Generate missing next-gen versions 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 →Generate missing next-gen versions
DestructiveQueues generation of missing WebP/AVIF versions for every already-optimized image on the site.
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 queues background generation of missing next-gen (WebP/AVIF) versions for all already-optimized media, across both the WordPress media library and custom folders, by delegating to Bulk::run_generate_nextgen() — the same routine used by WP-CLI's GenerateMissingNextgenCommand and the admin's 'missing next-gen' bulk action. Like bulk-optimize, it is gated by a credit-consumption guard: calling it without confirm=true returns confirmation_required together with a preview of how many images are missing a next-gen version, and it needs a follow-up call with confirm: true to actually queue the job (or insufficient_quota/invalid_api_key if the account can't support it). On success it reports how many images were queued; if there was nothing to generate it still reports 'scheduled' with a queued_count of 0.
See it in action
You ask your AI assistant
"Generate the missing WebP and AVIF versions for all my optimized images."
Inputs
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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), 'queued_count' (integer number of images queued for next-gen generation), 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
Bulk optimize
Schedules a bulk image-optimization run across the WordPress media library or Imagify's custom folders.
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.