Preload Featured Image
This plugin is a “must-have” for websites using themes that display the Featured Image automatically at the top in single post pages.
Consider an alternative
Preload Featured Image shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 40+ sites and was last updated 2 years ago, and scores 27/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (40+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in over a year
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.7 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Preload Featured Image stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| image | >100 |
| image preload | #79 |
| pagespeed | >100 |
| prefetch | #80 |
| preload | #92 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Preload Featured Image
From the official readme · v1.1Description
This plugin is a “must-have” for websites using themes that display the Featured Image automatically at the top in single post pages.
Features
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Automatically preloads the Featured Image in posts to improve PageSpeed scores.
-
Customizable options to choose the image size to preload.
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Option to enable or disable the preload functionality.
License
GPL2
Installation
-
Upload the
preload-featured-imagefolder to the/wp-content/plugins/directory. -
Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
-
Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Preload Featured Image’ to configure the plugin settings.
Frequently asked questions
Can I customize the image size to be preloaded?
Yes, you can choose the image size to be preloaded from the plugin settings.
How do I enable or disable the preload functionality?
Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Preload Featured Image’ and check/uncheck the “Enable Preload” option.
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
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Best Preload Featured Image alternatives
All image plugins →
FAQ
Preload Featured Image: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 6, 2026
Is Preload Featured Image free?
Yes. Preload Featured Image is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Preload Featured Image safe to use in 2026?
Preload Featured Image shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 40+ sites and was last updated 2 years ago, and scores 27/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Preload Featured Image?
Preload Featured Image is active on 40+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 1,671 times since it launched in December 2023. It was downloaded 88 times in the last 30 days.
Does Preload Featured Image work with WordPress 7.1?
Preload Featured Image is officially tested up to WordPress 6.7.9, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Preload Featured Image last updated?
The latest version, 1.1, was released on November 4, 2024 (2 years ago).
Who makes Preload Featured Image?
Preload Featured Image is developed and maintained by Umut.
What are the best alternatives to Preload Featured Image?
The most popular alternatives to Preload Featured Image are Imsanity (200K+ installs), Firelight Lightbox (200K+ installs) and Responsive Lightbox & Galle… (100K+ installs).
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