How to Easily Lazy Load Images in WordPress (2 Ways)
Do you want to learn how to lazy load images in WordPress? Lazy loading allows your website to only load images when a user scrolls down to a specific image, which reduces the website load time and improves website performance. Many popular image-heavy sites use lazy loading to boost website speed and performance. In this article, we will show you how to easily lazy load images in WordPress, step by step. Why Lazy Load Images in WordPress? Lazy loading WordPress images can speed up your website and offer a better user experience. No one likes slow websites. In fact, a performance study found that a 1-second delay in page load time leads to 7% fewer conversions, 11% fewer pageviews, and a 16% decrease in customer satisfaction. Search engines like Google don’t like slow-loading websites, either. This is why faster sites rank higher in the search results. Images take the most time to load on your website compared...
Do you want to learn how to lazy load images in WordPress?Lazy loading allows your website to only load images when a user scrolls down to a specific image, which reduces the website load time and improves website performance. Many popular image-heavy sites use lazy loading to boost website speed and performance.In this article, we will show you how to easily lazy load images in WordPress, step by step.
Why Lazy Load Images in WordPress?
Lazy loading WordPress images can speed up your website and offer a better user experience.No one likes slow websites. In fact, a performance study found that a 1-second delay in page load time leads to 7% fewer conversions, 11% fewer pageviews, and a 16% decrease in customer satisfaction.Search engines like Google don’t like slow-loading websites, either. This is why faster sites rank higher in the search results.Images take the most time to load on your website compared to other web elements. If you add a lot of images to your articles, then each image increases your page load time.One way to handle this situation is to use a CDN service like BunnyCDN. A CDN will let users download images from a web server closest to them and reduce website loading speeds.However, your images will still be loaded and affect the overall page load time. To get past this issue, you can delay image loading by implementing lazy load on your website.How does lazy loading for images work?Instead of loading all your images at once, lazy loading downloads only the images visible on the user’s screen. It replaces all other images with a placeholder image or blank space.As a user scrolls down the page, your website loads images that are visible in the browser’s viewing area.Lazy loading can be very beneficial to your WordPress blog:
It reduces the initial web page loading time so that users will see your site faster.
It conserves bandwidth by only delivering images that are viewed, which can save you money on WordPress hosting costs.
The release of WordPress 5.5 added lazy loading as a default feature.However, if you want to customize how your images lazy load and also lazy load background images, then you will need to use a WordPress plugin.Let’s take a look at how to lazy load images in WordPress using two different plugins. You can use the quick links below to jump straight to the method you want to use:
Lazy Load Images in WordPress With WP Rocket (Recommended)
Lazy Load Images in WordPress With Optimole (Free)
Bonus Tips to Optimize Your WordPress Images
Method 1: Lazy Load Images in WordPress With WP Rocket
We recommend using the WP Rocket plugin to lazy load images in WordPress. It’s the best WordPress caching plugin on the market that lets you easily turn on image lazy loading.Aside from that, it’s a very powerful plugin that helps you optimize your website speed without knowing complex technical terms or configuring expert settings.Right out of the box, all of their default recommended caching settings will greatly speed up your WordPress website.The first thing you will need to do is install and activate the WP Rocket plugin. For more details, you can see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.To enable image lazy loading, all you have to do is check a few boxes. You can even enable lazy loading for videos, which will improve your website speed even more.All you need to do is go to Settings » WP Rocket in your WordPress dashboard and click on the ‘Media’ tab. Then, you can scroll to the ‘LazyLoad’ section and check the boxes next to ‘Enable for images’ and ‘Enable for iframes and videos’.For more details, see our guide on how to properly install and set up WP Rocket in WordPress.Note: If you are using Siteground as your WordPress hosting provider, then you can use the free SiteGround Optimizer plugin that has similar lazy loading features.
Method 2: Lazy Load Images in WordPress With Optimole
This method uses the free Optimole plugin. It’s one of the best WordPress image compression plugins that lets you easily enable image lazy loading.If you get over 5,000 visitors per month, then you will need the premium version of Optimole.First, you need to install and activate the Optimole plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.Upon activation, you will see a screen asking you to sign up for an API key. You can also find this screen by navigating to Optimole in the admin menu.You’ll need to make sure that the email address listed is correct and then click the ‘Create & connect your account’ b***on. Alternatively, if you are an existing user, then just click the ‘I already have an API key’ b***on.You may need to wait for a few seconds while the plugin connects to Optimole. After that, the plugin will automatically start to optimize your images so that your visitors will now see the best images for their devices.While that is happening, you can click on the ‘Settings’ tab to configure lazy load.Here, you need to make sure the ‘Scale images and & Lazy load’ setting is enabled. This will generate images based on your visitor’s screen size and improve loading speeds.Next, click on the ‘Advanced’ menu option and select ‘Lazyload’. On this screen, there are a few different settings that let you customize how your images will lazy load.First, you can adjust the ‘Exclude first number of images from lazyload’ setting. This will stop images at the top of your posts or pages from lazy loading, so images above the fold will always appear.You can set this to 0 if you want every image to lazy load.There are a few other advanced lazy load settings in Optimole that you can check. These settings are enabled by default.The first is the ‘Scale Images’ setting. This will scale images to the visitor’s screen size and make your page load faster.After that, you will see the ‘Enable lazyload for background images’ setting. This will lazy load your background images, which may be the largest images on your website.Another setting is lazy loading embedded videos and iframes. If you have a lot of embedded video content, then you will want to leave this setting on. It will load a placeholder image in place of the video. When the placeholder is clicked, the full video will load.You can continue to customize these settings and see what works best for your website and your images.Before you exit the plugin settings, make sure to click the ‘Save changes’ b***on at the bottom of the page.
Bonus Tips to Optimize Your WordPress Images
Although lazy loading will help to improve website loading speed, there are a few other ways to optimize your WordPress images for the best performance.For example, we recommend compressing your images before uploading them to your website using a tool like TinyPNG or JPEGmini. Alternatively, you can use an automated image compression plugin such as Optimole or EWWW Image Optimizer.It’s also important to choose the right WordPress image size and file format for your images. JPEGs are best for photos or images with many colors, PNGs are suitable for simple or transparent images, and GIFs are only for animated images.We hope this article helped you learn how to lazy load images in WordPress. You may also want to see our tutorial on how to easily optimize images for the web without losing quality and our expert picks of the best web design software.If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.The post How to Easily Lazy Load Images in WordPress (2 Ways) first appeared on WPBeginner.
As Sony moves to scrap discs, Microsoft will reportedly let you digitize your physical library
After Sony declared that it was winding down the creation of physical discs, people began to worry about what that would mean for game preservation as a whole. Fortunately, while all this was happening, Microsoft was reportedly working on a way to make it easier to keep your collection safe....
After Sony declared that it was winding down the creation of physical discs, people began to worry about what that would mean for game preservation as a whole. Fortunately, while all this was happening, Microsoft was reportedly working on a way to make it easier to keep your collection safe. Rumors are claiming that Microsoft is working on a way to give you digital copies of your physical games, although the details are a bit hazy right now.
Harold Ray United States
Published by: aplhsindia.in
Forget Google Tasks, this Samsung Galaxy app makes reminders seamless
When it comes to reminder and task management apps, it feels like I've tried everything out there, from mainstream options to open-source gems. I often struggle with the complexity of app UIs, or the lack of flexibility the apps provide.
When it comes to reminder and task management apps, it feels like I've tried everything out there, from mainstream options to open-source gems. I often struggle with the complexity of app UIs, or the lack of flexibility the apps provide.
Concepción Urbina Mexico
Published by: aplhsindia.in
This old Galaxy phone became my third WAN port, and it actually works
There is a widespread assumption that if you want a reliable home network and maximum homelab uptime, you get a secondary internet connection. I did the same. When my homelab grew, I got a secondary line and routed everything through my ER605's dual-WAN setup. The setup worked as expected: the...
There is a widespread assumption that if you want a reliable home network and maximum homelab uptime, you get a secondary internet connection. I did the same. When my homelab grew, I got a secondary line and routed everything through my ER605's dual-WAN setup. The setup worked as expected: the secondary backup line took over when the primary had an outage. But then I noticed something else: I had another connection on my secondary Galaxy phone, sitting mostly idle. I was paying for a plan I barely used. That was when I decided tomake that idle plan earn its keep.
Sophia Wilson Atlanta
Published by: aplhsindia.in
Your Fitbit data can now connect directly to Apple Health
Google is rolling out an update that will finally allow you to connect your Fitbit workouts, steps, vitals, and other data to Apple Health, as reported earlier by 9to5Mac. With Google Health's 5.05 update, you can now tap your profile icon, select "Partner apps," and choose Apple Health to link...
Google is rolling out an update that will finally allow you to connect your Fitbit workouts, steps, vitals, and other data to Apple Health, as reported earlier by 9to5Mac. With Google Health's 5.05 update, you can now tap your profile icon, select "Partner apps," and choose Apple Health to link your data directly.Previously, you could only import your Apple Health data into Google Health, but not the other way around. That meant using third-party apps - like Power Sync for Fitbit or Fitbit to Apple Health Sync - or some other kind of workaround to connect your Google Health information to Apple Health.Google Health replaced the Fitbit ap …Read the full story at The Verge.
Michael Johnson Chicago
Published by: aplhsindia.in
My Obsidian vault is now the shared memory for Claude Code, Codex, and my local LLM
Coding tools are meant to make coding easier for everyone, but nobody tells you that they're not just for coding projects. They're basically just LLMs with shell and file access and the ability to do things on your behalf. If that's not the definition of a productivity tool, then I...
Coding tools are meant to make coding easier for everyone, but nobody tells you that they're not just for coding projects. They're basically just LLMs with shell and file access and the ability to do things on your behalf. If that's not the definition of a productivity tool, then I don't know what is - it's just a productivity system wearing a coding label.
William Garcia Boston
Published by: aplhsindia.in
Samsung’s discounted smart monitor is $349.99, its lowest price yet
Video chat with your friends or coworkers directly from the Samsung M80F. Samsung makes a variety of TVs and computer monitors, but if want both and you’re limited on space, you might want to consider the M80F. This capable 32-inch 4K panel combines features commonly found on both types of...
Video chat with your friends or coworkers directly from the Samsung M80F. Samsung makes a variety of TVs and computer monitors, but if want both and you’re limited on space, you might want to consider the M80F. This capable 32-inch 4K panel combines features commonly found on both types of screens, and Amazon and B&H Photo both have it discounted to $349.99, where it’s usually $400 or much higher. In addition to acting as a standard 4K screen for your computer or console, the M80F has a full suite of video streaming apps you’d expect to find on a television, with picture-in-picture support for multitasking, plus a removable webcam for video chats.Samsung M80FWhere to Buy: $699.99 $349.99 at Amazon $699.99 $349.99 at B&H PhotoThe M80F has above-average connectivity for a monitor. In addition to the ports like HDMI 2.0, USB-C for charging devices up to 65W, and USB-A for your keyboard and mouse, you can also connect the Tizen interface to Wi-Fi to directly communicate with your network (it also supports Bluetooth headphones). Speaking of gaming, the M80F supports apps like Xbox and Nvidia GeForce Now, letting you pair a controller to the display to play games over the cloud. The VA panel is better suited for work than play, but HDR10 Plus support will help your movies and TV shows pop.My colleague Cameron Faulkner reviewed a previous version of the M80F and appreciated its versatility, but the $699.99 launch price was a bit off-putting, so a discount on a newer, improved model is definitely worth calling out.
Yuhimina Pisarevskiy Ukraine
Published by: aplhsindia.in
I stopped recommending Bazzite after realizing any Linux distro can game just as well
Valve released Proton 11.0-1 as stable on July 7, 2026, rebasing Steam Play on Wine 11.0, and Wine 11.0 brought NTSYNC support along with the completed WoW64 architecture. If you game on Linux or plan to at all in the future, these updates were some of the most consequential things...
Valve released Proton 11.0-1 as stable on July 7, 2026, rebasing Steam Play on Wine 11.0, and Wine 11.0 brought NTSYNC support along with the completed WoW64 architecture. If you game on Linux or plan to at all in the future, these updates were some of the most consequential things to happen in the last month with regard to your PC's future. If you notice, none of that has anything to do with distribution, nor do most of the other optimizations that have come along in the last few years.
Daniel Martinez Dallas
Published by: aplhsindia.in
Your GPU’s maximum power limit isn’t what you think it is, and raising it gives you free performance
If you've ever paid attention to your graphics card's TGP, you would have gotten an idea about the maximum power the card is allowed to consume. Most gamers are clear about this, but what isn't as clear is that this TGP isn't the actual power limit of the graphics card....
If you've ever paid attention to your graphics card's TGP, you would have gotten an idea about the maximum power the card is allowed to consume. Most gamers are clear about this, but what isn't as clear is that this TGP isn't the actual power limit of the graphics card. Tools like MSI Afterburner allow you to raise the power limit of your GPU beyond the "100%" value, and this directly impacts your gaming performance.
Olivia Miller Seattle
Published by: aplhsindia.in
The $5 flash drive is still the most useful thing in my tech drawer, and no SSD changes that
In the past few years, several arguments have been made against flash drives. While the logic behind it holds true in most cases, flash drives aren't altogether obsolete, and they don't seem likely to be anytime soon. That's because flash drives have distinct advantages over other storage media like SSDs,...
In the past few years, several arguments have been made against flash drives. While the logic behind it holds true in most cases, flash drives aren't altogether obsolete, and they don't seem likely to be anytime soon. That's because flash drives have distinct advantages over other storage media like SSDs, HDDs, and SD cards. I have all four, but most of the time I end up choosing the flash drive over anything else.
Sophia Wilson Atlanta
Published by: aplhsindia.in
The studio behind Pokémon struggles to find its voice in Beast of Reincarnation
You have to imagine that the team at Game Freak is bursting with ideas. The studio puts out new mainline Pokémon adventures with a machinelike precision. But every so often it launches a curious experiment, whether it's an action title about a militarized elephant or turning horse races into a...
You have to imagine that the team at Game Freak is bursting with ideas. The studio puts out new mainline Pokémon adventures with a machinelike precision. But every so often it launches a curious experiment, whether it's an action title about a militarized elephant or turning horse races into a card game, showing that it's capable of more than the latest generation of pocket monsters. That's part of what makes the idea of Beast of Reincarnation so enticing. Here is an established studio breaking free of the franchise it has become known for to make its take on a blockbuster action game. Unfortunately new ideas are in short supply in Beast, an …Read the full story at The Verge.
Sophia Wilson Atlanta
Published by: aplhsindia.in
I stopped using Notion after installing this open-source self-hosted alternative
Notion was my go-to app for notes and documentation for years. Like many people, I assumed I'd keep using it because it had everything I could possibly need. But over time, my workflow started changing. I moved more of my apps to my own server and began questioning whether I...
Notion was my go-to app for notes and documentation for years. Like many people, I assumed I'd keep using it because it had everything I could possibly need. But over time, my workflow started changing. I moved more of my apps to my own server and began questioning whether I really needed such a feature-packed platform for something as simple as managing knowledge. That led me to try Docmost. I wasn't expecting it to replace Notion anytime soon, but after using it for a while, I found myself opening Notion less and less until I eventually stopped using it altogether.
Sophia Wilson Atlanta
Published by: aplhsindia.in
4K Blu-ray discs still beat streaming where it matters most
A lot of streaming services promote 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos badges across their content, leading consumers to believe a $15/month streaming subscription provides the same visual and audio experience as cinema master prints.
A lot of streaming services promote 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos badges across their content, leading consumers to believe a $15/month streaming subscription provides the same visual and audio experience as cinema master prints.