Mass Convert Images to AVIF — Subfolders Included!

🔄 How to Convert All Your Images (Even in Subfolders!) to AVIF on Windows Using ImageMagick 🖼️🚀

🧠 Why Convert to AVIF?

If you're building a website or app, optimizing images is key to performance. That’s where AVIF comes in — it offers:

• 🔥 Super high compression (smaller file sizes than WebP or JPG)
• 🖼️ Excellent image quality
• ⚡️ Faster load times for your users

But how do you convert all your .jpg, .png, .webp files — including those buried in subfolders — into .avif in one go?

Let’s do it like pros 💻

🛠️ Step 1: Install ImageMagick

First, download and install ImageMagick, the powerful image conversion tool.

1. Go to imagemagick.org
2. Download the Windows version with legacy utilities and DLL support
3. During installation:
4. ✅ Enable "Add application directory to your system path"
5. ✅ Install WebP and AVIF support if prompted

After it installs, check it's working:

magick -version

If you see AVIF and WEBP in the output — you’re golden 🍀

📁 Step 2: Organize Your Image Folder

Let’s say your images are in this structure:

C:\Users\You\Pictures\my-images
├── image1.jpg
├── subfolder
│   └── image2.png
└── deeper\more
    └── image3.webp

Create an empty output folder:

C:\Users\You\Pictures\converted-avif

💡 Step 3: The Magic Batch Script

Create a .bat file that automates the whole thing — and even recreates your folder structure!

1. Open Notepad and paste this:

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set "INPUT_DIR=C:\Users\You\Pictures\my-images"
set "OUTPUT_DIR=C:\Users\You\Pictures\converted-avif"

set /a count=0
set "LOG_FILE=%OUTPUT_DIR%\conversion-log.txt"
echo Converting images to AVIF > "%LOG_FILE%"
echo Started at: %DATE% %TIME% >> "%LOG_FILE%"
echo. >> "%LOG_FILE%"

for /r "%INPUT_DIR%" %%F in (*.jpg *.jpeg *.png *.webp) do (
    set "FILE=%%~F"
    set "EXT=%%~xF"
    set "NAME=%%~nF"
    set "REL_PATH=%%~dpF"
    set "REL_PATH=!REL_PATH:%INPUT_DIR%=!"

    if not exist "%OUTPUT_DIR%!REL_PATH!" (
        mkdir "%OUTPUT_DIR%!REL_PATH!"
    )

    magick "%%~F" "%OUTPUT_DIR%!REL_PATH!!NAME!.avif"
    echo Converted: %%~F >> "%LOG_FILE%"
    echo Converted: %%~F
    set /a count+=1
)

echo. >> "%LOG_FILE%"
echo Finished at: %DATE% %TIME% >> "%LOG_FILE%"
echo Total images converted: !count! >> "%LOG_FILE%"

echo. 
echo ✅ Done! Total images converted: !count!
echo 📄 Log saved to: %LOG_FILE%
pause

OR

To delete the original image after conversion, but only if the input and output directories are the same, you can add a conditional check inside your loop. Here's how you can adjust your .bat file:

✅ Updated .bat file (with conditional deletion):

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set "INPUT_DIR=C:\Users\User\Desktop\flickstudios.co.in\flick-studios-frontend\public"
set "OUTPUT_DIR=C:\Users\User\Desktop\flickstudios.co.in\flick-studios-frontend\public"

set /a count=0
set "LOG_FILE=%OUTPUT_DIR%\conversion-log.txt"
echo Converting images to AVIF > "%LOG_FILE%"
echo Started at: %DATE% %TIME% >> "%LOG_FILE%"
echo. >> "%LOG_FILE%"

for /r "%INPUT_DIR%" %%F in (*.jpg *.jpeg *.png *.webp) do (
    set "FILE=%%~F"
    set "EXT=%%~xF"
    set "NAME=%%~nF"
    set "REL_PATH=%%~dpF"
    set "REL_PATH=!REL_PATH:%INPUT_DIR%=!"

    if not exist "%OUTPUT_DIR%!REL_PATH!" (
        mkdir "%OUTPUT_DIR%!REL_PATH!"
    )

    magick "%%~F" "%OUTPUT_DIR%!REL_PATH!!NAME!.avif"

    if exist "%OUTPUT_DIR%!REL_PATH!!NAME!.avif" (
        echo Converted: %%~F >> "%LOG_FILE%"
        echo Converted: %%~F
        set /a count+=1

        rem Delete original only if input and output folders are same
        if /i "%INPUT_DIR%"=="%OUTPUT_DIR%" (
            del "%%~F"
            echo Deleted original: %%~F >> "%LOG_FILE%"
        )
    ) else (
        echo ❌ Failed to convert: %%~F >> "%LOG_FILE%"
    )
)

echo. >> "%LOG_FILE%"
echo Finished at: %DATE% %TIME% >> "%LOG_FILE%"
echo Total images converted: !count! >> "%LOG_FILE%"

echo. 
echo ✅ Done! Total images converted: !count!
echo 📄 Log saved to: %LOG_FILE%
pause

🔍 Key additions:

• if /i "%INPUT_DIR%"=="%OUTPUT_DIR%" (: This checks if input and output directories are the same (case-insensitive).
• del "%%~F": Deletes the original image file after successful conversion.
• Logs are updated to reflect deletion status and failures.

2. Save it as:
convert-to-avif.bat

🚀 Step 4: Run It Like a Boss

• ✅ Double-click the .bat file
• ⏳ Watch the console show each image being converted
• 📄 When done, check the log file in your output folder to see:
• Which images were converted
• When it started and ended
• How many total

📂 Bonus: Preserves Folder Structure

Yup, this script doesn’t just dump files in one place — it keeps your original folder layout. So if you had:

my-images\sub1\img1.jpg

You'll get:

converted-avif\sub1\img1.avif

🎛 Optional: Control Compression

Want to reduce file size more? Add the -quality flag like this:

magick "%%~F" -quality 60 "%OUTPUT_DIR%!REL_PATH!!NAME!.avif"

Adjust quality (0 = smallest, 100 = best).

📣 That’s a Wrap!

Now you’ve got lightning-fast .avif images and a fully automated conversion flow — even for deep folder structures. All thanks to the power of ImageMagick and a little batch scripting magic 💫

💬 Got Questions?

Drop them in mail!