Media type · image/webp
image/webp
image/webp is a modern image format with lossy and lossless modes and transparency.
Key facts
| Type | image/webp |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .webp |
| Standard | Google WebP container specification |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| Transparency | Yes |
What image/webp is
WebP supports lossy compression, lossless compression and an alpha channel in one container. For photographs it is often 25–35% smaller than a comparable JPEG; for graphics with transparency it can beat PNG substantially. All current major browsers support it.
Fallbacks and tooling
Because support is broad, a single WebP file is often enough. If you must support older clients, use <picture> with a WebP source and a JPEG or PNG fallback. Check that your image pipeline actually encodes WebP rather than renaming a JPEG — changing the extension does not change the bytes, and the server would then send the wrong type.
Frequently asked questions
Is WebP smaller than JPEG?
Usually, at comparable visual quality — often by a quarter or a third. The exact gain depends on the image and the encoder settings.
Does WebP support transparency?
Yes. WebP has an alpha channel and supports both lossy and lossless images with transparency.