Image does not appear when WP cannot find page

Hallo Micah

I have a problem with a random image not appearing when I use the random image shortcode and when no post(s) or page(s) can be found and shown. But when the url can show a post or page, then the random image appears. I see the problem in my own custom theme, but also in all WordPress 4.7.3 default themes Twenty Fifteen, Twenty Sixteen and Twenty Seventeen.

The situation is not a real problem for normal page navigation, because a page is always shown. (But I see the problem if I just give a false Url). The situation is more a problem when I am searching (with the default WP search function) and there is no page for the given search terms.

Test setup

So what I have done is :

WordPress 4.7.3
Plugins installed
Plugin : Mpress Image Refresh, version 2.1
Plugin Simple Testimonials from Pixelovely, version 1.0.0
No other plugins installed

Wherever I insert your shortcode I also insert immediately after, a random text shortcode from plugin Simple Testimonial from Pixelovely :

[mpress_image_refresh attachment=”71, 72, 73,74″]
[testimonial number=2]

With the 3 WP default themes I insert both shortcodes in a text widget in all available widget areas for each theme.

And with my own custom theme, I insert both shortcodes directly in a left and right sidebar with do_shortcode() – the page/post content fetch is just the normal WP default loop – The template snippet for the left, content, and right areas is :

<div id="sidebar-left">
<?php echo do_shortcode('[mpress_image_refresh attachment="71, 72, 73,74"]'); ?>
<?php echo do_shortcode('[testimonial number=2]'); ?>
</div>

<div id="page">						
<?php if (have_posts()) : 
while (have_posts()) : 
the_post(); 
?><h2><?php the_title(); ?></h2><?php
the_content();  
endwhile; 
else: ?>
<p><?php _e('Sorry, no posts/pages matched your criteria.'); ?></p>
<?php endif; ?>	
</div>

<div id="sidebar-right">
<?php echo do_shortcode('[mpress_image_refresh attachment="71, 72, 73,74"]'); ?>
<?php echo do_shortcode('[testimonial number=2]'); ?>
</div>

My normal case : What I am wanting when things are working, is to use my own custom template, and insert your random image shortcode via a text widget in the left sidebar only .. so then the attachment ids can be changed from the Backend

Test cases

I then have 2 test cases in the Frontend :
Case A : The browser shows a valid page (the browser Url corresponds to an existing page or the search fn finds pages which have term that is in the value of the search Url param s ).
Case B : The browser does not show a valid page (the browser Url does not correspond to an existing page, or the search fn has not found any pages)

Result
Case A
The random texts of shortcode [testimonial] always show in all themes
The random image of the shortcode [mpress_image_refresh] always show in all themes

Case B
The random texts of shortcode [testimonial] always show in all themes

For the WP default themes I get for each Widget Area :
a. Twentyfifteen:
i. Widget Area : Good

b. Twentysixteen
i. Sidebar : Good
ii. Content Bottom 1 : Bad
iii. Content Bottom 2 : Bad

c. Twentyseventeen
i. Sidebar : ?
ii. Footer 1 : Bad
iii. Footer 2 : Bad

Where Good = The random image shows, Bad = The random image does not show

And with my custom theme I do not see any random image at all left or right.

Note, if Mpress Image Refresh is the ONLY plugin installed, I get the SAME problem.

So in conclusion , … do you know what the problem may be ?

Cheers aldebaran57