Description
Instant AI Image Generator is the most powerful and complete image management plugin for WordPress. Stop wasting time searching for images across multiple websites, downloading them to your computer, and re-uploading to WordPress. With Instant AI Image Generator, you can search, preview, and import millions of free images directly into your WordPress Media Library — all without ever leaving your dashboard.
🔍 Search across 6+ image sources including Pixabay, Pexels, Wikimedia, Unsplash, Openverse, and Giphy — all from a single, unified search bar. Or use the AI-powered image generation with OpenAI GPT Image and Google Gemini Imagen to create completely unique images from text descriptions.
USEFUL LINKS 👇
🚀 Why Instant AI Image Generator?
Finding the right image for your blog post, page, or product shouldn’t be a chore. Traditional workflows require you to open a new tab, search a stock photo website, download the image, switch back to WordPress, upload it, and then insert it. That’s 6 steps for a single image.
With Instant AI Image Generator, it’s just 2 steps: Search Import. Done.
Whether you’re a blogger crafting your next viral post, an agency building client websites, a WooCommerce store owner adding product images, or a content creator who needs fresh visuals daily — this plugin transforms your workflow and saves you hours every week.
Instant AI Image Generator integrates seamlessly into both the WordPress Media Library page and the WordPress Media Modal (the popup that appears when you click “Add Media” or set a Featured Image). This means you can access millions of images from anywhere in WordPress — while editing a post, creating a page, or managing your media.
✨ Key Features
🔍 Global Search — One Search, All Sources
Search across all enabled image providers simultaneously with the Global Search tab. Type your keyword once, and instantly see results from Pixabay, Pexels, Unsplash, Openverse, and Giphy combined in a beautiful masonry grid. No more switching between tabs — find the perfect image faster than ever.
📸 5+ Free Image Sources
Access millions of royalty-free, high-quality images from the world’s best stock photo libraries:
- 🟣 Pexels — Beautiful free stock photos curated by talented creators
- 🟢 Pixabay — Over 4.2 million free stock photos, illustrations, and vectors
- ⬛ Unsplash — The internet’s source for freely-usable high-resolution photos
- 🟠 Openverse — Open-licensed images from WordPress, Flickr, NASA, Wikimedia, and 10+ more sources
- 🎬 Giphy — The world’s largest library of animated GIFs with smart animation control
🤖 AI Image Generation
Create completely unique, one-of-a-kind images using artificial intelligence:
- OpenAI GPT Image — Generate stunning AI images from text prompts using OpenAI’s latest image generation model
- Google Gemini Imagen 4.0 — Create photorealistic images with Google’s Imagen 4.0 model with customizable size (512px to 2048px) and batch generation (1-4 images)
⬇️ One-Click Import to Media Library
Import any image straight to your WordPress Media Library with a single click — no downloading, no re-uploading, no FTP.
🖼️ WordPress Media Modal Integration
An “Instant Images” tab appears in the WordPress media popup, right beside “Upload Files” and “Media Library”, so you can search and import while setting a Featured Image or adding media to a post.
🏷️ Smart Image Metadata
On import the plugin can set Alternative Text, Image Title, and a Caption with attribution (“Photo by [Author Name]”). Each field has its own toggle in General Settings.
🎛️ Advanced Filtering
Provider-specific filters: Pixabay (order, type, 20+ categories, 14 colors, orientation), Openverse (source, orientation), Unsplash (order), Pexels (curated collections), Wikimedia (media type, sort) and Giphy (trending).
🎬 GIF Animation Control
Giphy GIFs load as still thumbnails to save bandwidth and animate on hover. A “GIF” badge marks animated results; the preview modal always plays them full size.
📋 Batch Selection & Import
Select multiple images across any provider and import them all in one operation with a progress indicator.
❤️ Favorites & 🔍 Search History
Bookmark images to a dedicated Favorites tab, and re-run recent searches from keyboard-navigable suggestions in the search bar.
👁️ Full-Size Image Preview
Click any image for a large preview with author info, previous/next keyboard navigation, multiple import sizes, a Favorites button and a link to the original source.
⚙️ Comprehensive Dashboard Settings
- General — max upload width/height, default provider, Alt Text / Title / Attribution toggles, Media Modal visibility
- Display — view mode, items per page (20-100), thumbnail size, auto-scroll or manual “Load More”
- Image Sources — enable/disable each provider, drag-and-drop ordering that carries over to the Image Generator tabs, Global Search toggle
- Custom Image Sizes — review every registered WordPress size and add or delete your own (WordPress defaults are protected)
- Export & Import — back up or migrate your configuration as a JSON file
🎨 Modern UI, Lightweight Footprint
Built with React and Tailwind CSS: card-based layouts, color-coded provider tabs, masonry grids and skeleton loading states. API requests are nonce-protected, keys are stored in WordPress options, there is no tracking or analytics, and assets load only on the admin screens that need them — zero frontend code on your public site.
🏆 Perfect For
- 📝 Bloggers — Find the perfect header image in seconds
- 🏢 Agencies — Build client websites faster with instant image access
- 🛒 WooCommerce Stores — Add product images without leaving WordPress
- 📰 News & Magazine Sites — Source images for articles quickly
- 🎨 Designers — AI-generate unique visuals from text descriptions
- 📱 Social Media Managers — Find trending GIFs and images instantly
- 👨💻 Developers — Add placeholder images during development
External services
This plugin is a client for third-party image services. It does not work without them: every image you search, generate or import is fetched from one of the services listed below. All of this happens inside wp-admin only — nothing is requested from your public-facing site, and no visitor data is collected or transmitted.
Requests are made only when you actively use a feature: typing a search term, opening a provider tab, running Global Search, generating an AI image, using the block toolbar “Generate Image” action, importing an image, or clicking “Test key” in the settings. Each request carries the search term or prompt you typed and the API key for that provider. No WordPress user data, post content, site URL, or personal information is sent.
Most providers are contacted by your own server through the WordPress HTTP API, so the provider sees your server’s IP address. Two are contacted directly by your browser instead, so the provider sees the IP address of the computer you are working on: Openverse search, and OpenAI image generation from the Image Generator page. Preview thumbnails are also loaded straight into your browser from each provider’s image CDN, as with any image on a web page.
Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash and Giphy ship with a shared BdThemes API key so they work without configuration. That means the plugin can contact those four services before you enter any key of your own. Disable a provider in AI Image Dashboard Image Sources to stop the plugin from contacting it.
Pixabay
Used to search and import Pixabay stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Your search term, filter values (order, type, category, color, orientation), page number and the Pixabay API key are sent to https://pixabay.com/api/ each time you search the Pixabay tab or Global Search.
Terms of Service: https://pixabay.com/service/terms/ | Privacy Policy: https://pixabay.com/service/privacy/
Pexels
Used to search and import Pexels stock photos. Your search term, page number and the Pexels API key are sent to https://api.pexels.com/ each time you search the Pexels tab, Global Search, or use the block toolbar image action.
Terms of Service: https://www.pexels.com/terms-of-service/ | Privacy Policy: https://www.pexels.com/privacy-policy/
Unsplash
Used to search and import Unsplash photos. Your search term, page number and the Unsplash Access Key are sent to https://api.unsplash.com/ when you search the Unsplash tab or Global Search, and when you validate an Unsplash key in the dashboard.
Terms of Service: https://unsplash.com/terms | Privacy Policy: https://unsplash.com/privacy
Openverse (WordPress.org)
Used to search and import openly licensed images. Your search term, source/orientation filters and page number are sent to https://api.openverse.org/v1/ directly from your browser when you search the Openverse tab or Global Search, and to https://api.openverse.engineering/ from your server when you use the block toolbar “Generate Image” action. No API key is required.
Terms of Service: https://docs.openverse.org/terms_of_service.html | Privacy Policy: https://openverse.org/privacy
Wikimedia Commons
Used to search and import freely licensed media from Wikimedia Commons. Your search term, media type/sort filters and page number are sent to https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php when you search the Wikimedia tab or Global Search. No API key is required.
Terms of Use: https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Terms_of_Use | Privacy Policy: https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Privacy_policy
GIPHY
Used to search, browse trending, and import animated GIFs. Your search term, page number and the GIPHY API key are sent to https://api.giphy.com/ when you search or open the Giphy tab, use Global Search, and when you validate a GIPHY key in the dashboard.
Terms of Service: https://support.giphy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360020027752-GIPHY-User-Terms-of-Service | Privacy Policy: https://support.giphy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032872931-GIPHY-Privacy-Policy
OpenAI (GPT Image)
Used to generate AI images from text. The text prompt you type, the requested image size/quality and your own OpenAI API key are sent to https://api.openai.com/v1/images/generations when you press Generate on the OpenAI tab (sent directly from your browser) or use the block toolbar “Generate Image” action with OpenAI (sent from your server). Your API key is also sent to https://api.openai.com/v1/models when you click “Test key”. This service requires your own API key and is used only after you add one.
Terms of Use: https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ | Privacy Policy: https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy/
Google Gemini (Imagen)
Used to generate AI images from text. The text prompt you type, the image size and image count, and your own Google Gemini API key are sent to https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/imagen-4.0-generate-001:predict when you press Generate on the Gemini tab or use the block toolbar “Generate Image” action with Gemini. Your API key is also sent to https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models when you click “Test key”. This service requires your own API key and is used only after you add one.
Terms of Service: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/terms | Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
That is the complete list. Fallback author avatars, shown when a provider returns a photographer without a profile picture, are drawn in your browser as a local SVG — no avatar service is contacted.
Source code
The plugin ships with a compiled React/Tailwind bundle in build/. The complete, uncompressed human-readable source for that bundle is included in this plugin under the src/ directory, along with the build configuration (package.json, gruntfile.js, tailwind.config.js, postcss.config.js).
The bundle is built with @wordpress/scripts (webpack + Babel), Tailwind CSS and Grunt. To rebuild it from source:
- Install Node.js 16 or later and npm.
- From the plugin directory, install dependencies:
npm install -
Produce the production bundle:
npm run buildnpm run build compiles
src/admin/index.jsand the Tailwind stylesheets intobuild/admin/index.jsandbuild/admin/index.css, copies static assets intoassets/, and regenerates the translation template. Usenpm startfor an unminified development build with file watching.
No other third-party library in this plugin is minified or obfuscated.
Checkout our other Plugins 👑
More free Elementor and Gutenberg addons from BdThemes: Element Pack (300+ Elementor widgets), Prime Slider (slider builder), Ultimate Post Kit (blogging layouts), Ultimate Store Kit (WooCommerce and EDD), Pixel Gallery (gallery widgets), ZoloBlocks (Gutenberg blocks), Augmented Reality Viewer, Dark Reader, Live Copy Paste, One Accessibility, QR Code Generator & Scanner, Smart Admin Assistant, Spin Wheel and Swift Checkout for WooCommerce.
Visit BdThemes for our services, products, blogs and documentation.
Screenshots














Installation
Installing Instant AI Image Generator is quick and easy:
From WordPress Dashboard
- Navigate to Plugins Add New
- Search for “Instant AI Image Generator”
- Click Install Now and then Activate
- Go to AI Image Dashboard to configure your settings
- Navigate to Media Image Generator to start finding images!
Manual Installation
- Download the plugin ZIP file
- Upload the
ai-imagefolder to/wp-content/plugins/ - Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress
- Configure your API keys in AI Image Dashboard Image Sources
API Key Setup (Optional)
- Unsplash — Get your free Access Key from Unsplash Developers
- Giphy — Get your free API Key from GIPHY Developers
- OpenAI — Get your API Key from OpenAI Platform
- Gemini — Get your free API Key from Google AI Studio
- Pexels — Get your free API Key from Pexels API
- Pixabay — Get your free API Key from Pixabay API
- Wikimedia Commons, Openverse — No API key required! Works out of the box.
FAQ
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1. Do I need API keys to use this plugin?
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Not for all sources! Wikimedia Commons and Openverse need no key at all. Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash and Giphy ship with a shared BdThemes key, so they work out of the box — you can replace it with your own key at any time in AI Image Dashboard Image Sources. Only the AI generators, OpenAI (GPT Image) and Google Gemini, require you to add your own API key. All API keys are free to obtain from their respective developer portals.
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2. Are the images free to use? Can I use them commercially?
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Yes! All images from Pixabay and Pexels are released under their respective free licenses that allow commercial use without attribution (though attribution is appreciated). Unsplash images are free for commercial and non-commercial use. Openverse images carry Creative Commons licenses — check individual image licenses before commercial use. Giphy GIFs are subject to Giphy’s terms of service. AI-generated images (OpenAI/Gemini) are subject to the respective AI provider’s usage policies.
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3. How does the WordPress Media Modal integration work?
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When the plugin is active and the “Media Modal” setting is enabled (it’s ON by default), an “Instant Images” tab automatically appears in the WordPress media selector popup. This is the same popup that appears when you click “Add Media” in the classic editor, “Set Featured Image,” or use any media selection button. You can search and import images directly from this popup without leaving the page you’re editing.
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4. What happens when I import an image?
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When you click “Import,” the plugin downloads the image from the source and uploads it directly to your WordPress Media Library. The image is saved in your
/wp-uploads/folder just like any manually uploaded image. Depending on your settings, the plugin can automatically set the Alternative Text (for SEO), Title, and Caption (with author attribution like “Photo by John Doe”). The filename is generated from the image title for clean, SEO-friendly URLs. -
5. Can I control what metadata is added to imported images?
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Absolutely! In AI Image Dashboard General Settings, you’ll find three toggle switches under “Image Metadata on Import”:
- Alternative Text — When ON, automatically sets the image’s source title as the WordPress Alt Text (great for SEO and accessibility)
- Image Title — When ON, sets the source title as the WordPress attachment title
- Image Attribution — When ON, adds “Photo by [Author Name]” as the image caption
Each toggle works independently, so you can enable or disable any combination you prefer.
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6. How does Global Search work?
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Global Search is a powerful feature that searches all your enabled image providers simultaneously. When you type a keyword in the Global Search tab, the plugin sends requests to Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash, Openverse, and Giphy at the same time and combines the results into a single masonry grid. Each image shows a provider badge so you know where it came from. If you disable a provider in your Dashboard settings, it’s automatically excluded from Global Search results.
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7. How do I generate AI images with OpenAI or Gemini?
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First, add your API key in AI Image Dashboard Image Sources (for OpenAI or Gemini). Then navigate to the Image Generator page and click the OpenAI or Gemini tab. Enter a descriptive text prompt (e.g., “A serene mountain lake at sunset with reflections”) and click Generate. For Gemini, you can also choose the image size (512px, 1024px, or 2048px) and number of images (1-4). Generated images can be imported to your Media Library with one click, just like stock photos.
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8. Can I reorder the image source tabs?
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Yes! Go to AI Image Dashboard Image Sources. You’ll see all your providers listed as cards with drag handles. Simply drag and drop the cards to rearrange them, or use the up/down arrow buttons for precise positioning. The order you set here is reflected in the Image Generator page tabs. You can also enable or disable the Global Search tab separately with its own toggle at the top of the section. Click “Save Settings” to persist your changes.
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9. What is the GIF animation control feature?
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To improve page performance and reduce visual clutter, Giphy GIFs are displayed as still thumbnails by default. When you hover your mouse over a GIF, it comes alive and starts animating. A small “GIF” badge with a play icon appears on each GIF card so you can easily identify animated content. In the full-size preview modal, GIFs always play at their full animation. This feature helps keep the gallery fast and responsive even when browsing hundreds of GIFs.
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10. Does the plugin slow down my website?
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No. The plugin only loads its assets (JavaScript and CSS) on admin pages where they’re needed — the Dashboard settings page, the Image Generator page, and admin pages where the WordPress Media Modal is available. It adds zero frontend code to your public-facing website. Your visitors will never notice the plugin is installed. The React-based interface is optimized for performance with lazy loading, debounced search, and efficient image rendering.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“Instant AI Image Generator – Create & Import Images” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors“Instant AI Image Generator – Create & Import Images” has been translated into 2 locales. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate “Instant AI Image Generator – Create & Import Images” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
2.2.0 [16th August 2026]
- Added: External services section in the readme documenting every third-party service the plugin contacts, what data is sent and when, with links to each service’s terms and privacy policy — covers Pixabay, Pexels, Unsplash, Openverse, Wikimedia Commons, GIPHY, OpenAI, Google Gemini and UI Avatars, and states which calls come from the server and which from the browser
- Added: Source code section in the readme documenting the build tooling and rebuild steps for the compiled
build/bundle - Added: Uncompressed React/Tailwind source (
src/) and build configuration are now shipped with the plugin - Removed: BdThemes news feed dashboard widget and all of its remote requests to
bdthemes.comanddashboard.bdthemes.io - Removed: Dependency on the external
ui-avatars.comservice — fallback author avatars are now generated locally in the browser as an SVG, so no request leaves your site for them - Fixed:
Tested up tonow uses the major WordPress version (7.0) in both the readme and the plugin header - Fixed: Readme now states the correct Gemini model (Imagen 4.0) and which providers actually require your own API key
- Fixed: Readme Description trimmed under the 2500-word limit so the External services and Source code sections are no longer truncated off the plugin page
2.1.8 [10th August 2026]
- Updated: Admin API Biggopti removed
2.1.7 [8th August 2026]
- Fixed: Security issue where data returned by the promotions API could be injected as script into the WordPress admin area
- Fixed: Promotion links and images are now restricted to http(s) and mailto addresses
- Updated: Security improved
2.1.6 [23rd May 2026]
- Added: Export & Import settings page in the dashboard — back up or migrate plugin configuration (general, display, image sources, custom sizes, and optional API keys) as a JSON file
- Updated: OpenAI image generation migrated from deprecated DALL·E 3 to GPT Image (
gpt-image-1) after OpenAI retired DALL·E models - Updated: Made compatible with WordPress version 7.0
- Fixed: Block toolbar OpenAI fallback aligned with the same GPT Image API request format
2.1.5 [14th May 2026]
- Fixed: Security issue fixed ( Thanks to ParkHyunWoo )
2.1.4 [14th May 2026]
- Fixed: Admin notice styling and handling
2.1.3 [19th April 2026]
- Updated: Plugin display name to Instant AI Image Generator – Create & Import Images in readme and plugin headers (WordPress.org naming guidelines)
- Updated: Readme: clearer tone, External services disclosure, fewer promotional claims
- Fixed: Block
apiVersionset to 3 for WordPress 7+ block editor requirements - Fixed: Translation calls in
admin/feed.phpuse theai-imagetext domain as a string literal
2.1.2 [7th April 2026]
- Fixed: Scoped Tailwind Preflight to
.ai-image-wraponly — prevents base style resets from bleeding into wp-admin buttons, headings, and other global elements - Fixed: Link color inside the plugin UI now explicitly set to WordPress blue (
#2271b1) after preflight inherits parent color - Fixed:
.search-input-fieldscoped under.ai-image-wrapto avoid unintended global style matches - Improved: Tailwind global
preflightdisabled viacorePlugins— scoped equivalent inai-image-preflight.cssreplaces it for the plugin root only - Improved: All Tailwind utilities now use
.ai-image-wrapas theimportantselector for consistent specificity
2.1.1 [17th March 2026]
- Added: Dashboard feed widget with styled RSS posts, banner image, badges, and footer links on the WordPress dashboard
- Fixed: Overflow issue hiding download dropdown button next to import button on image cards
- Fixed: Z-index layering so dropdown menus appear above all card elements including preview icon
- Fixed: Hover stability for import button and action buttons – more reliable interaction
- Improved: Better flex layout for author name and action buttons to prevent overflow
- Improved: Author name now properly truncates with ellipsis when space is limited
2.1.0 [3rd March 2026]
- Added: Wikimedia Commons image provider tab support in dashboard and Global Search
- Added: Wikimedia provider filters (Media Type, Sort)
- Added: Wikimedia support in Block Toolbar “Generate Image” provider menu and smart fallback flow
- Added: Admin API notification system with countdown timers
- Improved: Wikimedia search handling and result ordering in proxy endpoint
- Fixed: First-install imports no longer auto-apply Alt Text, Image Title, or Attribution until saved in settings
2.0.1 [26th February 2026]
- Added: Default API keys for Unsplash & Giphy (works without user configuration)
- Added: Encrypted API key storage for enhanced security
- Improved: All free image sources now work out of the box
- Improved: Better code maintainability and performance
- Improved: Enhanced API key protection system
- Fixed: WordPress Plugin Checker compatibility issues
- Fixed: Removed unused functions, variables, and imports
2.0.0 [24th February 2026]
- Added: Complete plugin rebuild with React and Tailwind CSS for modern UI/UX
- Added: Global Search — search across all image providers simultaneously
- Added: Unsplash image source support
- Added: Openverse image source support (WordPress, Flickr, NASA, SpaceX, Wikimedia, and more)
- Added: Giphy GIF source with animation control (hover to play)
- Added: Google Gemini Imagen 3.0 AI image generation
- Added: WordPress Media Modal integration (“Instant Images” tab)
- Added: Advanced provider-specific filters (Source, Orientation, Order, Type, Category, Color)
- Added: Batch selection and import for multiple images
- Added: Favorites and bookmarking system
- Added: Search history with keyboard navigation
- Added: Full-size image preview modal with sidebar and next/prev navigation
- Added: Smart image metadata on import (Alt Text, Title, Caption with attribution)
- Added: Individual toggle controls for Alt Text, Title, and Attribution metadata
- Added: Drag-and-drop provider ordering in dashboard
- Added: Global Search on/off toggle
- Added: Display Settings tab (View Mode, Items Per Page, Thumbnail Size, Load More Mode)
- Added: Custom Image Sizes management (add/delete custom WordPress image sizes)
- Added: Professional admin dashboard with sidebar navigation
- Added: Grid and List view toggle
- Added: Infinite scroll with manual “Load More” button fallback
- Added: Loading skeleton animations
- Added: Responsive design for all screen sizes
- Added: Generate Image from content in page/post
- Improved: Image import now uses original source title for filename
- Improved: Media library auto-refreshes after import in media modal
- Improved: Provider tabs respect enabled/disabled state and custom ordering
1.5.11 [1st December 2025]
- Updated: Made compatible with WordPress version 6.9
1.5.10 [17th November 2025]
- Updated: Made Compatible with WordPress 6.8.3
1.5.9 [11th May 2025]
- Updated: System improved
1.5.8 [5th May 2025]
- Fixed: OpenAI avatar issue fixed
- Updated: Modal design improved
1.5.7 [22th April 2025]
- Added: Made Compatible with WordPress Version 6.8
- Added: Plugin page action menu settings added
- Fixed: Pexels avatar issue fixed
- Improved: Pexels image preview and upload by default original size
- Updated: System improved
1.5.5 [24th November 2024]
- Added: Image URL copy Button Added
- Improved: Grid Layout Improved
- Improved: Open AI Improved
1.5.4 [13th November 2024]
- Added: New system added
1.5.2 [9th November 2024]
- Fixed: Security issue fixed
1.5.1 [20th August 2024]
- Updated: System improved
1.5.0 [3rd July 2024]
- Added: Pexels Support added
- Added: Pixabay Support added
- Updated: System improved
1.0.0
- Initial Release
