AVIF for Squarespace & Wix 2026: Speed Up Site 3x [Guide]

Platform Limitations

Website builders like Squarespace and Wix handle image serving through their own infrastructure, limiting direct AVIF implementation.

Neither Squarespace nor Wix currently supports direct AVIF file uploads. Both platforms convert uploaded images through their own optimization pipelines, typically serving WebP to supporting browsers.

This doesn't mean optimization is impossible—it just requires working within platform constraints and focusing on what you can control.

Squarespace Optimization

Maximize Squarespace's built-in image handling.

• Upload High Quality Sources: Squarespace compresses images. Upload high-quality (but reasonably sized) originals for best results.
• Use Focal Points: Set focal points to ensure important content isn't cropped in responsive layouts.
• Lazy Loading: Squarespace implements lazy loading automatically for images below the fold.
• Image Blocks vs Backgrounds: Image blocks are better optimized than background images. Use them when possible.

Wix Optimization

Wix's media system offers several optimization controls.

• Wix Pro Gallery: Optimized for image-heavy pages. Better compression than manual image insertion.
• Image Settings: Each image has quality settings. Adjust based on image importance.
• Wix Turbo: Enable for automatic performance optimizations including image serving.
• Custom Code Option: Wix allows custom code in certain plans—potentially enabling picture element usage for external images.

Alternative Strategies

When platform limitations are too restrictive, consider these approaches.

• External Image CDN: Host critical images on a CDN like Cloudinary with AVIF support. Embed using custom code.
• Hybrid Approach: Use the platform for convenience, external hosting for performance-critical hero images.
• Platform Migration: For maximum control, consider platforms like WordPress or Next.js that offer full AVIF support.