the_post_thumbnail('medium') is serving giant images

[andrebu]

no bueno

1. hurts page load
2. hurts SEO

[andrebu]

Problem is in WordPress backend -> Settings -> Media -> Image Sizes

Solution is to define smaller image sizes and use where appropriate so that images are ideally no larger (resolution/quality )than they need to be on screen.

the_post_thumbnail('medium') should output an image 300x300 pixels.

[andrebu]

Didn't even realize at first, but in that image of the WordPress backend, we also see "large" is set to 1000xWhatever. Also no good. Large should be 640x640.

Full is the original image size and will come out to 1000xWhatever.

[andrebu]

Image size on front page has been drastically reduced, speeding up page load and helping to improve the preverbal "SEO score."