Title here
Summary here
Auto Set Featured Image
Automatically set the first image from your post content as the featured image. When you publish a post that has images but no featured image selected, the module grabs the first image and sets it for you.
Use Cases
- Speed up publishing workflow by skipping the manual featured image step
- Ensure every post has a featured image for consistent archive pages
- Help team members who forget to set featured images
- Retroactively fix posts missing featured images
How It Works
- You create or update a post with images in the content
- When saving, if no featured image is set, the module checks for images
- It finds the first image uploaded to your media library in the post
- That image is automatically set as the featured image
- If you already set a featured image, it’s not overridden
Where to Find It
Location: Configure post types in module settings. The module works automatically when saving posts.
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Select Post Types | Posts, Pages | Choose which post types trigger auto-featured image |
Bulk Apply to Existing Content
The module includes a tool to retroactively add featured images to existing posts:
- Click Scan for Posts Without Featured Images
- Review how many posts are missing featured images
- See how many have usable images in their content
- Click Apply Featured Images to process them
The tool shows progress as it processes each post and reports success/failure counts when complete.
Important Notes
Only Media Library Images
The module only uses images that are:
- Uploaded to your WordPress media library
- Actually attached to WordPress (not external URLs)
External images (like https://external-site.com/image.jpg) won’t be used because they’re not in your media library.
Won’t Override Existing
If you’ve already set a featured image manually, this module respects your choice and won’t replace it. It only acts when the featured image is empty.
Works on Save
The featured image is set when you save, update, or publish the post. If you add images later and save again, the first image will be used (if still no featured image is set).
Practical Examples
Blog Post Workflow
Before this module:
- Write post
- Add images to content
- Remember to set featured image
- Click “Set Featured Image”
- Select an image
- Publish
With this module:
- Write post
- Add images to content
- Publish (featured image is set automatically!)
Team Content Creation
If you have multiple authors who sometimes forget featured images:
- Enable this module site-wide
- Every post will have a featured image
- Archive pages and social shares look consistent
- No more “missing image” gaps in blog grids
FAQ
What if I don’t want a featured image on a specific post?
After publishing, simply remove the featured image from the post. The module only sets it during save if one isn’t already assigned — it won’t re-add a removed featured image on subsequent saves.Does this work with external images?
No, only images uploaded to your WordPress media library work. External images (hotlinked from other sites) cannot be set as featured images in WordPress.Will this slow down publishing?
No, the check is very fast. It only runs when saving a post and quickly scans for the first attached image.Does it work with Gutenberg blocks?
Yes! It works with any image in your content, whether added via the Image block, Gallery block, or any other method.Can I choose which image becomes the featured image?
The module always uses the first image. If you want a specific image, either put it first in your content, or manually set the featured image (which will be respected).Place your preferred featured image first in the post content. The module will automatically use it, and it also serves as a strong visual intro for readers.
This module is a time-saver, not a replacement for intentional design. For important posts, manually selecting the perfect featured image is still recommended.
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