Should You Strip EXIF Data From Images for Website Hero Images?

Updated July 27, 2026 · 7 min read

Photos carry hidden metadata such as camera model, date and sometimes GPS location. The hero is usually the largest element on a page and often decides how fast the page feels to load.

Recommended settings for website hero images

SettingStarting point
FormatJPEG (WebP where accepted)
Widthabout 1920 px on the long edge
Quality78
File size300 KB or less

These are practical defaults. If the platform or form you are using publishes its own limits, follow those instead.

Should You Strip EXIF Data From Images

For anything shared publicly, removing that data protects your privacy and shaves a few kilobytes. For website hero images, there is rarely a reason to keep it.

When our tool re-encodes an image through the browser canvas, metadata is not carried over, so the downloaded file is clean by default.

Step by step with TheCompressJPEG

  1. Open the compress JPEG to 300 KB tool, or the main compressor for custom settings.
  2. Drop in your image. Nothing is uploaded; it is processed in your browser.
  3. Set the maximum width to 1920 and the target size to 300 KB.
  4. Press Compress, check the result and download it.
Ready to try it? Compress your JPEG to 300 KB now. It's free and private.

Quick tips

  • Check the result on a phone, where most people will see it.
  • Use consistent dimensions for a set of related images.
  • Resize before you compress; it improves quality at any file size.
  • Write a size limit slightly below the stated maximum to leave a margin.

FAQ

Will compressing reduce image quality for e-learning courses?

Some detail is removed, but at sensible settings the difference is not visible at normal viewing size.

How do I compress many images for e-learning courses at once?

Drop all of them into the tool together and use Download all to get a single ZIP.

What JPEG quality should I use for e-learning courses?

Quality around 78 keeps photos looking natural while cutting file size substantially.

Wrapping up

For website hero images, the reliable recipe is simple: resize to around 1920 pixels, compress at quality 78 or to a 300 KB target, and check the result before you upload. Keep the original so you can always start again.

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