File formats reference

The file format you choose affects how your website looks, loads, and performs. This reference page explains every common format, and tells you exactly when to use each one.

Image formats

Format	Full name	Best for	Notes
JPG / JPEG	Joint Photographic Experts Group	Photographs and images with many colors	Good compression. Not great for images with text or sharp edges. Does not support transparency.
PNG	Portable Network Graphics	Logos, icons, screenshots, images needing transparent backgrounds	Larger file size than JPG. Supports transparency. Best when you need crisp edges or a transparent background.
WebP	Web Picture format	Replacing JPG and PNG on modern websites	Created by Google. Smaller file sizes than JPG and PNG at similar quality. Supported by all modern browsers. The preferred format for web images.
AVIF	AV1 Image File Format	Next-generation image compression	Typically compresses better than WebP at similar quality. Now supported by current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and Opera, so it's safe to use with a JPG or WebP fallback for older browsers.
SVG	Scalable Vector Graphics	Logos, icons, illustrations	Vector format: scales to any size with no quality loss. No pixelation. Can be styled with CSS. Not suitable for photographs.
GIF	Graphics Interchange Format	Simple animations	Limited to 256 colors. Low quality. Use CSS animations or video instead for most purposes.
TIFF	Tagged Image File Format	Print and professional photography	Very large files, and Safari is the only browser that can display one at all. Keep it for print work and offer it as a download, never as a web image.
HEIC / HEIF	High Efficiency Image File Format	iPhone/iPad photos	The default format for iPhone photos. Only Safari can display one (Chrome, Edge and Firefox can't) so convert to JPG or WebP before uploading.

Document formats

Format	Full name	Best for	Notes
PDF	Portable Document Format	Downloadable brochures, menus, forms, reports	Preserves formatting exactly. Opens in browsers and PDF apps. Accessible PDFs need proper tagging. Ask us if this matters for compliance.
DOCX	Word Document	Editable documents	Microsoft Word format. Not suitable for web display: convert to PDF for sharing or download.
XLSX	Excel Spreadsheet	Data and tables	Microsoft Excel format. Embed or link as a download.
CSV	Comma-Separated Values	Data tables, product imports	Plain text format for tabular data. Used for WooCommerce product imports and analytics exports.

Video formats

Format	Full name	Best for	Notes
MP4 (H.264)	MPEG-4 with H.264 encoding	Website videos, background videos	The most widely supported video format on the web. Good quality and file size balance.
WebM	Web Media	Modern browser video	An open, royalty-free format designed for the web, supported in every major browser. Whether the file is smaller than MP4 depends on the codec inside it. Sometimes offered alongside MP4.
MOV	Apple QuickTime movie	Apple recordings	What your Mac and iPhone record to. Browsers can't reliably play it: Apple itself uses MP4 for web video, so convert before uploading.
AVI	Audio Video Interleave	Older format	An old Microsoft container. Not supported for web video: convert to MP4.

Don't upload videos directly to WordPress

Video files are very large. Uploading them directly to WordPress slows your site and fills storage quickly. Use YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia instead, then embed the video on your page. See How to embed a video.

Audio formats

Format	Full name	Best for	Notes
MP3	MPEG-1 Audio Layer III	Podcasts, audio players	The most widely used and best-supported audio format. Well-compressed.
WAV	Waveform Audio	Uncompressed audio	Very high quality but huge files. For audio production, not web delivery.
OGG	Ogg: an open container, usually holding Vorbis or Opus audio	Web audio	Open format from the Xiph.org Foundation. Compresses more efficiently than MP3 at similar quality, but browser support came late: Safari only added it in a recent version. MP3 is the safer choice.

Font formats

Format	Full name	Best for	Notes
WOFF2	Web Open Font Format 2	Web fonts	The preferred font format for websites. Excellent compression, wide browser support.
WOFF	Web Open Font Format	Web fonts (older fallback)	The predecessor to WOFF2. Still used as a fallback for older browsers.
TTF	TrueType Font	Desktop use, sometimes web	Larger than WOFF2. Common for desktop applications.
OTF	OpenType Font	Desktop use	Advanced typography features. Large files, not ideal for web.

Which format should I use?

Help me choose

Pick a format

What are you uploading?

For uploading to your website:

Photos: WebP (first choice) or JPG
Logo on a background: SVG or PNG
Transparent logo: SVG or PNG
Icon: SVG
Screenshots: PNG or WebP

For documents & files:

Downloadable file: PDF
Product data import: CSV
Video: upload to YouTube/Vimeo, embed it
Audio: MP3

Common questions

What's the difference between JPG and PNG?

JPG is smaller and great for photographs. PNG supports transparency and is sharper for logos and text-based images. When in doubt, use WebP. It handles both well, with better compression.

Can I use the photos straight from my phone?

You can, but your phone's photos are usually far larger than a web page needs, several megabytes each, and on an iPhone they may be in HEIC format, which most browsers can't display. Always resize and convert them before uploading. See How to compress images.

Why is SVG better for logos?

SVG is a vector format. It's made of mathematical lines, not pixels. It scales perfectly to any size without getting blurry. A single SVG logo looks crisp on a mobile screen and a 4K display alike.