xSpeed Cache
Get Plugin
Features Pricing Reviews FAQ
Documentation Blog Support Community Free vs Pro Compare
Get Plugin

Smart Image AI

4 min read

Smart Image is an AI advisor for your image settings. It looks at the kind of images in your media library, asks the AI provider for format and quality recommendations, and lets you apply those into the Images module with one click.

What this does

Smart Image does not convert or change any images itself. The Images (Image Conversion) module already does that. Smart Image is the advisor that suggests good settings for it.

It works in three steps:

  1. It profiles your media library as a whole and gives it a one-word character: photo, graphic, or mixed.
  2. It asks the AI provider to recommend a format strategy (WebP, AVIF, and quality levels) and to write a short reason.
  3. When you click Apply, it writes those recommended values into the Images module settings.

The profile is based on how many images you have and the mix of file types (such as JPEG and PNG). A mostly-JPEG library reads as “photo,” a mostly-PNG library reads as “graphic,” and anything in between reads as “mixed.”

Why use it

Choosing image format and quality by hand takes guesswork. Smart Image looks at what your library actually contains and suggests a sensible starting point, then explains the trade-off in plain language. You stay in control because nothing changes until you click Apply.

Requirements

  • xSpeed Cache Pro must be active.
  • An AI provider must be configured in the AI Provider panel.
  • The Images (Image Conversion) module is where the recommendation is applied.

Note: Smart Image profiles your library using aggregated counts, not individual visitor data. That aggregated prompt is allowed to pass the AI Privacy gate. Even so, the AI provider connection must be set up first.

Note: If the AI provider is not configured or the AI call fails, Smart Image still gives you a recommendation. It falls back to a built-in baseline based on your library profile, and the reason text comes from that baseline instead of the AI.

How to use it

  1. Open the Smart Image panel in the xSpeed Cache dashboard.
  2. Review the library profile it shows: how many images you have and the one-word character.
  3. Run Analyze to profile the library again and get a fresh recommendation.
  4. Read the recommended settings and the reason.
  5. Click Apply to write those settings into the Images module.
  6. (Optional) Use the flush action to clear the stored recommendation if you want to start over.

What the recommendation covers

The recommendation sets four values in the Images module:

ValueWhat it means
WebPWhether to convert images to WebP.
AVIFWhether to convert images to AVIF.
WebP qualityThe quality level used for WebP output.
AVIF qualityThe quality level used for AVIF output.

The baseline follows your library character. A photo-heavy library gets both WebP and AVIF turned on, because AVIF saves space on photographic content. A graphic-heavy library gets WebP at a higher quality to keep text and UI edges sharp, and AVIF stays off. A mixed library gets both formats at a middle quality. The AI can refine the reason text, but the format strategy stays anchored to this baseline.

Important: Apply changes your Images module settings. It only touches the format and quality values named above and leaves your other Images settings alone.

Best practices

  • Set up an AI provider first, so you get the AI-written reason instead of just the baseline text.
  • Re-run Analyze after a big change to your media library, since the profile may shift.
  • Read the recommendation before applying. The panel explains the trade-off so you can decide if it fits your site.
  • After applying, check the Images module to confirm the new format and quality settings.

Troubleshooting

The recommendation says “heuristic only” or the reason is not AI-written. The AI provider is not configured or the AI call did not succeed. Smart Image still gives a baseline recommendation. Set up the AI Provider panel to get the AI-written reason.

The profile shows an unknown character. This happens when there are no images to analyze. Add images to your media library, then run Analyze again.

Apply did nothing. Apply needs a stored recommendation. Run Analyze first, then Apply.

FAQ

Does Smart Image change my images? No. It only recommends settings and, on Apply, writes them into the Images module. The Images module does the actual conversion.

Does it look at every image? It profiles the library by file-type mix and counts, up to a sample cap, rather than inspecting each image one by one.

What if I do not have an AI provider set up? You still get a recommendation from the built-in baseline. You just do not get the AI-written reason.

Can I undo Apply? Apply overwrites the format and quality values in the Images module. To change them back, adjust those settings in the Images module or apply a different recommendation.

  • Connecting an AI Provider
  • Image Conversion
  • AI Privacy and GDPR Mode
  • Adaptive Cache Intelligence