JPEG XL Now Works in Chrome, Firefox and Safari: What Websites Should Do

In October 2026 JPEG XL became usable in all three major browser engines. Chrome 155 added JPEG XL decoding, Firefox 158 shipped support on October 13, and Safari has had it since 2023. Websites can now test JXL for photos, but should keep AVIF, WebP or JPEG fallbacks, because Google Search does not list JPEG XL as supported.

For a long time JPEG XL was the image format that Safari supported and everyone else ignored. That has changed quickly, and for image-heavy sites such as online stores, photographers and publishers it is worth understanding what is now possible and what is still risky.

What happened

Three separate browser changes now line up:

Google's Chrome 155 beta post says the release "adds support for decoding JPEG XL (image/jxl) images in Blink". The decoder is jxl-rs, which Chrome Platform Status describes as "a memory-safe pure Rust decoder". Google lists the format's strengths as progressive decoding, wide color gamut, HDR, high bit depth and animation.

Mozilla's Firefox 158 release notes, first offered to users on October 13, 2026, state: "Firefox now supports the JPEG XL image format, which generally has better compression than WebP, JPEG, PNG, and GIF."

Browser updates roll out gradually, and some people stay on older versions for months, so "supported" does not mean every visitor can see a JXL file today.

Why it matters for websites

Images are usually the heaviest part of a page. Smaller files help the Largest Contentful Paint metric, which is often a hero image or product photo. Our guide to improving LCP explains the link.

Mozilla says JPEG XL "generally has better compression than WebP, JPEG, PNG, and GIF". Google's notes add features that matter beyond file size:

• Animation. One format can cover stills and simple animations.
• Progressive loading. A recognizable preview can appear before the whole file arrives.
• High-end color. HDR and wide-gamut support suits photographers and brands that care about accurate color.

None of this is a ranking factor by itself. The benefit comes through faster pages and a better experience, and only if you serve the format correctly.

The catch: Google Search and other platforms

Google's image SEO documentation says it supports images in "BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG, and AVIF" format. JPEG XL is not on that list. If the only version of a product image is a .jxl file, you risk it not appearing in Google Images.

The same caution applies elsewhere:

• Social previews. Platforms that build link previews from your og:image may not read JXL. Keep that image as JPEG or PNG and check it with our free Open Graph checker.
• Email. Email clients are not browsers. Do not use JXL in newsletters.
• Marketplaces and feeds. Shopping feeds and marketplaces publish their own accepted formats. Check before switching.

Who this affects

• Ecommerce stores with large product catalogs, where image weight affects speed on mobile.
• Photographers and creative studios, who benefit from HDR and wide-gamut support.
• Publishers and bloggers with image-heavy articles.
• Small business sites generally, though most will get more value from compressing and resizing existing images properly first.

Many sites use a CMS, image CDN or plugin that already chooses formats automatically. If that is you, the change may arrive through a vendor update rather than anything you do yourself.

Practical checklist

1. Fix the basics first. Resize images to the size they display at and compress them. Our free image compressor and our product image size guide cover this.
2. Use modern fallbacks you can rely on. AVIF and WebP are widely supported. Our guide to WebP and AVIF explains when to use each, and our image converter handles common conversions.
3. If you test JXL, use the picture element. List the JXL source first with type="image/jxl", then AVIF or WebP, then a JPEG in the img tag. Browsers pick the first format they support and ignore the rest.
4. Keep the img fallback indexable. The JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF in the img element is the version Google's documentation says it can use.
5. Check your image CDN. If you use one, find out whether it can negotiate JXL automatically from the browser's Accept header, and whether it caches each format correctly.
6. Measure before and after. Run key templates through our PageSpeed checker and compare LCP and total page weight.
7. Do not convert your originals. Keep master files in their original format and generate JXL as a derived copy.

If your team spends hours exporting images in several sizes and formats, this is the kind of repetitive job that can be automated. Make It Flow can map that workflow with you through our contact page.

FAQ

Is JPEG XL supported in all browsers now?

JPEG XL is supported in Safari since version 17.0, in Chrome from version 155 and in Firefox from version 158. Visitors on older versions or other browsers may not support it, so always provide a fallback such as AVIF, WebP or JPEG using the picture element.

Will JPEG XL improve my Google rankings?

Not directly. Google does not reward an image format. Smaller, faster-loading images can improve page experience metrics such as Largest Contentful Paint, which helps users. Google's image documentation does not list JPEG XL as a supported format, so keep a supported fallback for search.

Should I replace WebP and AVIF with JPEG XL?

No. Add JXL as an extra option if you want to test it, and keep WebP or AVIF as fallbacks. Many visitors will not be on the newest browser versions, and search engines, social platforms and email clients may not read JXL.

Can I use JPEG XL for my Open Graph image?

It is safer not to. Social platforms build link previews from the og:image URL, and many expect JPEG or PNG. Keep your preview image in a widely supported format and test it with an Open Graph checker before sharing.

How do I serve JPEG XL with a fallback?

Use a picture element. Add a source with type set to image/jxl, then a source for AVIF or WebP, and finally an img tag pointing to a JPEG. The browser loads the first format it understands. Image CDNs can also do this automatically.

Related reading

• Webflow SEO and Speed: Settings That Actually Matter: Webflow SEO and speed explained: page and CMS SEO fields, 301 redirects, sitemap, schema markup, image conversion, script weight, publishing and hosting.

Sources

• Chrome for Developers: Chrome 155 beta (September 16, 2026)
• Chrome Platform Status: Chrome 155 release notes
• Mozilla: Firefox 158.0 release notes (October 13, 2026)
• WebKit: WebKit features in Safari 17.0 (September 18, 2023)
• Google Search Central: Google image SEO best practices