Should I upload product images in WebP format, for the sakes of best quality vs size therefore performance? Or would this be a bad idea because InternetExlorer does not support WebP? (or would Shopify automatically convert to Jpeg format for IE viewers?)
Topic summary
Main issue: whether using WebP for product images achieves better quality-to-size performance without breaking compatibility.
Key considerations:
- Compatibility: Internet Explorer (IE) reportedly lacks WebP support, raising risk of images not displaying for IE users.
- Fallback behavior: Unclear if Shopify automatically serves a JPEG fallback to browsers that don’t support WebP.
- Quality/performance: Interest in WebP’s smaller files for faster load times while maintaining visual quality; JPEG remains the widely supported baseline.
Definitions:
- WebP: a modern image format offering improved compression.
- JPEG: a standard image format with broad browser support.
- Internet Explorer: a legacy browser with limited modern format support.
Status:
- No responses or decisions yet.
- Open questions: Does Shopify auto-convert or provide fallbacks for unsupported browsers? If not, what is the recommended setup to balance performance and compatibility?
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