You downloaded an image from Google, but it saved as .webp and Photoshop won't open it. This is one of the most common frustrations designers face daily. The good news: Photoshop does support WebP — depending on your version. Here's exactly what to do for every version.
| Photoshop Version | WebP Support | What You Need |
|---|---|---|
| CC 2024/2025 (v25+) | ✅ Full native | Nothing — just File → Open |
| CC 2022-2023 (v23.2-24.x) | ✅ Native | Nothing — just File → Open |
| CC 2019-2021 (v20-22.x) | ⚠️ Partial | Plugin recommended |
| CS6 and older | ❌ None | Plugin or convert first |
If you're on Photoshop CC 2022 (version 23.2, released February 2022) or later, WebP support is built in:
You can also File → Save As → WebP to export. Photoshop supports both lossy and lossless WebP encoding, plus alpha channel transparency.
For older Photoshop versions, the official Google WebP plugin adds full read/write support:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop\Plug-ins\/Applications/Adobe Photoshop/Plug-ins/WebPShop supports 8-bit RGB and RGBA images. It handles both lossy and lossless WebP, plus animated WebP (opens as a video layer).
If you don't want to install plugins or your Photoshop is too old, the simplest approach is to convert WebP to a universal format first:
This works with literally any Photoshop version, from CS2 to CC 2025. No plugins, no upgrades, no compatibility headaches.
Adobe was slow to adopt WebP. For years, the official stance was that WebP was "a web format" and Photoshop was "for professional imaging." The reality: Google's format gained 97% browser support while Adobe stuck with JPEG and PNG. It wasn't until 2022 — 12 years after WebP launched — that Photoshop added native support.
Even today, WebP support in Adobe's other apps is inconsistent. Illustrator CC 2023+ supports WebP export. After Effects and Premiere Pro do not. Lightroom has no WebP support at all.
When working with WebP images in Photoshop: