Image Processing & WebP Conversion Actor

Convert images to WebP, resize for your use case, and normalize output from any source. Powered by LighterImage.

What This Actor Does

1. WebP conversion - Modern format supported by 97%+ browsers, 20-40% smaller than JPEG
2. Batch resizing - Generate thumbnails or normalize dimensions across sources
3. Compression - mozjpeg/oxipng for sources that aren't pre-optimized
4. Format normalization - Consistent output when aggregating from multiple sources
5. Self-hosting prep - Process images before uploading to your own CDN/S3

When This Helps Most

Not all images benefit equally. Here's what to expect:

Source Type	Compression Savings	WebP Savings	Best Use
Real estate (MLS)	40-60%	Additional 20%	Full pipeline
Small e-commerce	30-50%	Additional 20%	Full pipeline
Classifieds/forums	30-50%	Additional 20%	Full pipeline
Major platforms (Instagram, Amazon)	5-15%	15-25%	WebP conversion, resizing
Any source	-	-	Thumbnail generation

Key insight: Major platforms already optimize images. You'll still benefit from WebP conversion and resizing, but don't expect 50% compression savings from already-optimized sources.

Web Interface vs. API

• Manual processing: Use LighterImage for drag-and-drop (up to 30 files, free)
• Automation: Use this Actor to integrate into scraping and processing pipelines

Features

• Multiple input methods: URL, Base64 data, or Apify Key-Value store
• Dual output: Compressed original format + WebP version
• Batch processing: Up to 200 images/run on Pro tier
• Smart resizing: maxWidth / maxHeight with aspect ratio preservation
• Configurable quality: Default optimized settings or custom quality (1-100)

Performance

Batch Size	Duration	Throughput
5 images	0.5s	10 img/s
20 images	1.2s	17 img/s
50 images	4.8s	10 img/s

Run benchmarks: npm run test:bench

Case Study: Real Estate Pipeline

Tested on 15 property listing photos (unoptimized camera uploads):

Metric	Result
Original	3.38 MB
After WebP	1.77 MB
Savings	47%

By room type:

• Kitchen: 60% savings
• Dining room: 66% savings
• Bathroom: 57% savings
• Exterior: 46% savings

Real estate is an ideal use case because MLS photos are uploaded directly from cameras without optimization.

Run the case study: npm run case-study

Input Configuration

{
  "images": [
    { "url": "https://example.com/image.jpg" },
    { "base64": "iVBORw0KGgo..." },
    { "key": "my-image-key", "filename": "photo.png" }
  ],
  "quality": 80,
  "returnWebp": true,
  "returnOriginalFormat": true,
  "maxWidth": 1200,
  "maxHeight": 800
}

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
images	array	required	Array of images to process
images[].url	string	-	Public URL of image
images[].base64	string	-	Base64-encoded image data
images[].key	string	-	Key in Apify KV store
images[].filename	string	-	Output filename
quality	number	80	Compression quality (1-100)
returnWebp	boolean	true	Generate WebP version
returnOriginalFormat	boolean	true	Return compressed original
maxWidth	number	-	Max width for resizing
maxHeight	number	-	Max height for resizing

At least one of url, base64, or key required per image.

Output

{
  "results": [
    {
      "input": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
      "originalCompressedUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../records/...",
      "webpUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../records/...",
      "stats": {
        "inputSize": 225000,
        "compressedSize": 142000,
        "webpSize": 118000,
        "compressionRatio": 0.63,
        "durationMs": 128
      }
    }
  ],
  "successCount": 1,
  "errorCount": 0,
  "totalDurationMs": 250
}

Use Cases

1. Real Estate / MLS Photos

Chain with Redfin, Zillow, or Realtor.com scrapers. Camera uploads = big savings.

{
  "images": [{ "url": "https://mls-photos.example.com/listing.jpg" }],
  "returnWebp": true,
  "maxWidth": 1200
}

2. Thumbnail Generation

Works regardless of source optimization level.

{
  "images": [{ "url": "https://any-source.com/photo.jpg" }],
  "maxWidth": 400,
  "maxHeight": 300,
  "returnWebp": true,
  "returnOriginalFormat": false
}

3. WebP Conversion Only

For already-optimized sources where you just need format conversion.

{
  "images": [{ "url": "https://cdn.example.com/optimized.jpg" }],
  "returnWebp": true,
  "returnOriginalFormat": false
}

4. Normalize Mixed Sources

Consistent output when aggregating from multiple sources.

{
  "images": [
    { "url": "https://source-a.com/photo.jpg" },
    { "url": "https://source-b.com/image.png" },
    { "url": "https://source-c.com/pic.webp" }
  ],
  "quality": 80,
  "maxWidth": 1000,
  "returnWebp": true
}

Compression Engine

• JPEG: mozjpeg encoder with trellis quantization and progressive scanning
• PNG: Palette mode with Floyd-Steinberg dithering
• WebP: Smart subsampling with effort level 6

Tier Limits

Tier	Images/Run	Max File Size
Free	10	15 MB
Pro	200	30 MB

License

ISC