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Auto Featured Image - Settings Reference ​

Auto Featured Image (also known as Auto Post Thumbnail) automatically generates featured images for WordPress posts and custom post types by finding images in post content, generating images from titles, or searching stock-photo libraries. You can find the settings under Auto Featured Image > Settings in the WordPress admin sidebar; the settings page has three tabs: General, Image Settings, and External APIs.

General ​

Generation ​

Generation method ​

Controls how the plugin creates a featured image when one is missing. You choose from a dropdown with these options:

  • Find in post — searches for the first image in the post text and uses it as the featured image.
  • Generate from title — creates a new image with the post title rendered as text on a colored background.
  • Find or generate — looks for an image in the post text first; if none is found, generates one from the title.
  • Find or use default image — looks for an image in the post text first; if none is found, assigns the default image you have configured in Image Settings.

Choose "Find in post" if your posts always contain images and you just want the first one promoted to the featured slot. Switch to "Find or generate" when you want full coverage — every post gets a featured image regardless of whether it contains an inline image.

Add featured image when saving a post ​

A toggle that tells the plugin to run its generation method automatically each time you save or publish a post. When enabled, you never have to set featured images manually for new content. When disabled, the plugin only generates featured images during bulk runs or on a schedule — not when you click Save or Publish. Defaults to enabled.

Generate for post types ​

A set of checkboxes listing every public post type on your site (Posts, Pages, and any custom post types from your theme or other plugins). Check the types you want the plugin to handle when automatically adding featured images on save. This setting only appears when "Add featured image when saving a post" is enabled. In the free version, only Posts and Pages are available; other post types require Pro.

Schedule ​

A toggle that enables automatic background generation of featured images on a recurring WordPress cron schedule. When enabled, the plugin periodically finds posts that are missing a featured image and generates one for each, processing up to 20 posts per run. When disabled, no scheduled runs occur. You would enable this if you have a large backlog of posts without featured images and want the plugin to work through them without manual intervention. This setting requires Pro.

Image generation schedule ​

A dropdown that controls how often the scheduled generation runs. The available intervals are:

  • Once an hour
  • Twice a day
  • Once a day (default)
  • Once a week
  • Once a month

This setting only appears when "Add featured image on a schedule" is enabled. Choose a longer interval if you publish infrequently, or keep it more frequent for sites that import content regularly. This setting requires Pro.

Import ​

Auto upload images ​

A toggle that makes the plugin automatically download external images referenced in your post content and upload them to your WordPress media library. When enabled, images hosted on other domains that appear in your posts are replaced with locally hosted copies. This is useful when you import content from RSS feeds, migrations, or other sources that leave behind remote image URLs — localizing them improves page load speed and protects you if the remote source goes offline. This setting requires Pro.

Import for post types ​

A set of checkboxes listing every public post type on your site. Check the types you want the auto-upload feature to process. This setting only appears when "Auto upload images" is enabled. In the free version the checkboxes are locked; selecting post types requires Pro.

Other ​

Delete settings when removing the plugin ​

A toggle that controls whether the plugin's saved settings and data are erased from the database when you uninstall (delete) the plugin. When enabled, uninstalling the plugin leaves no trace in your database. When disabled, your settings are preserved so they are restored if you reinstall the plugin later. Defaults to disabled.

Image Settings ​

These settings control how images look when the plugin generates them from post titles. A live preview panel beside the settings updates in real time as you make changes.

Background ​

Background type ​

A segmented control with three options: Color, Gradient, and Image. This determines what appears behind the text on generated images. When set to "Color," you pick a single solid color. "Gradient" lets you define a two-color gradient with a direction. "Image" lets you upload a background image from your media library. Defaults to Color. In the free version this is locked to Color; Gradient and Image require Pro.

Background color ​

A color picker for the solid background of generated images. Defaults to a coral red (#ff6262). This setting appears when Background type is set to Color, or in the free version where Color is the only option. Pick a color that complements your site's branding so that generated featured images look intentional rather than generic.

Gradient start color ​

A color picker for the first color in the gradient. Defaults to coral red (#ff6262). This setting only appears when Background type is set to Gradient. This setting requires Pro.

Gradient end color ​

A color picker for the second color in the gradient. Defaults to a medium blue (#6262ff). This setting only appears when Background type is set to Gradient. This setting requires Pro.

Gradient direction ​

A dropdown that sets the angle of the gradient. The options are:

  • Top to Bottom (default)
  • Left to Right
  • Diagonal (down-right)
  • Diagonal (up-left)

This setting only appears when Background type is set to Gradient. This setting requires Pro.

Background image ​

An image uploader that lets you select a picture from your media library to use as the background of every generated image. The post title text is rendered on top of this image. This setting only appears when Background type is set to Image. This setting requires Pro.

Default image ​

An image uploader that lets you select a fallback image from your media library. When the generation method is set to "Find or use default image" and the plugin cannot find an image in the post content, it assigns this image as the featured image instead of generating one from the title. Leave this empty if you do not use the "Find or use default image" generation method.

Output ​

Image format ​

A segmented control with two options: JPEG and PNG. This determines the file format of generated images. JPEG produces smaller files and is the better choice for most sites. Choose PNG if you need transparency support or sharper text edges at the cost of larger file sizes. Defaults to JPEG.

Image size ​

Two number inputs for width and height in pixels. These set the dimensions of every generated image. Defaults to 800 x 600. Match these to your theme's featured-image display size for the best balance of quality and file size — generating images much larger than your theme displays wastes storage without improving appearance.

Typography ​

Font source ​

A segmented control with two options: Font files and Google Fonts. "Font files" uses fonts bundled with the plugin (stored locally on your server). "Google Fonts" lets you search and select from the full Google Fonts library; the chosen font is downloaded and cached locally. Defaults to Font files. In the free version this is locked to Font files; Google Fonts requires Pro.

Font name ​

A dropdown listing all font files available in the plugin's fonts directory. Select the typeface you want for the title text on generated images. Defaults to Arial. This setting appears when Font source is set to "Font files" (or in the free version where that is the only option). You can add custom .ttf font files to the plugin's fonts folder to expand this list.

Google Font ​

A searchable font picker that lets you browse and select any typeface from Google Fonts. The selected font is downloaded to your server so no external requests are made when generating images. This setting only appears when Font source is set to "Google Fonts." This setting requires Pro.

Font weight ​

A dropdown listing available weight variants (Regular, Bold, Light, etc.) for the currently selected Google Font. The options update dynamically when you change the Google Font selection. This setting only appears when Font source is set to "Google Fonts." This setting requires Pro.

Font size ​

A number input that sets the text size in points. Defaults to 25. Minimum value is 5. Increase this for short titles that should dominate the image; decrease it when your posts tend to have longer titles that need to fit without being cropped.

Font color ​

A color picker for the title text. Defaults to white (#ffffff). Choose a color with strong contrast against your background color or image so the title remains readable.

Text style ​

Text shadow ​

A toggle that adds a shadow behind the title text on generated images. Useful when your background color or image is close in value to the font color — the shadow creates separation and keeps the text legible. Defaults to disabled.

Shadow color ​

A color picker for the text shadow. Defaults to white (#ffffff). This setting only appears when Text shadow is enabled. For dark text on a light background, use a lighter shadow; for light text on a dark background, choose a dark shadow color such as black or dark gray.

Text transform ​

A segmented control with three options: None, Uppercase, and Lowercase. Applies a case transformation to the title text before rendering it on the image. "None" keeps the title as-is, "Uppercase" converts all letters to capitals, and "Lowercase" converts all letters to lowercase. Defaults to None. Use Uppercase for a bold, headline-style look on generated images.

Text length ​

A number input that sets the maximum number of characters rendered on the image. If the post title exceeds this limit, it is truncated at the nearest word boundary. Defaults to 50. Set this to 0 to disable truncation entirely. Increase the value if your titles are typically longer and you want the full text to appear; decrease it if you want a cleaner, shorter label on the image.

Line spacing ​

A number input that controls the vertical distance between lines of wrapped text, expressed as a multiplier. Defaults to 1.5. The minimum is 0 and the maximum is 3, adjustable in increments of 0.1. Increase this value if lines of text appear too close together, especially at larger font sizes.

Layout ​

Horizontal text alignment ​

A segmented control with three options: Left, Center, and Right. Controls where the title text is positioned horizontally on the generated image. Defaults to Center. In the free version this is locked to Center. This setting requires Pro.

Vertical text alignment ​

A segmented control with three options: Top, Center, and Bottom. Controls where the title text is positioned vertically on the generated image. Defaults to Center. In the free version this is locked to Center. This setting requires Pro.

Vertical padding ​

A number input in pixels that sets the space between the title text and the top and bottom edges of the image. Defaults to 15. Increasing this value pushes the text further from the vertical edges, which is especially noticeable when vertical alignment is set to Top or Bottom. In the free version this is locked to 15. This setting requires Pro.

Horizontal padding ​

A number input in pixels that sets the space between the title text and the left and right edges of the image. Defaults to 15. Increasing this value prevents long titles from running too close to the side edges. In the free version this is locked to 15. This setting requires Pro.

Additional text ​

String before text ​

A text input for a string that is prepended to the post title on the generated image. For example, you could enter your site name so every generated image is branded. Use [br] to insert a line break between this string and the title. Defaults to empty. This setting requires Pro.

String after text ​

A text input for a string that is appended after the post title on the generated image. You might use this for a tagline or call to action. Use [br] to insert a line break between the title and this string. Defaults to empty. This setting requires Pro.

External APIs ​

External Images ​

Pixabay API Key ​

Your personal Pixabay API key, obtained after registering a free account at pixabay.com. When you enter a key and save, the plugin validates it in real time against the Pixabay API. Once a valid key is saved, the Pixabay tab becomes available in the featured-image selection popup on every post, letting you search and download royalty-free photos, illustrations, and vectors directly into your media library. If the key is missing or invalid, the Pixabay tab shows a message directing you back to this settings page. This setting requires Pro.

Unsplash API Access Key ​

The "Access Key" from an Unsplash developer application, which you create at unsplash.com/developers. Like the Pixabay key, it is validated on save. A valid key unlocks the Unsplash tab in the featured-image popup, where you can search the Unsplash library and download high-resolution photos. Downloaded images are attributed to the original photographer automatically. If the key is absent, the Unsplash tab displays a prompt to configure it here. This setting requires Pro.

IBM Watson API key ​

The API key for the IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding service. You obtain it from the IBM Cloud console when you provision an NLU resource. This key, together with the endpoint below, powers the Recommendations tab in the featured-image popup: the plugin sends your post's text to Watson, which returns topic categories that are then used to find relevant images across your configured sources (Google, Pixabay, Unsplash). If either this key or the endpoint is missing, the Recommendations tab shows a message asking you to configure both values. This setting is added by the premium add-on plugin and only appears when it is installed and active. This setting requires Pro.

IBM Watson API endpoint ​

The service URL for your IBM Watson NLU instance (for example, https://api.us-south.natural-language-understanding.watson.cloud.ibm.com). The exact URL depends on the IBM Cloud region you chose when creating the resource. You can find it on the same IBM Cloud credentials page where you obtained the API key. Both this field and the API key above must be filled in for the Recommendations feature to work. This setting is added by the premium add-on plugin and only appears when it is installed and active. This setting requires Pro.

Bulk Generation Filters ​

These filter controls appear on the Auto Featured Image > Generate Images page only when the premium add-on is active and licensed. They sit above the generation controls and let you narrow which posts are processed during a bulk run.

Post status ​

A dropdown that lists every registered post status on your site (Published, Draft, Pending, etc.) plus an "All" option. When you select a specific status, the bulk generator only processes posts in that status. Leave it on "All" to include every status. This is useful when you want to generate featured images only for published posts without touching drafts. This setting requires Pro.

Post type ​

A dropdown listing every public post type on your site (Posts, Pages, and any custom post types registered by your theme or other plugins). The attachment type is excluded. Choose a type to restrict bulk generation to that content type alone — for example, select "Products" if you only want to fill in missing featured images for a WooCommerce catalog. This setting requires Pro.

Post category ​

A dropdown of all categories defined under Posts > Categories, with post counts shown in parentheses, plus an "All" default. Selecting a specific category limits the bulk run to posts assigned to that category. This filter applies to the built-in "category" taxonomy only; it does not filter custom taxonomies or non-post post types. This setting requires Pro.

Date from / to ​

Two date-picker fields that define a date range. When filled in, the bulk generator only processes posts whose publish date falls within the range. You can set just one boundary (for example, only "Date from") to create an open-ended range. Dates are entered in dd.mm.yyyy format. Use these fields when you want to backfill featured images for a specific time period — for instance, all posts from the previous quarter. This setting requires Pro.

When editing a post, clicking the featured-image area opens a popup provided by Auto Featured Image. The premium add-on adds three extra source tabs to this popup: Pixabay, Unsplash, and Recommendations. Each tab only appears if its corresponding API key has been saved in the External APIs settings above.

Pixabay ​

This tab only appears when a valid Pixabay API key is configured. Requires Pro.

A search interface for the Pixabay image library. You type a keyword and the plugin returns a paginated grid of results. You can refine results with two filters:

  • Image type — a dropdown with the options All, Photo, Illustration, and Vector. Defaults to All.
  • Horizontal / Vertical — two checkboxes that filter by image orientation. Check one to restrict results to that orientation, check both or neither to see all orientations.

Each result shows a preview thumbnail with a download button. Clicking the download button uploads the full-size image to your WordPress media library, sets the photographer's name as the image caption with a link back to their Pixabay profile, and makes it available as the post's featured image.

Unsplash ​

This tab only appears when a valid Unsplash Access Key is configured. Requires Pro.

A search interface for the Unsplash photo library. It works the same way as the Pixabay tab but with a single orientation filter:

  • Orientation — a dropdown with the options All, Horizontal, Vertical, and Square. Defaults to All.

Downloaded images are automatically attributed to the photographer with a link to their Unsplash profile, in compliance with the Unsplash license.

Recommendations ​

This tab only appears when both the IBM Watson API key and endpoint are configured. It also requires at least one image-search API key (Google, Pixabay, or Unsplash) to display results. Requires Pro.

Instead of asking you to type a search term, this tab analyzes the current post's content using IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding. Watson returns topic categories ranked by confidence, and the plugin automatically searches all of your configured image sources (Google, Pixabay, Unsplash) using the top-ranked category as the query. Results are displayed in separate sections by source, limited to five images each.

This is most useful for long-form content where you want the featured image to reflect the article's main topic without manually choosing a search term. Watson requires the post body to be at least 550 characters long to produce reliable categories. Once categories have been fetched for a post, they are cached so the tab loads instantly on repeat visits. The cached categories can be refreshed by clicking the update button in the tab.