EN

What is a WebP file, and how do you open it?

Last updated: 28 October 2026

You right-click an image on a website, choose Save image as, and get a file ending in .webp. Your browser shows it fine, but an older photo editor, your slide software or an upload form refuses it. Here is what the format is and what to do with it.

What WebP is

WebP is an image format that Google released in 2010 to make websites load faster. It can work like a JPG (lossy, for photos) or like a PNG (lossless, with transparency), and in both modes it usually produces noticeably smaller files than the older formats. Smaller images mean faster pages, so many websites, online shops and content systems now convert their pictures to WebP automatically.

All current browsers display WebP, and recent versions of Windows, macOS and most image editors open it too. Problems appear with older software, some office programs, print services and websites whose upload forms only accept JPG or PNG.

How to open a WebP file

  • In a browser: drag the file into a Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari window. This is enough if you only want to look at it.
  • On Windows and Mac: current versions of the Photos app on Windows and Preview on macOS open WebP directly. On older systems they may not.
  • Everywhere else: convert it to PNG or JPG, which every program accepts.

PNG or JPG: which to convert to?

  • Choose WebP to PNG for logos, icons, screenshots, illustrations and anything with a transparent background. PNG is lossless and keeps transparency.
  • Choose WebP to JPG for photos, when file size matters or when a form insists on JPG. Transparent areas are filled with a background colour you pick.

Both converters work in your browser: drop in the files, download the results one by one or as a ZIP file. Nothing is uploaded, so screenshots of private documents stay private.

Going the other way

If you run a website, WebP works in your favour. Converting large PNG and JPG images with PNG to WebP or JPG to WebP often makes them 25–35% smaller, which speeds up your pages and can help them rank better in search results.

Can I stop my browser saving WebP?

Not really. The browser saves the file the website actually sends, and many sites send WebP to every browser that supports it. The quickest fix is to save the image as it is and convert it afterwards.

Tools used in this guide

More guides