You’ve just optimized a few thousand images on a client’s site. Pages load faster, the uploads folder is lighter, and you’re happy with the result. Then the client writes back: “Great, but what exactly changed?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s a fair question. When image optimization is done well, the photos look exactly as they did before. The work is real, but it’s also invisible, and invisible work is easy to undervalue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So you need to make it visible. Below are the methods we’d use to show a client what happened to their images, from the quick check in the Media Library to opening the actual files on the server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For most clients, “image optimization” is a line on an invoice. If they can’t see what it did, it’s one of the first things they’ll question when budgets get reviewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Showing results changes that conversation. A sentence like “your images are 68% smaller and your homepage now loads 7 MB less” is concrete. They can repeat it to their boss. It also makes it easier to talk about the next step later, whether that’s next-gen formats, a CDN or better hosting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One practical thing before you start: record the “before” state. Run a PageSpeed Insights test on the main pages, check the total image weight in the browser and note the size of a few large files. Without a baseline, you’ll be comparing your results against nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the fastest way to show results, and the client can check it on their own whenever they log in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Go to Media > Library<\/strong> and switch to List View<\/strong> (the icon with horizontal lines, next to the grid icon). A new column called ShortPixel Compression<\/strong> appears on the right side of the table. For each image, it shows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want a visual walkthrough, our Knowledge Base has a guide to checking if your images were optimized<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the column isn’t there, open Screen Options<\/strong> in the top right corner, check ShortPixel Compression<\/strong> and click Apply<\/strong>. Another image optimization plugin can also hide it. You shouldn’t run two optimizers on the same site anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Percentages are useful, but most clients are more convinced by what they see with their own eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the ShortPixel column, open the menu for an image and click Compare<\/strong>. A window opens with the original and the optimized version next to each other. Ask the client to find the difference. Usually they can’t, and that does more for your case than any table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choose your examples with some care. A 4 MB hero banner that drops to 600 KB makes a strong point. A small icon that goes from 20 KB to 15 KB doesn’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Individual images are good examples. The client will also want the total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The plugin’s statistics show how many images were processed, how much disk space was saved and the average compression. That gives you a headline number for the report: “We saved 1.8 GB across your Media Library, with an average reduction of 64%.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be precise about what this number means. Disk space saved is about storage. It’s not the same as the bandwidth your visitors save. That depends on how often each image is loaded, on caching and on which format the browser receives. If the client cares about transfer size, measure it in the browser (see Method 4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some clients, especially technical ones, prefer proof that doesn’t come from the plugin itself. In that case, show them the files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If backups are enabled, ShortPixel keeps the original images in a separate folder, by default:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \/wp-content\/uploads\/ShortpixelBackups\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n To compare an image:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A quick comparison might look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Let them compare the images side by side<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Method 2: The overall stats in the plugin<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Method 3: Open the actual files<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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