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What is Magic Post Thumbnail ?

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Magic Post Thumbnail generates featured images and in-content images for WordPress posts, pages and custom post types. You build a fallback chain of image sources on Source. If the first bank fails, the next one is tried.

Version 7 defaults to Bing Images (no API key). GPT Image replaces DALL·E. Envato and Google HTML scraping were removed. Pro adds dedicated AI banks: Ideogram, Flux 2, Gemini (Nano Banana), Grok and Replicate. You can also use local banks: First image in content and Default image.

Image families #

Banks on Source are tagged Photos, AI or Local.

Photos — search existing photos:

  • Bing Images (default, no API key)
  • Google Image (API)
  • Openverse, Flickr, Pixabay
  • Pro: Youtube, Unsplash, Pexels

AI — generate a new image (provider credits, typically 10–90 seconds):

  • GPT Image (replaces DALL·E)
  • Pro: Stable Diffusion, Replicate, Ideogram, Flux 2, Gemini (Nano Banana), Grok

Local — no remote search:

  • First image in content
  • Default image
Magic Post Thumbnail Source page — Automatic generation chain with Bing Images first

What changed in version 7 #

These updates are part of this article — there is no separate “What’s new” page.

  • Bing Images is the default free photo source. Google HTML scraping is gone (existing settings are migrated). Envato is gone.
  • GPT Image replaces DALL·E. Existing OpenAI keys are migrated.
  • New Pro AI banks: Ideogram, Flux 2, Gemini (Nano Banana), Grok, plus Replicate.
  • New local banks: First image in content and Default image.
  • The Dashboard shows Your configuration (Ready to generate / Needs attention) and Generate a test image.
  • Posts list: an MPT column with Generate or Regenerate.
  • Gutenberg / the MPT Images block is photo search only. AI banks are not searched from the block.
  • Source is the fallback chain for automatic generation (editor button, bulk, cron, imports).
  • Style (and No text on the image) apply to AI banks only. Photo banks ignore them.
  • Brand overlay is Disabled by default.

 

Six ways to generate #

  1. Dashboard — Generate a test image (creates a draft so live posts stay untouched). See Dashboard.
  2. Post editor — click Generate Automatically next to the featured image (Gutenberg or Classic). Optionally click Generate Manually to open photo search.
  3. Posts list — MPT column: Generate if there is no featured image, Regenerate if there is one (a different result).
  4. Bulk — select posts, Bulk actions → Generate Images (MPT).
  5. MPT Images block — search photo banks and insert or set a featured image.
  6. Pro — Cron and imports / compatibility (WP All Import, WPeMatico, FeedWordPress, REST, and others).

Taxonomies also have a Generate featured images row action.

Generate Automatically and Generate Manually

posts list MPT

Three things that are easy to mix up #

  • Source → Automatic generation chain — fallback order for auto / bulk / cron / imports. Drag to set priority.
  • Style (Automatic) — AI banks only. Photo banks (Bing, Pexels…) ignore this.
  • Gutenberg Block / MPT Images — photo search only. Choose those banks on the Gutenberg Block page, not on Source.

Next: Requirements and How to use Magic Post Thumbnail.

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