Privacy and data
BytCrush processes image files on your own server. It doesn't collect data about your visitors, set cookies on your site or send images anywhere.
What is stored
| Data | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Settings | WordPress options | Your choices on the Settings screen |
| Each image's result: status, sizes before and after, files processed, any error message | The image's post meta | The Media Library column, the dashboard counters and restoring |
| Backed-up originals | wp-content/uploads/bytcrush-backups-…/ |
Restoring images. These are exact copies, so they still contain camera EXIF and GPS data if the photos had any. |
| WebP and AVIF copies | Next to each image in wp-content/uploads/ |
Serving smaller images |
| Background-run state and recent results | WordPress options | Showing progress on the dashboard |
| Cached totals | Transients | Faster dashboard counters |
| Whether you dismissed the "BytCrush is ready" notice | Your user meta | Not showing it again |
| Page audit history and page-specific fixes (Pro) | WordPress options | Recent scans and the fixes applied per page. They store page addresses and image file names, not visitor data. |
The backup folder has a random name so it can't be guessed, and is closed to web access on Apache and LiteSpeed. See Backups.
With Strip metadata on (the default), the optimized images and their WebP/AVIF copies have their EXIF, GPS location and editing history removed. The originals in the backup folder keep theirs.
External services
Image optimization runs entirely on your own server. Your images are never uploaded anywhere.
| Service | When | What is sent |
|---|---|---|
| Your own site | During a background bulk run | Your server sends requests to its own wp-admin/admin-ajax.php to start the next batch. They carry only a random token. Nothing leaves your server. |
| Freemius | Opt-in usage data, license activation and Pro upgrades | See below. Terms of service · Privacy policy |
BytCrush connects to Freemius only when you:
- opt in on the welcome screen, which sends your site URL, WordPress and PHP versions, plugin version, and your name and email address;
- activate a license key or start the Pro trial, which sends the license key and your site URL;
- open the upgrade or pricing page, which loads the Freemius checkout.
If you skip the opt-in, nothing is sent until you choose to activate a license or upgrade.
The page speed audit (Pro) loads your own pages in a frame in your browser and measures them there. It calls no outside service and needs no API key.
Uninstalling
Deactivating keeps all data. It removes the server rewrite rules from uploads/.htaccess and stops a background run.
Deleting the plugin always removes:
- the server rewrite rules in
uploads/.htaccess; - the background-run state and its scheduled task.
If Settings → Delete all data when uninstalling is on, it also removes:
- the WebP and AVIF copies of every image BytCrush processed;
- the backup folder with all stored originals;
- the settings, statistics and cached totals;
- the page audit history and page-specific fixes;
- the per-image results in post meta;
- the dismissed-notice flag for every user.
The optimized images themselves stay as they are. To get your originals back, run Restore all before deleting the plugin. On a multisite network, each site is cleaned according to its own setting.