Why do some of the images not show up on screen after being compressed with the Webflow tool, and why do I have to delete them and then replace them in order to fix the issue?

When images don’t appear on screen after being compressed within Webflow, it's often due to a rendering or publishing glitch related to Webflow’s asset manager and CDN delivery.

1. Causes for Missing Images After Compression

• CDN Cache Issues: Webflow uses a CDN (Content Delivery Network) to deliver images. If the cache isn't cleared properly after compression, outdated or broken links can remain.
• Corrupt Compression Process: Occasionally, the automatic compression Webflow applies can cause file corruption or incompatibility, especially with specific formats (e.g., non-standard PNGs or SVGs).
• Asset Manager Sync Conflicts: The Asset panel may still reference the old (uncompressed) image while the published site tries to pull a new compressed version, creating a mismatch.
• Custom Code Conflicts: If your project uses custom code targeting specific image paths or file names, compression can alter those paths, causing disconnects.

2. Why Deleting and Replacing Fixes It

• Forces Cache Refresh: Removing and re-uploading the image clears the old CDN entry and regenerates a new delivery path.
• Resyncs the Asset Manager: By deleting and re-uploading, Webflow recreates internal references to the image, linking it cleanly across Designer and published versions.
• Prevents Duplicate Assets: If you're editing and re-uploading the same file multiple times, Webflow may keep legacy versions behind the scenes, which get purged when the asset is deleted.

3. How to Prevent This Issue

• Manually Compress Images Before Uploading: Use tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh to compress images before bringing them into Webflow to avoid relying on automatic compression.
• Avoid Repeated Compression in Webflow: Recompressing already-optimized images can cause issues. Upload only final, optimized versions.
• Clear Site Cache: After compressing or updating images, publish the site to both staging and custom domains to force a fresh deployment.
• Use Unique File Names: Avoid uploading multiple files with the same name—even if they're slightly different—as Webflow may cache the wrong version.

Summary

Images may disappear after compression in Webflow due to CDN caching or asset mismatches. Deleting and replacing the image forces Webflow to refresh and resync the asset. To avoid this, pre-compress images, use unique file names, and always republish the site after image updates.