git:20260712.a867952 to git:20260718.4d4f6c1

---

name: image-compression

description: Use when implementing or reviewing web image compression before upload with Squoosh or Canvas and server-side Sharp validation. Use frontend-performance for broader page loading budgets and storage skills for object-store lifecycle policy.

metadata:

portable: true

compatible_with:

- codex

---

## Platform Notes

- Optional helper plugins may help in some environments, but they must not be treated as required for this skill.

# Image Compression

Acknowledgement: Shared by Peter Bamuhigire, techguypeter.com, +256 784 464178.

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## Use When

- Client-side image compression before upload using Squoosh with Canvas fallback and server-side Sharp validation. Use for web apps needing max width 1920px, max size 512KB, transparent UX, and consistent compression stats.

## Evidence Produced

| Category | Artifact | Format | Example |

|----------|----------|--------|---------|

| Performance | Image compression policy | Markdown doc covering Squoosh client-side targets, Canvas fallback, and Sharp server-side validation budgets | `docs/images/compression-policy.md` |

## References

- Use the `references/` directory for deep detail after reading the core workflow below.

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Seamless image compression prior to upload with a hybrid approach:

- **Client primary:** Squoosh (WASM)

- **Client fallback:** Canvas API

- **Server safety net:** Sharp

**Defaults:** max width $1920$px, max size $512$ KB, quality $75$ (adjust down to hit size).

## When to Use

✅ Web apps that upload user images and must reduce bandwidth

✅ Need transparent UX (no user action)

✅ Want modern codecs but must support older browsers

## When Not to Use

❌ Server-only batch pipelines (use Sharp directly)

❌ Large-scale media processing with complex transforms (use ImageMagick/FFmpeg)

## Core Rules

1. Maintain aspect ratio; never upscale.

2. Target max width $1920$px and max size $512$ KB.

3. Start at quality $75$; reduce in steps to meet size.

4. Prefer JPEG for compatibility; try WebP if size remains too large.

5. Log compression stats (ratio, saved, processing time).

## Decision Flow

1. **Client attempt (Squoosh)**

- Resize → compress → check size.

- Decrease quality until size limit met.

- If still too large, try WebP.

2. **Client fallback (Canvas)**

- Resize → toBlob JPEG → reduce quality if needed.

3. **Server fallback (Sharp)**

- Always validate size/dimensions server-side.

- Re-compress if client output exceeds limits.

## Implementation Steps (High Level)

1. **Client compression service**

- Expose `compressImage(file, options)`.

- Use Squoosh with dynamic import.

- Fallback to Canvas on error.

2. **Upload hook / handler**

- Validate input is image.

- Compress transparently.

- Upload compressed blob.

3. **Server middleware**

- Use Sharp to enforce limits.

- Return 413 if still too large.

- Attach compression stats to logs.

## Required Defaults

- `maxWidth`: 1920

- `maxHeight`: 1920

- `maxSize`: $512 * 1024$

- `quality`: 75

- `minDimensions`: 200x200 (server-side)

## Anti-Patterns

- ❌ Skipping server validation

- ❌ Uploading original file on failure without logging

- ❌ Enlarging images

- ❌ Using blocking UI (must be transparent to user)

## References (Load as Needed)

- Client implementation: references/client.md

- Client usage example: references/client-usage.md

- Server middleware + routes: references/server.md

- Storage adapters (S3/local): references/storage.md

- Security checks: references/security.md

- Monitoring & analytics: references/monitoring.md

- Performance targets: references/performance.md

- Quality examples: references/quality-metrics.md

- Environment variables: references/env.md

- Docker (Sharp): references/docker.md

- Implementation checklist: references/implementation-checklist.md

## Output Expectations

- Client compression completes in $100$–$500$ ms typical

- Server compression $50$–$200$ ms typical

- Bandwidth reduction $85$–$97\%$

## Checklist

## Anti-Patterns

- Trusting client output. Fix: decode and validate media on the server.

- Uploading the original after failure without consent. Fix: show a recoverable error and record the reason.

- Enlarging a small source. Fix: preserve its original dimensions.

- Blocking the interface during compression. Fix: provide asynchronous progress, cancellation, and retry.

- Applying one quality value to every format. Fix: tune by codec and inspect representative images.

## Capability contract

Read and search the upload path first. Edit only when authorised; execute codec, size-limit, malformed-file, and server-validation tests when supported. Network access is optional for dependency verification.

- [ ] Client: Squoosh primary + Canvas fallback

- [ ] Client: size/dimension limits enforced

- [ ] Server: Sharp validation + compression

- [ ] Logging: compression stats & processing time

- [ ] Storage: image saved with metadata

- [ ] Tests: JPEG/PNG/WebP, large images, mobile

## Inputs

| Artefact | Required? | Purpose |

|---|---|---|

| Source images, display sizes, quality targets, formats, and delivery constraints | yes | Choose safe optimisation |

## Outputs

- Produce optimised assets and measured size, quality, format, and rendering evidence.

## Degraded mode

Fallback without visual inspection or target rendering: retain originals and mark quality comparison unverified.

## Workflow

Inventory usages, choose formats and dimensions, compress non-destructively, render representative states, compare quality and size, then update references.