Title: Image Preloading
Author: snowbedding
Published: June 29, 2017
Last modified: March 27, 2026
---
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# Image Preloading
By [snowbedding](https://profiles.wordpress.org/snowbedding/)
[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/image-preloading.2.0.0.zip)
* [Details](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/image-preloading/#description)
* [Reviews](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/image-preloading/#reviews)
* [Installation](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/image-preloading/#installation)
* [Development](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/image-preloading/#developers)
[Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/)
## Description
[Image Preloading](https://www.tiptinker.com/image-preloading-wordpress-plugin/)
is a powerful WordPress plugin that helps improve your website’s performance by
preloading images in the background. This results in faster page loading experiences,
especially beneficial for photo galleries, image-heavy sites, and e-commerce stores.
### Features
* **Multiple Preloading Methods**: Choose between JavaScript preloading, modern
Link preload headers, or both
* **Unlimited Image URLs**: Add as many images as you need
* **Modern JavaScript**: Uses Promise-based loading with proper error handling
* **Performance Optimized**: Only loads when needed and uses browser idle time
when available
* **Security Focused**: Proper input sanitization and validation
* **Admin Interface**: Clean, modern settings page integrated with WordPress admin
* **Localization Ready**: Translation-ready with proper text domains
### Preloading Methods
1. **JavaScript Method**: Uses modern JavaScript with Promise-based image loading.
Compatible with all browsers.
2. **Link Preload**: Uses HTML `` tags for modern browsers with
native preloading support.
3. **Both Methods**: Combines both approaches for maximum compatibility and performance.
### Use Cases
* Photo galleries and portfolios
* E-commerce product images
* Hero banners and sliders
* Background images
* Any image-heavy content
### Support
For support, bug reports, or feature requests, please visit: [Github](https://github.com/tiptinker/image-preloading)
### Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or open issues
on GitHub.
### License
This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later.
License URI: https://www.gnu.
org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
## Screenshots
* [[
* **Settings Page**
* [[
* **HTML code of preloading**
* [[
* **Preloading waterfall**
## Installation
### Automatic Installation
1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Navigate to **Plugins > Add New**
3. Search for “Image Preloading”
4. Click **Install Now**
5. Activate the plugin
### Manual Installation
1. Download the plugin ZIP file
2. Upload the plugin files to `/wp-content/plugins/image-preloading/`
3. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu in WordPress
## FAQ
### How does image preloading work?
Image preloading loads images in the background before they are needed, so when
users navigate to pages containing these images, they appear instantly instead of
loading progressively.
### Which preloading method should I choose?
* **JavaScript**: Best for compatibility with all browsers
* **Link Preload**: Best performance for modern browsers
* **Both**: Recommended for maximum compatibility and performance
### Can I preload images from external domains?
Yes, but ensure the external server allows cross-origin requests. The plugin properly
handles CORS headers.
### How many images can I preload?
There’s no strict limit, but keep in mind that preloading too many large images
can impact initial page load performance. Use judiciously.
### Does this work with caching plugins?
Yes, the plugin works well with caching plugins and can complement them by ensuring
images are cached even before they’re viewed.
## Reviews
### [Work as expected](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/work-as-expected-17/)
[Jessica Hannah](https://profiles.wordpress.org/sishair/) August 3, 2018
extremely easy to config.
### [Syntax issue Please Testing a code](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/syntax-issue-please-testing-a-code/)
[Ravikumar Patel](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ravipatel/) December 4, 2017 4
replies
Syntax issue Please test well.
### [Worked great for me](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/worked-great-for-me-28/)
[IntegriTivity](https://profiles.wordpress.org/integritivity/) October 3, 2017
This plugin worked great for me, I just needed to preload ONE background image that
I’m using in the header. It definitely loads the image faster than before and was
extremely simple to use.
[ Read all 3 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/reviews/)
## Contributors & Developers
“Image Preloading” is open source software. The following people have contributed
to this plugin.
Contributors
* [ snowbedding ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/snowbedding/)
[Translate “Image Preloading” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/image-preloading)
### Interested in development?
[Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/image-preloading/),
check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/image-preloading/),
or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/image-preloading/)
by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/image-preloading/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).
## Changelog
#### 2.0.0
* Complete rewrite with modern WordPress standards
* Added multiple preloading methods (JavaScript, Link preload, Both)
* Modern admin interface with improved UX
* Security enhancements and proper input sanitization
* Performance optimizations with requestIdleCallback support
* Promise-based JavaScript with proper error handling
* Better localization support
* PHP 7.2+ requirement for better performance
* WordPress 5.0+ compatibility
#### 1.0.0
* Initial release
* Basic JavaScript image preloading functionality
## Meta
* Version **2.0.0**
* Last updated **1 week ago**
* Active installations **50+**
* WordPress version ** 5.0 or higher **
* Tested up to **6.9.4**
* PHP version ** 7.2 or higher **
* Language
* [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/image-preloading/)
* Tags
* [image](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/image/)[performance](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/performance/)
[prefetch](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/prefetch/)[preload](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/preload/)
[speed](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/speed/)
* [Advanced View](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/image-preloading/advanced/)
## Ratings
3.7 out of 5 stars.
* [ 2 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/reviews/?filter=5)
* [ 0 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/reviews/?filter=4)
* [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/reviews/?filter=3)
* [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/reviews/?filter=2)
* [ 1 1-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/reviews/?filter=1)
[Add my review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/reviews/#new-post)
[See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/reviews/)
## Contributors
* [ snowbedding ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/snowbedding/)
## Support
Got something to say? Need help?
[View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-preloading/)