Unable to Use WebP or AVIF Images In Catalyst

[Cliftonz]

Describe the Bug
The BigCommerce Image Manager does not support WebP or AVIF image formats. These modern image formats are widely used for web optimization due to their smaller file sizes and better quality. The lack of support prevents users from leveraging these formats in their projects through the platform.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:
1. Log in to your BigCommerce admin dashboard.
2. Navigate to the Image Manager.
3. Attempt to upload a WebP or AVIF image file.
4. Notice that the file is either not supported or does not upload.

Expected Behavior
Users should be able to upload WebP or AVIF image formats via the Image Manager and use them within their store’s themes and pages.

Screenshots
If applicable, please include screenshots of the error or unsupported file type message displayed when trying to upload WebP or AVIF images.

Workaround Attempt
If BigCommerce does not currently support these formats, please provide guidance or best practices for manually adding WebP or AVIF images to projects and linking them correctly, ensuring they display as expected.

Additional Context
WebP and AVIF are critical for modern web performance optimization. Support for these formats can significantly improve page load times and reduce bandwidth usage. Additionally, it would be helpful to know whether custom development or external integrations can be utilized to add these formats manually. For instance:
• Can we upload these images via FTP or custom assets in the theme?
• Are there configuration options to enable manual linking of these images within templates or scripts?

Thank you for addressing this concern. Supporting modern image formats will make Catalyst and BigCommerce more competitive in delivering optimized e-commerce experiences.