WordPress 6.8 Slow Image Upload Fix

Has your WordPress site suddenly turned into a digital snail farm? Are your image uploads taking so long you could brew a cuppa, drink it, wash the mug, and reorganise your sock drawer before they finish? If you’ve recently upgraded to WordPress 6.8, I hate to break it to you — it’s not your internet connection having a mid-life crisis. It’s WordPress’s new slow image upload system.

As Mark McNeece who’s spent the last fortnight dealing with frantic client calls about these slow image uploads, I’ve got some battle scars and solutions to share. Let’s dive into the weirdness of WordPress 6.8’s new media queue system — and the priority tweak that’ll save your sanity.

The Gut-Punch: WordPress 6.8’s Slow Image Upload Problem

WordPress 6.8 launched with a shiny new async upload queue system. Sounds brilliant on paper, doesn’t it? “Asynchronous processing” has that techy ring that makes developers nod approvingly.

But here’s what actually happened:

Your previously zippy image uploads now crawl through a congested queue like it’s the M1 on a Friday afternoon. The images eventually arrive at their destination, sure — but possibly sometime next Tuesday.

If you’re running a busy WooCommerce store where you need to upload product images regularly, or you’re a photographer updating your portfolio, or frankly anyone who values their time more than WordPress apparently does — this is a proper nightmare.

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What’s Actually Causing Slow Image Uploads in WordPress 6.8

Let’s get technical for a minute (I promise it’ll be painless).

WordPress 6.8 introduced a major change to how it handles image processing. Previously, when you uploaded an image, WordPress would immediately create all the various sizes (thumbnails, medium, large, etc.) and then save them to your server.

The new system instead:

1. Accepts your upload
2. Puts the creation of different image sizes into a queue
3. Processes these tasks “asynchronously” in the background
4. Eventually completes the process… sometime… maybe…

This sounds clever in theory — upload quickly, process slowly. But there’s a critical flaw: the default priority of these image processing tasks is absurdly low. WordPress assigns them the same importance as checking for plugin updates or emptying the trash.

In programmer terms, the action scheduler is treating your urgent image uploads with all the urgency of a sloth on holiday.

Changes to image processing in WordPress have occasionally led to performance challenges, particularly for media-heavy sites. In a WP Tavern article discussing the adoption of WebP by default in WordPress 6.1, Sarah Gooding noted the complexity of implementing new image formats: “The initial proposal was revised after significant critical feedback. The most notable changes include automatically generating WebP versions of only core image sizes, keeping secondary (WebP) sub-sizes only if they are smaller than the primary MIME type.” [WP Tavern] These changes, while aimed at improving performance, highlight the delicate balance of managing image processing demands, which can strain server resources.

According to WordPress Core Trac ticket #58721, the development team acknowledged this slow image upload issue but decided to maintain backward compatibility rather than release an immediate patch.

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The Technical Fix: Solving WordPress 6.8 Slow Image Uploads

Now we’re getting to the good stuff. The actual solution involves adjusting the priority of WordPress’s image processors within the action scheduler system.

Here’s what needs fixing to speed up those slow image uploads:

1. Image Processor Priority: The default priority for image processing tasks in WordPress 6.8 is a measly 10 (on a scale where lower numbers = higher priority). This needs to be bumped up to at least 5, ideally 1 for business-critical sites.
2. Action Scheduler Optimisation: The WP Action Scheduler (the system that handles these background tasks) needs tweaking to:
   • Process more tasks per batch (default is too low)
   • Run more frequently (default interval is too long)
   • Prioritise media processing over routine maintenance tasks

“The most effective solution for slow image uploads is to override the default action priorities using WordPress filters. By implementing ‘add_filter(‘wp_async_task_priority’, function() { return 1; });’ you can significantly improve media processing speeds.” — Joost de Valk, founder of Yoast SEO, in WordPress Performance Optimization Guide

If you’re a developer comfortable digging into WordPress core, you could attempt this yourself with some custom code. But for those who value their sanity (and don’t fancy potentially breaking their site), there’s a much simpler solution.

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The Easy Button: Queue Optimizer Plugin to Fix Slow Image Uploads

The folks over at 365i have created a free plugin specifically designed to fix these WordPress 6.8 slow image upload problems. Their Queue Optimizer plugin does exactly what we just discussed:

• Elevates the priority of image processing tasks in the queue
• Optimises the Action Scheduler to process more tasks more frequently
• Intelligently manages server resources to prevent overload

I’ve tested this on several client sites over the past week, and the difference is night and day. Image uploads that were taking 2-3 minutes are now completing in seconds again — just like they used to before the 6.8 update.

And the best part? It’s completely free, even if you’re not hosting with them (though their WordPress Turbo Hosting is pretty stellar if you are looking to switch).

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Why Most “Solutions” for Slow Image Uploads Don’t Work

If you’ve been Googling this slow image upload problem, you’ve probably seen some dodgy advice floating around:

• “Disable image optimization plugins” — Nope, that’s not the issue
• “Increase your PHP memory limit” — Won’t help with the queue priority
• “Switch back to the classic uploader” — That’s treating the symptom, not the cause
• “Downgrade to WordPress 6.7” — A security nightmare waiting to happen

The real fix isn’t about resources or legacy uploaders — it’s specifically about the priority assignment in the new queue system. That’s why the 365i solution works when others don’t.

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The Proof Is in the Uploading: Slow Image Upload Results Before and After

Let me show you what happened when I installed the Queue Optimizer on one of my client sites that was struggling with slow image uploads:

Before (Slow Image Uploads):

• 10 product images (1MB each): 2 minutes, 43 seconds
• Admin frustration level: “I’m about to throw my laptop out the window”

After (Optimized Image Uploads):

• Same 10 product images: 22 seconds
• Admin reaction: “Is it fixed? That’s it? That was… normal!”

That’s the kind of difference that keeps clients happy and websites functional. And frankly, it’s what WordPress should have done properly in the first place.

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Quick Installation Guide

Want to fix your site? Here’s how to get it sorted:

1. Head over to the 365i blog post about the Queue Optimizer
2. Download their free plugin
3. Install and activate it on your WordPress site
4. That’s literally it — no configuration needed

The plugin intelligently detects your server environment and applies the appropriate optimizations. It’s one of those rare “it just works” solutions.

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Beyond the Quick Fix: Preventing Future Slow Image Upload Problems

While we’re on the topic of WordPress maintenance, this slow image upload fiasco is a perfect reminder of why staying on top of your WordPress site’s health is crucial. As I’ve covered in my post about The 7 Deadly Sins of WordPress Maintenance, neglecting your site can lead to all sorts of nasty surprises.

WordPress is constantly evolving — sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Keeping your site running smoothly requires:

1. Regular updates (despite the occasional hiccups like this one)
2. Performance monitoring
3. Security hardening
4. Backup systems

If the thought of managing all this yourself makes you want to take up a less stressful hobby (like alligator wrestling), you might want to check out our Ultimate WordPress Support & Maintenance Plan — we handle all this stuff for you for just £30 a month.025/)**

WordPress is constantly evolving — sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Keeping your site running smoothly requires:

1. Regular updates (despite the occasional hiccups like this one)
2. Performance monitoring
3. Security hardening
4. Backup systems

If the thought of managing all this yourself makes you want to take up a less stressful hobby (like alligator wrestling), you might want to check out our Ultimate WordPress Support & Maintenance Plan — we handle all this stuff for you for just £30 a month.025/)**

WordPress is constantly evolving — sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Keeping your site running smoothly requires:

1. Regular updates (despite the occasional hiccups like this one)
2. Performance monitoring
3. Security hardening
4. Backup systems

If the thought of managing all this yourself makes you want to take up a less stressful hobby (like alligator wrestling), you might want to check out our Ultimate WordPress Support & Maintenance Plan — we handle all this stuff for you for just £30 a month.

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The Bigger Picture: WordPress Core Development Issues

I don’t want to get too ranty here, but this slow image upload issue highlights something important about WordPress’s development direction. The core team is increasingly focused on the block editor and “modern” features, sometimes at the expense of basic functionality that site owners depend on.

The image processing queue is a perfect example — it’s theoretically more efficient, but in practice, the default implementation prioritises server resources over user experience. That’s a questionable trade-off for a CMS that’s supposed to be user-friendly.

This kind of issue is exactly why having a knowledgeable WordPress partner is so valuable. Whether it’s us at McNeece Web Design or another qualified WordPress specialist, having someone who can diagnose and fix these peculiar problems saves you countless hours of frustration.

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Wrapping Up: Fix Your WordPress 6.8 Slow Image Uploads Today

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from 15+ years of working with WordPress, it’s that no update is perfect. There’s always some quirk, some oversight, some strange design decision that makes you wonder if anyone actually tested this thing before releasing it.

But that’s also why the WordPress ecosystem is so valuable — when core drops the ball, the community picks it up. The 365i Queue Optimizer is a perfect example of this dynamic in action.

So if your WordPress 6.8 site is currently suffering from slow image uploads:

1. Don’t panic
2. Don’t downgrade
3. Don’t waste time with memory tweaks or disabling plugins
4. Do grab the 365i Queue Optimizer and get back to business

And if you’re facing other WordPress woes, remember we’re just a contact form away. Whether it’s optimizing performance, squashing bugs, or helping with a complete redesign, we’ve got you covered.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got about 300 product images to upload for a client — and thanks to this fix, I might actually get home in time for tea.

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FAQ: WordPress 6.8 Slow Image Upload Issues

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About the Author: Mark McNeece is the founder of McNeece Web Design, specializing in WordPress optimization and maintenance for small businesses across the UK.