Category Featured Images Extended

Category Featured Images Extended (CFIX) can ensure that posts, category archive pages, widgets and other elements of your site will always display a thumbnail or featured image* when called upon to do so by themes, templates, and plugins. If a featured image has been individually set for a post, it will be used. If a featured/thumbnail image has not been set for a post, CFIX will first try to supply an image from one of the post's categories or tags. It will use a Yoast SEO "Primary" Category's image if available. If no category or tag image is found, the plugin will look for a parent category with an image. Finally, if no linked or related post, category, tag, or parent category image is found, a particular fallback tag or category image can be used if set as "global fallback." This plugin was initially based on "Category Featured Images" (CFI) by Mattia Roccoberton. If you already have been using CFI, when you install this extended version, your already saved category image settings will be preserved and copied. In CFI

• If a post does not have its own featured image, a category featured image will be used if available.
• If a post has more than one category with a featured image, the first available category image will be used.
• If none of the post's categories has a featured image, a parent category's featured image will be used if available.

In CFIX

• (New since 1.2) You can also set tag images.
• You can designate categories or tags whose images will be avoided: This feature may be helpful when numerous posts use the same general category, and you wish to force the use of a more specific image.
• You can also designate a category or tag whose image will be used as a last fallback when no regular featured image, category image, or parent category image is available. This feature may be helpful especially if your installation features many top-level categories, and you either do not wish to find images for each and every one, or you just haven't done so yet. (One way to combine this feature and the previous one would be to designate the same category for both avoidance and last resort: The plug-in would always look for a more specific, not-to-be-avoided category, but fall back to the more general category otherwise.)
• When a post has multiple category or tag images available, either the most recently added category or tag will be used. (This behavior is modifiable via hook or filter). A Yoast SEO Primary Category's image will be used if available.

NOTE: IF UPGRADING FROM CATEGORY FEATURED IMAGES, DE-ACTIVATE IT TO AVOID CONFLICTS As a further precaution, do not uninstall CFI completely until you are sure that CFIX is working as expected for you. * The terms "thumbnail" and "featured" are used somewhat interchangeably in WordPress, even though many featured/thumbnail images will be displayed at much larger than thumbnail size.

1.52

• Include 'wp-admin/includes/plugin.php' so that function tag does not produce error - thanks to Emiliano Costanzo!

1.51

• Fixed parameter transposition error in category-featured-images-extended.php affecting excluded categories vs. Yoast Primary Category
• Fixed offset non-definition throwing PHP Notice

1.5

• Option to use Yoast SEO Primary category for image if available. Streamlined.

1.4

• Special transitional version (use Yoast SEO if present)

1.34

• Avoid PHP Warnings for illegal offset when no global fallback category has been set - now tests whether value has been set.

1.33

• Corrected syntax to avoid "function return value in write context" errors in deprecated (pre-5.5) versions of PHP.

1.32

• Added variable definition to prevent pesky undefined warning on activation in some installations; fixed js script localization

1.31

• Removed problematic "thumbnail false positive" detection for restoration as future option.

1.3

• Tags options
• Performance-related enhancements

1.2.1

• Sort order correction.

1.2

• Fixes serious bug created in 1.1 - so somewhat critical upgrade if already upgraded to 1.1

1.1

• Exclusion/Parent Category fallback corrections; avoid "has thumbnail" false positives.

1.0.1

• Maintenance: Typos, Uninstall Error, Admin Footer

1.0

• First Version in WordPress Repo