Glossary
What Is a WebP File?
A WebP file is a modern image saved in Google's WebP format, designed to make web pictures smaller than JPG and PNG at the same quality. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, transparency, and even animation in one format. The catch is that older programs and some Windows tools still cannot open it, so you often need to convert it.
TL;DRWebP is Google's small, modern web image format. Convert it to JPG when a desktop program or editor will not open it.
~30%
how much smaller a WebP image is than the same photo saved as JPG at matching quality
Why Google Built WebP
WebP exists to make web pages load faster. Smaller images mean less to download, so sites that switch to WebP save bandwidth and speed up for visitors. It rolls several jobs into one format: the lossy mode replaces JPG for photos, the lossless mode replaces PNG for graphics, and an alpha channel handles transparency that JPG never could.
WebP can also hold animation, the way a GIF does, but at a far smaller size. That makes it a common choice for short looping clips on modern websites.
Why WebP Will Not Always Open
Every current browser shows WebP, so on the web it just works. The trouble starts off the web. Older photo editors, some Office tools, and parts of Windows still do not recognize the format, so a WebP you saved from a site may refuse to open in your usual program.
If a WebP will not open, do not assume the file is broken. The picture is almost always fine; the app simply lacks WebP support. Convert it to JPG and it opens anywhere.
How to Convert a WebP File
A batch converter turns a folder of WebP images into standard JPG files in one pass, so they open in any editor, viewer, or document.
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