FeaturesImage optimization
Smaller images.
Faster pages.
Compress your images, resize them for each screen, and load visible images first.
Airlift checks how images appear on your WordPress pages and optimizes their delivery. You do not need to resize files or edit your pages.
Originals untouched Free plan available
Desktop: the opening image loads early; supporting images wait.
Actual sizes of these demo files · not an Airlift benchmarkWhy images slow down a page.
File size is only part of the problem.
Large files
Too many bytes in every photo.
Next-gen formatsWasted pixels
A desktop-sized file on a phone.
Properly size imagesLoading order
Offscreen images compete with visible images.
Defer offscreen imagesLate discovery
Background images start too late.
Preload the LCP imageLayout shifts
The picture arrives. The page moves.
Explicit width & heightBased on your actual page
An image’s position
changes how it should load.
The photo at the top should load immediately. A gallery further down can wait until the visitor scrolls.
Airlift opens your page in a browser at phone, tablet and desktop sizes. It checks which images are visible and how much space they occupy, then uses those measurements to choose image sizes and loading priorities.
Do not make it wait for scrolling.
A phone does not need the desktop file.
Load those images as the visitor scrolls.
From measurement to delivery
How Airlift optimizes
your images.
The same picture. A lighter file.
Reduce the amount visitors download without changing the dimensions of the photo.
Airlift converts eligible images to WebP and compresses them at a quality tuned for the web. Visitors receive the optimized copies. Your originals stay in your media library.
Technical details
- WebP by default, with AVIF supported as an alternative output.
- A compressed original-format copy provides another delivery option.
- File fingerprints let Airlift reuse existing optimization when the source is unchanged.
- Finds images in picture tags, CSS backgrounds, CSS variables, and supported builder data.
A phone should get a phone-sized image.
Send a smaller version when the image is displayed at a smaller size.
Airlift measures how large images are displayed at phone, tablet and desktop sizes, then chooses suitable optimized variants. Responsive markup tells the browser which version to request.
Technical details
- Variant selection uses the measured display size, not just the original file dimensions.
- CSS backgrounds can get device-specific media queries too.
- Responsive picture markup keeps an original image fallback.
- Small visible images can be embedded directly, within a per-page budget.
Load visible images first.
Preload important images near the top of the page. Load offscreen images as visitors scroll.
Airlift identifies images in the opening view and prepares device-scoped preload hints for supported pages. Offscreen images load closer to when a visitor reaches them—including supported CSS backgrounds and builder images.
Technical details
- Preload the appropriate variant for the device, including eligible background heroes.
- Remove conflicting image preloads so they do not ask for another version.
- Keep identified viewport images out of lazy loading and remove conflicting lazy attributes.
- Handle supported dynamically inserted images; preserve hover and pseudo-element effects.
Reserve space before images load.
The photograph can load without pushing the paragraph out of the way.
For supported visible images, Airlift can supply missing dimensions or correct an inaccurate aspect ratio. Deferred images use dimensioned placeholders where sizes are known, helping the layout hold its place.
Technical details
- Use measured dimensions to fill missing width and height attributes.
- Correct dimensions when the aspect ratio differs beyond the supported tolerance.
- Carry known dimensions into lazy-load placeholders.
- Image dimensions address one source of layout shift; they do not promise zero CLS.
Beyond standard image tags
Images in CSS.
In sliders.
Added by JavaScript.
Your visitors see images, regardless of how your theme or builder adds them. Those images need optimization too.
Airlift finds image URLs in stylesheets, slider attributes and page-builder data. Its browser-side handling also supports images added or changed by JavaScript after the page loads.
Supported images can use compressed copies, suitable device sizes and lazy loading. Visible background images can be preloaded. Compatibility rules preserve behavior such as hover effects.
Coverage depends on the integration and enabled features. Advanced background and dynamic-image handling are on paid plans. Compare plans
CSS backgrounds
Background photos in stylesheets, inline styles and CSS variables.
background-image: url(…)Sliders & galleries
Images stored in supported slider attributes, including Slider Revolution.
data-lazyload="…"JavaScript-loaded images
Supported images inserted or updated by scripts while visitors use the page.
Images added after page loadPage-builder content
Image URLs inside supported Elementor, Divi and other builder data.
data-settings="{…}"Image optimization features
Compression, resizing, loading controls and compatibility handling.
Measure
- Real-browser page rendering
- Phone, tablet and desktop views
- Visible area and displayed size
- CSS background visibility
Find
- Image, srcset and picture tags
- Inline styles and CSS backgrounds
- Supported builder JSON and data
- Content and attachment inventory
Shrink
- WebP conversion and compression
- AVIF as an alternative
- Reuse of unchanged image work
- Original files kept intact
Size
- Suitable device variants
- Responsive picture sources
- Background-image media queries
- Small-image inlining within limits
Order
- Device-scoped preload hints
- Offscreen image lazy loading
- Conflicting preload handling
- Dynamic-image runtime support
Layout stability
- Missing image dimensions
- Aspect-ratio corrections
- Dimensioned placeholders
- Original-output failure fallbacks
Advanced resizing, background and builder-image handling depend on your plan. Compare what’s included
Keep publishing
New images get
optimized too.
Add photos to your site as usual. Airlift picks them up on the next optimization run.
Airlift checks for new and changed images in your content and media library. Paid plans run optimization on a schedule. On the free plan, you can start another run manually.
Scheduled on paid plans. On demand on Free.Optimized copies.
Originals untouched.
- Keep the source. Original media-library files are not changed or deleted.
- Safe fallback. Airlift changes an image URL only when its optimized copy is available.
- Stay in control. Exclude specific images or disable the image layer independently.
- Check the result. Compare representative photos, logos and product details before and after.
WordPress builders
Before and after optimization
Less to download.
Visible images load first.
Airlift reduces image file sizes, chooses suitable dimensions, and changes when images load.
Larger files, competing downloads.
- One large source image
- Supporting images compete for bandwidth
- Backgrounds discovered through CSS
- Space can change as images arrive
Smaller files, controlled loading.
- Optimized format and suitable variant
- Opening images given priority
- Eligible backgrounds preloaded
- Known image dimensions preserved
Illustrative comparison, not a measured customer result.
Questions about image optimization
Airlift uses lossy compression at a quality tuned for the web. Check representative photos, logos and product details in your before-and-after views. Specific images can be excluded when they need their original treatment.
Compression addresses file weight. Oversized dimensions, late discovery, competing downloads and missing image dimensions can still affect the page. Airlift also uses rendered-page measurements to inform sizing and loading behavior. Results depend on your page and its other resources.
Yes. The pipeline includes CSS backgrounds and image URLs in supported builder data, including Elementor and Divi, alongside standard image tags. Dynamic and stylesheet image handling depend on the enabled features and plan; see pricing for the current inclusions.
No. Images identified in the opening view need early loading, while eligible offscreen images can wait. Airlift uses page measurements and compatibility rules to distinguish them. Preloading also depends on the page match and available optimized assets.
No. Airlift writes optimized copies and rewrites eligible page output to use them. The original files remain in your media library. Image optimization can be disabled independently when you need the original delivery.
GIFs and SVGs are left as they are by this conversion layer. WebP is the default output for eligible image sources. AVIF is supported as an alternative output format, rather than being the default for every site.
New images are picked up by subsequent optimization runs, within your plan allowance. Paid plans support scheduled re-optimization; Free has manual re-optimization. It is not an instant on-upload process.
Free includes WebP compression and image lazy loading within its page and image allowances. Dynamic resizing and advanced stylesheet and builder-image handling are paid features. Compare the current plans to choose the coverage your site needs.
Optimize your images
with Airlift.
Install Airlift and start an optimization run. Your original images stay unchanged.