Compatibility:

WebSite X5 Evo and Pro

While working on your project, you will often need to import a file: it will probably be an image but, considering the most common cases only, it could also be a video, a sound, an animation or a PDF.


As we already mentioned (see What are the Projects and the Project Library), all the file you imported,  are automatically stored in the Project Library: in this way, you don't risk losing them.


On the other hand, the files you imported and which are no longer used on the Project aren't automatically deleted, but they stay in the Library until you actively decide to remove them.


So, to avoid that the Library and consequently the Project size increases too much because of the presence of resources you don't use anymore, you should make sure you optimize your Project. There are two possible solutions:

  1. start the project analysis and use the available tools (only for Pro)
  2. optimize your project upon exporting it ( for both Evo and Pro)


Start the Project Analysis

You first have to analyze your WebSite X5 Project:

  • After you saved your Project at least once, go to Step 5 - Export and click on the Project optimization button.
  • The Project is analyzed and the results are shown directly in the Project optimization window.


As you see, an upper area will display the most important data about the project:

  • Project optimization: the project optimization rate which has been reached.
  •  Project size: the size of the Project file (namely the .iwzip file).
  •  Linked resources: the overall size of all the resources currently used on the Project.
  •  Resources linked to the Backups:  the overall size of all the files which are no longer used on the Project, but which are still linked to the backup copies of the Project itself.
  •  Not linked resources: the overall size of all the resources which are no longer used on the Project.


#tip - Don't forget you can't start the analysis until you save the Project at least once. If you make some changes, you then need to update the analysis results by selecting the "Start" button again. 


Optimize the Project

Now that the analysis is complete, you know the size of your project as well as how much the resources that aren't linked to the Project anymore affect it. 

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#tip - Resources are both the files which are linked and those which aren't linked to the project and its backup copies anymore. For more information, please see our guides about the backup management.


If you want to, you can remove them. Before doing it, you can create a backup copy:

  • In the Project optimization window, click on Resources.
  • Use the drop-down menu to specify which Library resources you want to export: select the Export unconnected resources option.
  • Report the Destination Folder name and path where you would like the resource backup to be exported.
  • Click on Start to create the backup. 
  • Now that you have your backup copy, click again on Resources and then on Delete unconnected resources.
  • Click again on Start so to delete the resources which aren't linked anymore from the Library and, consequently, from the Project itself.


Now your Project file is optimized: it only includes the necessary resources for your website and its size is reduced to the essential.


Project optimization upon exporting the website

Alternatively, you can export the unconnected resources when exporting your Project:

  • Go to Step 5 - Export and click on Export the Project.
  • Report the Destination folder where the generated IWZIP file needs to be saved.
  • Activate the Optimize the project resources option: in this way, not only image files are optimized, but the resources that aren't connected to the project anymore are also removed.