Bulk optimize is a WordPress ability from Imagify — usable via Easy MCP AI, which connects Claude, ChatGPT, and any AI assistant to your site.
Install Free Plugin →Bulk optimize
WriteSchedules a bulk image-optimization run across the WordPress media library or Imagify's custom folders.
Requires the Imagify plugin on WordPress 6.9+ for the Abilities API (abilities are registered only when the wp_register_ability() function exists). Most abilities are gated by the Imagify 'manage' capability, resolved through Imagify's own capability abstraction (honors the imagify_capacity filter and multisite network-admin logic; equivalent to manage_options by default); the bulk-optimize, generate-missing-nextgen, and restore-media abilities instead check the WordPress 'manage_options' capability directly.
What it does
This ability schedules a bulk optimization run for either the WordPress media library or Imagify's custom-folder sources, delegating to the plugin's Bulk::run_optimize() (the same routine the bulk-optimize button in wp-admin uses). An optional optimization_level (0 = normal, 1 = aggressive, 2 = ultra) overrides the site's default for the run. Because bulk optimization can consume a large share of the account's monthly quota, the call is gated by a credit-consumption guard: calling it without confirm=true returns a status of confirmation_required together with a preview of how many images would be processed, and the caller must resend the request with confirm: true to actually schedule the run; the guard also short-circuits with insufficient_quota or invalid_api_key if the account can't support it. On success the run is queued via Action Scheduler and the status is 'scheduled'.
See it in action
You ask your AI assistant
"Schedule a bulk optimization run for all unoptimized images in my WordPress media library using the aggressive level."
Inputs
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| context | string | Yes | Optimization context: 'wp' for the WordPress media library or 'custom-folders' for custom folder sources. |
| optimization_level | integer | No | Optimization level: 0 (normal), 1 (aggressive), or 2 (ultra). Defaults to the global Imagify setting. |
| confirm | boolean | No | Set to true to execute after reviewing the credit-consumption preview returned by a prior call without this flag. Defaults to false. |
Returns
An object with 'status' (scheduled, error, confirmation_required, insufficient_quota, or invalid_api_key), 'context' (the requested optimization context, echoed back), and 'error_message' (null on success).
Permission
The current user must have the WordPress 'manage_options' capability (checked directly via current_user_can(), not routed through Imagify's capability abstraction).
More Imagify abilities
Generate missing next-gen versions
Queues generation of missing WebP/AVIF versions for every already-optimized image on the site.
Get account status
Reports the connected Imagify account's plan, quota consumption, and API key validity.
Get media optimization status
Retrieves the optimization status and size metrics for a single media library attachment.
Get next-gen format coverage
Reports how many optimized images are still missing a next-gen (WebP/AVIF) version and which next-gen format is configured.
Get optimization statistics
Returns aggregate optimization savings for both WordPress media and custom (non-Media-Library) folders.
Get plugin settings
Returns Imagify's current configuration options, with the API key redacted.