REQUIRE FEATURED IMAGE
Prevents publishing posts without a featured image. Simple toggle, no settings page needed.
WHAT IT DOES
Require Featured Image stops posts from being published, scheduled, or updated without a featured image. When an image is missing, it checks for a configured default in this order: a category-specific image, a parent category's rule (walking up the hierarchy automatically), or a global fallback. If a match is found the image is assigned and the publish flow continues; if nothing is configured, the publish is blocked. Drafts can always be saved.
It is a good fit for editorial teams, news sites, and content-heavy blogs where missing thumbnails break the visual layout. Most plugins that enforce a featured image only block the publish. This one also auto-assigns a sensible default when one exists, so editors are not stopped on posts that have a perfectly acceptable fallback image.
Features
- Native Gutenberg pre-publish check with a visual status indicator in the post sidebar
- Blocks publishing and scheduling without a featured image; drafts can still be saved freely
- Published posts cannot be updated with the featured image removed
- Category-specific default images, each set through the media library picker
- Parent-category inheritance: subcategories pick up a parent's rule automatically
- Global fallback image as a catch-all when no category rule matches
- Drag-and-drop priority ordering to control which category rule applies first
- Server-side validation so the requirement cannot be bypassed through the REST API
- Applies to all user roles and supports scheduled posts
- Developer filters to extend the requirement to custom post types or change which post statuses enforce it
- Works out of the box with no configuration required for standard posts
Requirements
WordPress 7.0 or newer, PHP 8.3 or newer. No other plugins required. Built for the block editor; server-side validation also covers the Classic Editor.
Description
Require Featured Image stops posts from being published, scheduled, or updated without a featured image. When an image is missing, it checks for a configured default in this order: a category-specific image, a parent category’s rule (walking up the hierarchy automatically), or a global fallback. If a match is found the image is assigned and the publish flow continues; if nothing is configured, the publish is blocked. Drafts can always be saved.
It is a good fit for editorial teams, news sites, and content-heavy blogs where missing thumbnails break the visual layout. Most plugins that enforce a featured image only block the publish. This one also auto-assigns a sensible default when one exists, so editors are not stopped on posts that have a perfectly acceptable fallback image.
Features
- Native Gutenberg pre-publish check with a visual status indicator in the post sidebar
- Blocks publishing and scheduling without a featured image; drafts can still be saved freely
- Published posts cannot be updated with the featured image removed
- Category-specific default images, each set through the media library picker
- Parent-category inheritance: subcategories pick up a parent’s rule automatically
- Global fallback image as a catch-all when no category rule matches
- Drag-and-drop priority ordering to control which category rule applies first
- Server-side validation so the requirement cannot be bypassed through the REST API
- Applies to all user roles and supports scheduled posts
- Developer filters to extend the requirement to custom post types or change which post statuses enforce it
- Works out of the box with no configuration required for standard posts
Requirements
WordPress 7.0 or newer, PHP 8.3 or newer. No other plugins required. Built for the block editor; server-side validation also covers the Classic Editor.
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