How we cut a client's oversized images by 77%

Manufacturers upload print-resolution photography straight into WordPress, and it adds up fast — this library had single images weighing 60 and 70 megabytes each. We ran a scripted, logged pass over 626 oversized images, capping dimensions, optimising quality and stripping metadata.

Those 626 originals went from about 3GB to under 700MB — a 77% saving — with a full audit log, the folder structure preserved, and not a single failure. Lighter pages, faster loads, and a reversible, documented process rather than a risky plugin.

We've written up the whole method, commands and gotchas included, in our guide: how to reduce the size of a WordPress media library.