Google Images and Discover do not currently support the JPEG XL image format for previews, despite its increasing adoption by leading web browsers, a Google official confirmed.
This lack of support means web developers using the efficient new format must implement fallback options to ensure their images are discoverable and render correctly across Google’s search services.
John Mueller, a Google Search Advocate, stated that neither Google Images nor Discover currently render JPEG XL previews. He advised developers to utilize the <picture> HTML element with a standard <img> element as a fallback for search engine compatibility.
The JPEG XL format has gained significant browser support in recent months. Google Chrome 155, which rolled out on October 6, included support for JPEG XL. Mozilla Firefox 158 followed suit on October 13, and Apple’s Safari 17 began supporting the format in 2023.
Google’s official image SEO documentation lists supported formats as BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG, and AVIF, but it does not mention JPEG XL.
The company previously integrated support for the AVIF image format into Google Search on August 30, 2024. This occurred approximately four years after AVIF’s initial introduction in Chrome, indicating a potential delay for newer formats to gain full search engine indexing.
Barry Pollard, a web performance expert, has previously highlighted the benefits of modern image formats like JPEG XL for reducing file sizes and improving loading times, which can enhance user experience and SEO.
Developers are encouraged to monitor Google’s updates for future support announcements regarding JPEG XL. In the interim, employing fallback strategies remains essential for broad compatibility.
Source: Search Engine Journal
