How to Delete WordPress Image Backups After LiteSpeed Optimization

Why the Website Got Bigger After Optimization

The Backup Storage Problem

After running LiteSpeed’s image optimization service across a large WordPress media library, the total size of the website’s file storage often increases rather than decreases. This surprises clients who expected optimization to make the site smaller. The reason is that LiteSpeed keeps a backup copy of every original image before replacing it with the optimized version — so for a period, both the original and the optimized version exist on the server simultaneously.

On a site with approximately 7,900 images, this backup storage can add up to several gigabytes. In one project, the backup storage added over 1 GB to the server’s total disk usage before the backups were cleared. Once the backups are removed, the server storage returns to a size smaller than it was before optimization.

When Is It Safe to Delete Backups?

Backups should only be deleted after the client has confirmed that the optimized images meet their quality standards, verified that all important pages display correctly, and confirmed that they have their own independent backup of the original files. The LiteSpeed optimization backup is the last recovery option if an optimized image turns out to be unacceptable — deleting it is irreversible.

A practical approach is to run the optimization, test the site thoroughly over several days, resolve any image quality issues, and only then proceed with backup deletion. Rushing the deletion to reclaim storage immediately after optimization removes the safety net before it has been properly tested.

How to Delete Original Image Backups

Using the LiteSpeed Dashboard

Navigate to LiteSpeed Cache in the WordPress admin, then open Image Optimization. Scroll to the Optimize Storage Space section. The Remove All Backups of the Original Images option deletes all backup copies that LiteSpeed stored before optimization. A warning is displayed before proceeding: this action cannot be undone and the original images cannot be recovered once the backups are deleted.

Click the Delete Original Image Backups button only after confirming that the client has independent backups of their original files. Once clicked, the process runs in the background and may take several minutes depending on the number of images.

What Stays and What Goes

After backup deletion, the server retains the optimized versions of all images — both the compressed JPG or PNG and the WebP versions generated by LiteSpeed. The WordPress media library continues to function normally. Image references in posts and pages remain intact. The only thing removed is LiteSpeed’s internal backup copy of the pre-optimization original.

Verifying Image Tags Are Preserved

Alt Text and Image Metadata After Optimization

A common concern before deleting backups is whether image metadata — alt text, captions, titles, and descriptions — will be preserved. These attributes are stored in the WordPress database, not in the image file itself. LiteSpeed’s optimization process does not modify the database records associated with an image, so alt text and other metadata remain intact regardless of whether the image is optimized or its backup is deleted.

To verify this before proceeding, check several images in the media library and confirm that their alt text and title fields are populated correctly. Then check the same images after optimization. If the metadata is present before optimization, it will be present after.

Reclaiming Storage Without Deleting Backups

The Calculate Backup Disk Space Option

Before committing to backup deletion, use the Calculate Backup Disk Space button in the Optimize Storage Space section to see exactly how much storage the backups are consuming. This gives a clear picture of the potential savings and helps make the case to a client who is uncertain about whether to proceed with deletion.

The next article in this series covers a different type of post-optimization problem: featured images that disappear from posts after a cleanup operation, why it happens, and how to restore them without re-uploading everything manually.