Question about using Imagify for bulk optimization

PenciDesign Supporter replied

3 weeks ago

Staff Reply

Hi,

This issue does not necessarily affect all Soledad users using Imagify's <picture> method.

It can depend on the specific featured image layout, image size, Imagify settings, and how the <picture> markup is generated or replaced on the page. In your case, the issue appears to affect the featured image specifically.

Since the rewrite rules method is working correctly on your site, we recommend continuing with that method for now.

Regards,
PenciDesign.

tim-nieuwpoort replied

3 weeks ago

Customer Reply

Hi,

Thanks for clarifying. That makes sense now.

I switched Imagify to the rewrite rules method, and the featured image is displaying correctly again, so I'll keep using that setup for now.

Thanks for also looking into whether compatibility with the <picture> method can be improved in a future update.

One more question: is this compatibility issue specific to my website, or is it something that affects all Soledad users who use Imagify's <picture> method?

Best,
Tim

PenciDesign Supporter replied

4 weeks ago

Staff Reply

Hi,

Sorry for the confusion. My previous reply was not clear enough.

The <picture> method generally works with Soledad for normal images, which is why the images inside your post are displayed correctly. However, in your case, there is a compatibility issue specifically with the featured image markup generated by Soledad together with Imagify's <picture> replacement.

So, the <picture> method is not completely unsupported by Soledad, but we cannot guarantee full compatibility with Imagify's HTML replacement for every image location.

We will review the featured image output and see whether compatibility with Imagify's <picture> method can be improved in a future update.

For now, we recommend using Imagify's rewrite rules method, as it provides better compatibility with Soledad without changing the theme templates.

Regards,
PenciDesign

tim-nieuwpoort replied

4 weeks ago

Customer Reply

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

I'm a bit confused because earlier you mentioned that the <picture> tag method was generally compatible with Soledad and that you were not aware of any common compatibility issues.

Now you mention that all Soledad template files would need to be modified to support the HTML output generated by Imagify.

Does this mean the <picture> method is actually not supported by Soledad at the moment? And is this something you plan to support in a future update?

PenciDesign Supporter replied

4 weeks ago

Staff Reply

Hi,

This issue is related to the Imagify plugin. If you want to use the <picture> tag option, you would need to modify all of the Soledad template files to support the HTML output generated by the plugin.

In this case, we recommend using the rewrite rules method, as it provides the best compatibility.

Regards,
PenciDesign.

tim-nieuwpoort replied

4 weeks ago

Customer Reply

Hi,

I can confirm that I'm using WebP and that Imagify's <picture> method is enabled.

I did some additional testing and the issue only affects the featured image: https://prnt.sc/ucxblr7pQH7p The other images inside the post are also optimized by Imagify and are displayed correctly.

As soon as I restore the original featured image in Imagify, the featured image appears again immediately.

This seems to suggest that the issue is specific to the way Soledad handles the featured image, rather than a general compatibility issue with Imagify or the <picture> method.

Could you please check which image size or thumbnail Soledad uses for the featured image and whether that specific markup is fully compatible with Imagify's WebP + <picture> implementation?

Example page: https://smaakmenutie.nl/gyudon/

Thanks!

PenciDesign Supporter replied

1 month ago

Staff Reply

Hi,

The <picture> tag method is generally compatible with the Soledad theme, and we are not aware of any common layout or compatibility issues caused by it.

However, because Imagify modifies the image markup, we recommend enabling it first and carefully checking key areas such as featured images, galleries, sliders, lazy-loaded images, and mobile layouts. Please also clear all website, CDN, and browser caches after enabling it.

If everything displays correctly, you can safely keep this option enabled site-wide.

Regards,
PenciDesign.

tim-nieuwpoort replied

1 month ago

Customer Reply

Hi,

I have one more question regarding Imagify.

I noticed there is an option to "Display images in Next-Gen format" using the <picture> tag method.

Imagify describes this as the preferred solution, but also mentions the following (see also attachment):

"The second option replaces the <img> tags with <picture> tags. This is the preferred solution but some themes may break, so make sure to verify that everything seems fine."

Would you recommend enabling this option with the Soledad theme? Have you seen any compatibility or layout issues with Soledad when using the <picture> tag method?

I'd appreciate your recommendation before enabling it site-wide.

PenciDesign Supporter replied

1 month ago

Staff Reply

Hi,

Yes, Imagify is a reliable option, and running bulk optimization can improve performance by reducing image file sizes and page-loading times.

It is generally safe and should not negatively affect SEO, provided that the images continue to display correctly. Before starting, we recommend creating a full website backup and enabling Imagify’s “Backup original images” option so the original files can be restored if needed.

You may also optimize a few images first to confirm that the selected compression level provides acceptable image quality before running the full bulk optimization.

Please note that image optimization can improve performance, but the final results will also depend on other factors, such as your hosting, caching configuration, scripts, and overall page structure.

Regards,
PenciDesign.

tim-nieuwpoort started the conversation

1 month ago

Conversation Start

Do you recommend using the Imagify plugin and running a bulk optimization?

Will this improve the website's performance, and is there any risk to the website or its SEO when running the bulk optimization or afterward?