Webp images are often not loading on site. How do I clear webp image cache?

okgood

Hello,

I have this strange problem that some random webp images inside my posts aren't loading. When I log in and investigate, the original jpg image URL exists and I can view the image, but on the front end it just a little blue icon for missing image. To me, this is some kind of webp image caching issue, but I'm not sure.

Today I've made a major revamp to my site's design, and several images aren't showing on the front end. When I log in, I see them, but not when I view on my iPhone or using incognito mode. I've cleared the cache for the URL and still the images aren't showing. I've removed and re-selected the image from my media library, and still it won't show on the front end.

Is there any way to clear the webp cache to "force" these seemingly random images to re-appear?

My work-around for the random images in my posts is to download the jpg version from my server, rename it, and upload it to my media library, insert it into the same position in my post, and then publish. This way the image shows up, but I'd rather avoid that hassle since I know the original image is on my server.

The issue tonight is more serious since I made a bunch of new pages, using existing images, and they aren't showing up. I really don't want to have to duplicate all my images just to "serve" fresh ones.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Tucker_P_Ezoic

Ezoic does automatically try to convert images to next-gen formats when the browser allows for it. That could be in play for sure - you're right to point that out.

Before we go further though, there's two troubleshooting steps (see screenshot).

Clear Leap Optimization data --- that sort of resets the LEAP setup and can dump any image caching that was in place before for pre-existing images on the site.
Try disabling these image optimizations via LEAP one-by-one and previewing the domain URLs.

okgood

Hi Tucker. I'll try your above-mentioned suggestions. In the meantime, the support team over at SiteGround gave me a URL that bypasses your DNS, and the images appeared just fine, so that's at least confirmation I'm now speaking with the correct people 🙂

okgood

Hi again. On your #2, I started with deactivating Lazy Load Images and that worked. Now the images appear. If I turn it back on and activate that setting, the images don't load. How can I fix the root cause of this so that I can have the advantages of lazy loading, without these specific issues not being affected?

okgood

My site speed tests are worse now since they're all recommending to lazy load images. I need to get this fixed. How can I activate Lazy Load Images again AND have you actually serve them up?

Charlie

okgood Do you have any other technology enabled outside of Ezoic that would enable Lazy Loading of your images?
We should ideally have Lazy Loading on as it will help with CWV, but having two forms of Lazy Loading can cause issues

okgood

I was just looking for another option. I thought I had seen something in my backend, but I can't find it now. I recall it was disabled, but that was probably because I had Ezoic's enabled. What would you recommend that will work nicely with Ezoic? And isn't the default Wordpress now lazy loading images? In case it helps, I'm using GeneratePress Pro with GenerateBlocks Pro. Otherwise, I have very few other plugins.

Tucker_P_Ezoic

In theory, you should be able to use either one or the other, and preferably the Ezoic LEAP option would be the one to go with to make sure it's not conflicting / and is working properly.

That being said, if it's disabled / removed, it's worth checking if any other settings would be lazy loading the images at the same time. You mentioned maybe wordpress has a setting for this - some image uploading tools might have something similar as well.

okgood

Hi Tucker. I found that I have a plugin called "Disable Lazy Load". I assume I had installed it when I joined Ezoic so that it wouldn't conflict with LEAP.

What I would really like to do is to address the root cause. WHY are the images not loading at all? I would rather solve the root cause than apply a band-aid approach. Could you please investigate how you can clear my webp image cache, or whatever else is the issue, so that the images show up again and I can actually use LEAP features you recommend I use?

Charlie

The root cause of the issue is most likely this plugin or external tech you have enabled outside of Ezoic. Finding the tech lazy loading images or blocking the ability to do that IS the root cause here

okgood

Mohammad2306 Thanks for the guide, but I don't have any of those plugins mentioned.

Here's a list of ALL my plugins:

Advanced Custom Fields (used for custom schema since day 1. never an issue with images not loading)
Ezoic
GenerateBlocks
GenerateBlocks Pro
GP Premium
Instant Indexing (part of Rank Math since day 1. never an issue with images)
Joli TOC
Rank Math
Rank Math Pro
Security Optimizer (SiteGround)
TablePress
WPCode Lite (to insert code snippets)

Charlie Tucker mentioned "Ezoic does automatically try to convert images to next-gen formats when the browser allows for it. That could be in play for sure - you're right to point that out." It seems strange that the issue has been happening randomly to various images inside my posts.

Mohammad2306

You'll want to review this guide and check your WP plugins one by one.

Tucker_P_Ezoic

If some images are being converted before Ezoic 'touches' the site (so from the origin) or those images are being lazy-loaded on the origin and then again lazy loaded from Ezoic, that would cause the issue.

You're asking for a 'root cause' and the above is providing that to you --- we've cleared the caches by having you clear all caching for the site, and then to follow the two steps I provided earlier today. It is most likely a tech conflict with the lazy-load on our end, since that's the setting that when turned off appears to fix the issue. It points to the site already having some sort of lazy-load installed.

Alternatively, the plugin you mentioned seems to suggest it's trying to 'stop' lazy loading the images, which would definitely conflict with our lazy-loading settings.