed— GIF because animated frames don’t survive re-compression, and AVIF because it’s already maximally compressed and re-encoding has no meaningful effect. New uploads can still be converted to modern formats like WebP or AVIF for smaller file sizes. ### Can I compress the existing images? Yes. Open Tools The Image Optimizer Bulk Optimize. Click Scan to count how many images in your media library still need compressing, then Start. The plugin works through your library one image at a time and regenerates thumbnails locally — one credit per image, not one per thumbnail size. You can Pause, Resume, or Stop at any point and pick up where you left off the next time you open the page. Output format is preserved (JPG stays JPG, PNG stays PNG) so URLs and post content never break. ### Do I need to keep the Bulk Optimize tab open? While a run is active, yes — each tick is fired by your browser. If you close the tab or navigate away, the run pauses automatically and progress is saved. Reopen the page and click Resume to continue. Scanning is more forgiving: it carries on in short server-side bursts and is safe to come back to. ### What happens if I run out of credits during a bulk run? The run stops cleanly and tells you exactly how many images were optimized and how much space was saved. Top up your credits and start a new run — already-optimized images are skipped automatically, so you only pay for what’s left. ### Why are some images marked as “Skipped” in the Media Library? The plugin won’t waste credits on images it can’t improve. Skip reasons appear next to each attachment: **too small** (under 10 KB), **unsupported format** (GIF or other), **missing file** (the source file is gone from the server), **too large**( over 100 MB), **already smaller** (the API determined the original is already optimal), or **repeated failures** (the API errored three times in a row). ### Can I undo a compression? No — the original file is overwritten and can’t be recovered. To get the original back, turn off auto-compress and re-upload the image. You can, however, reclaim the credit within 24 hours using the restore button in the media library or Gutenberg sidebar. ### What data is sent to the API? When an image is compressed, the plugin sends the image file and your site URL to` api.theimageoptimizer.com`. No other data is collected. ### Will this slow down my uploads? Compression happens during the upload process and typically adds 1–3 seconds depending on file size. A progress indicator is shown in the media library. ## Reviews There are no reviews for this plugin. ## Contributors & Developers “TIO – The Image Optimizer – Smart Image Compression & Optimization, Built for the Web” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ NerdCow ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/nerdcow/) [Translate “TIO – The Image Optimizer – Smart Image Compression & Optimization, Built for the Web” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.2.0 * New: **Next-gen delivery (WebP & AVIF).** Serve modern image formats to browsers that support them — faster pages and a clean pass on Google PageSpeed’s “Serve images in next-gen formats” check. WebP/AVIF copies of each image (and its thumbnail sizes) are now created automatically as part of optimizing — both for new uploads and when you run **Tools The Image Optimizer Bulk Optimize** over your existing library — all within the same one-credit-per-image optimization, with nothing extra to switch on. They are delivered via a `` tag, so your original files and their URLs never change and older browsers simply get the original. The copies are cleaned up automatically when you delete an image, and refreshed if you edit it. #### 1.1.5 * Fix: prevent data loss when a format-converting compression couldn’t be written to disk (e.g. the disk was full or out of quota) — your original image is now kept intact instead of being deleted alongside a broken converted file. * Fix: after a bulk run paused with “out of credits”, clicking **Resume** could immediately re-pause for up to an hour even after you topped up. Resume now retries straight away once you’ve added credits or reconnected. * Fix: images with an upper-case file extension (e.g. `.JPG`, `.PNG`) are no longer needlessly renamed to lower-case — and their originals deleted — during same- format compression, which could break already-published links. #### 1.1.4 * Changed: The Image Optimizer now lives under the WordPress **Tools** menu instead of **Settings** — a better home for the plugin dashboard. Your settings and site connection are unchanged. #### 1.1.3 * Fix: Bulk Optimize could get stuck on the “Stopped early — reconnect needed” ( or “out of credits”) screen with no way to continue from the page. These screens now have a **Resume** button, so once you’ve reconnected or topped up you can pick up exactly where you left off. * Fix: if a bulk run was started while a recent connection error was still cached, images could be wrongly marked as “unsupported” and skipped for good. The run now stops cleanly so you can reconnect and continue instead. #### 1.1.2 * Fix: prevent a rare “Undefined constant NCTIO_TICK_INTERVAL_MS” fatal on the settings screen that could briefly appear right after updating the plugin on hosts with persistent OPcache (e.g. WP Engine) #### 1.1.1 * New: Bulk Optimize now asks you to confirm you have a backup before a run starts—“ Start optimizing” stays disabled until you tick the box * Improved: clearer help text on the Bulk Optimize screens explaining that closing the tab is safe and your progress is saved #### 1.1.0 * New: **Bulk Optimize** tab — compress existing images in your media library, one at a time, with live progress, ETA, and pause/resume/stop controls * New: Media Library “Optimized” column now shows a “Skipped: ” pill for attachments the optimizer can’t process (too small, unsupported format, missing file, larger than 100 MB, already smaller than we can compress, or failed after retries) * New: Settings page now has a navigation strip — your existing settings move under“ Settings”, with “Bulk Optimize” as a second tab * Preserve-format compression: bulk runs keep the original format (JPGJPG, PNGPNG) so URLs and post content never break. The existing 24-hour refund window via the per-attachment Restore button still applies. #### 1.0.0 * First stable release on WordPress.org * Renamed plugin slug to `nerdcow-the-image-optimizer` for WP.org directory #### 0.4.0 * Renamed plugin to “TIO – The Image Optimizer by NerdCow” for WP.org compliance * Updated all code prefixes to `nctio_` / `NCTIO_` * Replaced inline styles and scripts with proper wp_enqueue system * Scoped admin notices to relevant screens only #### 0.3.0 * Secure site token authentication (replaces plain license key in API calls) * Automatic migration for existing installs * Credit restore system with 24-hour window * Gutenberg sidebar panel with per-image compression stats * Admin bar credits indicator * Low credit warning notices * AJAX-powered settings page #### 0.2.0 * Added auto-compress toggle * WebP and AVIF format conversion * Improved error handling and admin notices * Credit balance display in settings #### 0.1.0 * Initial release * Automatic image compression on upload * License key activation * Basic settings page ## Meta * Version **1.2.0** * Last updated **1 ቀን ago** * Active installations **Fewer than 10** * WordPress version ** 6.0 or higher ** * Tested up to **7.0** * PHP version ** 8.0 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/) * Tags * [AVIF](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/avif/)[bulk optimize](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/bulk-optimize/) [compression](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/compression/)[image optimization](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/image-optimization/) [webp](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/webp/) * [Advanced View](https://am.wordpress.org/plugins/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/advanced/) ## Ratings No reviews have been submitted yet. [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ NerdCow ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/nerdcow/) ## ድጋፍ Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/nerdcow-the-image-optimizer/)