AJAX Thumbnail Rebuild vs Perfect Images

AJAX Thumbnail Rebuild recreates the resized copies WordPress makes of every image in your media library. It does them one image at a time, so a library of any size gets through without running into the script timeout that stops the plugins which rebuild everything in a single request. You need this whenever the sizes change: a new theme with different dimensions, a plugin that registers a size of its own, or a size you have edited yourself. WordPress applies those to images uploaded afterwards and leaves everything already in the library at its old dimensions. Rebuilding fills the gap. On its screen under Tools you can: Pick which of the registered sizes to rebuild, so a single changed size does not mean redoing all of them. Rebuild only the images used as a featured image – which covers WooCommerce product images and product galleries – or only the file names matching a pattern, e.g. banner-*.jpg. Watch it run: a progress bar, the image being worked on, a Stop button, and a list of anything it had to skip. See every image size registered on the site with its dimensions and crop setting. Clean up the resized files left behind by sizes that no longer exist. You can also work on one image at a time without leaving the media library: a row action rebuilds or optimises a single image, a bulk action hands a selection to the plugin’s screen, and the attachment details panel – wherever it opens – rebuilds, optimises, or replaces the file. A replaced image keeps its id, title and address, so every post and product already pointing at it shows the new picture. Beyond rebuilding, each of these is off until you turn it on: Uploads. How hard WordPress compresses the copies it writes, and how large an image may stay before it is scaled down. Optimising. Makes files smaller without resizing them, using the optimisers installed on the server – jpegoptim, optipng, gifsicle, and pngquant where lossy PNG is allowed. Where a host has none, TinyPNG or ShortPixel can do the same job over their API. A file is replaced only when the new one is genuinely smaller. AVIF and WebP copies. Written next to every image WordPress generates and served through a picture element, AVIF first, WebP after it, the original as the fallback – which works behind a page cache. Background processing. Optimising and the copies are the slow half of an upload. Queue them instead, and the upload finishes as soon as the sizes are written – on Action Scheduler where the site has it, on WP-Cron where it does not. Image proxy. Front end image URLs can be served through wsrv.nl, which resizes and re-encodes on the fly and serves the result from a CDN. Your own files are never touched. Sizes on demand. An upload keeps only its own file, and each size is cut the first time something asks for it. This plugin requires JavaScript to be enabled. Contributions are welcome at Github

Perfect Images handles the basics of WordPress image management that should have been built-in from the start. Manage image sizes, disable the ones you don’t need, add custom sizes, and regenerate thumbnails in bulk. It’s the essential foundation every WordPress install needs for clean, efficient image handling. Think of it as your image management base layer. WordPress creates too many sizes? Disable them. Need a custom thumbnail size? Add it. Want retina support or modern formats like WebP/AVIF? Enable those modules. Perfect Images gives you complete control without bloat. Explore our official site and check out the tutorial to get started. Core Features ⚙️ Image Size Management The foundation of everything. View all registered image sizes (WordPress defaults, theme sizes, plugin sizes), disable the ones you don’t need, and add custom sizes. Finally, control over those pesky WordPress-generated sizes like medium_large, 1536x1536, and 2048x2048. 🔄 Regenerate Thumbnails Bulk regenerate thumbnails after changing sizes or switching themes. Progress tracking, smart processing, and automatic cleanup of old unused sizes. 🖼️ Retina Images (Module) Optional module for high-DPI displays. Automatically generate and serve crisp @2x versions of your thumbnails. Works seamlessly with WordPress responsive images. 🎨 Modern Formats (Module) Optional WebP/AVIF conversion. Convert images to modern formats for smaller file sizes and faster loading—without replacing your originals. 🚀 Easy IO (Module) Optional CDN-based image optimization via EWWW. Automatically converts and delivers your images in WebP/AVIF, resizes on the fly, and serves them from a global CDN—zero server configuration required. 🤖 AI Features (Module) Optional AI-powered tools. Upscale images via Claid.ai when your source is too small, or use the AI Assistant to analyze your sizes and recommend which to enable or disable based on your theme’s srcset needs. 🖼️ Retina Images Your visitors expect sharp, crisp images. Perfect Images makes retina support effortless. Smart Generation: Automatic retina creation for all thumbnail sizes Multiple delivery methods (Responsive Images, PictureFill, Retina.js) Works with WordPress srcset natively Full-size retina support Delivery Options: Responsive Images: Modern, standard method PictureFill: Hybrid approach with fallbacks Retina.js: Client-side detection Choose what fits your theme best 🎨 Modern Formats WebP and AVIF offer dramatically better compression than JPEG/PNG—up to 50% smaller files with the same visual quality. What You Get: Generate WebP or AVIF for any image size Automatic browser detection and fallbacks Works alongside your original images Enable for thumbnails or full-size Responsive Images delivery built-in 🤖 AI Features Perfect Images integrates with AI services to help you manage and optimize your images smarter. AI Assistant: Analyzes your image sizes and recommends which to enable or disable Detects redundant retina sizes already covered by other thumbnails Understands srcset behavior—sizes don’t need to be pixel-perfect Requires AI Engine plugin Upscaling (via Claid.ai): Generate retina images without 2x source files Create thumbnails larger than the original image Multiple upscaling modes (Smart Enhance, Digital Art, Photo, etc.) Automatic or manual processing ⚙️ Image Tools The Image Tools dashboard lets you manage all your media in one place—regenerate thumbnails, build retina images, generate WebP/AVIF, and more, individually or in bulk. Regenerate Thumbnails: Bulk regenerate all thumbnails Progress tracking for large libraries Preserves custom crops Updates retina and WebP versions automatically Replace Images: Swap images directly from Media Library Drag & drop replacement in dashboard Maintains all metadata and links Updates all thumbnails instantly Manage Sizes: View all registered image sizes Disable unwanted sizes (medium_large, 1536×1536, etc.) Create custom sizes Track which sizes are enabled per image Disable Image Threshold: Stop WordPress from creating “-scaled” versions Keep your original full-size images intact Pro Features Full-size retina images Full-size WebP/AVIF conversion Priority support Why Perfect Images? Essential Foundation Every WordPress site needs proper image size management and thumbnail control. Perfect Images makes it simple, giving you the baseline image handling WordPress should have included. Modular & Lightweight Start with just image size management and thumbnail regeneration. Enable retina, WebP, Easy IO, or AI modules only when you need them. No bloat, no unnecessary features. Works with Everything Compatible with WooCommerce, page builders, galleries, and any theme. It uses WordPress’s native image handling, so there are no conflicts. No Database Bloat Everything works through WordPress’s existing metadata structure. No custom tables, no performance overhead. Built for Real Workflows Developed by someone who manages dozens of WordPress sites. Every feature solves a real problem we’ve encountered over years of WordPress development.