=== Image Hover Effects Ultimate ( Image Gallery, Effects, Lightbox, Comparison & Magnifier ) === Contributors: oxilab, richardmallick Tags: image hover effects, css3 effects, image hover animation, image gallery, photo gallery Requires at least: 6.2 Tested up to: 7.0 Requires PHP: 7.4 Stable tag: 9.11.6 License: GPLv2 or later License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html Add stunning image hover effects to WordPress. 500+ CSS3 animations, 10 effect modules. Native Elementor widget, Gutenberg block & WPBakery widget. == Description == **Image Hover Effects Ultimate** is the most powerful image hover effects plugin for WordPress. Whether you want a clean caption reveal, a dramatic flip card, a side-by-side image comparison, or a magnifier zoom, you'll find exactly what you need from 500+ CSS3 animations and 1500+ ready-to-use layouts. ✨ No coding. No jQuery. Just beautiful hover effects that work everywhere. Trusted by **20,000+ WordPress users**, the plugin is lightweight, fully responsive, and compatible with Elementor, Gutenberg, WPBakery, Divi, Beaver Builder, and SiteOrigin. 🎬 **[Live Demos](https://demos.oxilab.dev/imagehover/demos/)** | ⭐ **[Upgrade to Pro](https://oxilab.dev/image-hover-effects/pricing/)** | πŸ“– **[Documentation](https://oxilab.dev/docs/image-hover-effects/)** | πŸ†˜ **[Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-hover-effects-ultimate#new-post)** --- Hover effects are one of the easiest ways to make your WordPress site feel polished and professional. With Image Hover Effects Ultimate, you choose a style from the template library, upload your images, paste a shortcode, and you're done. Every image hover animation is built in pure CSS3, so effects are silky smooth without adding any JavaScript weight to your pages. --- == πŸš€ Key Features == * 🎨 **500+ CSS3 hover animations**: fades, slides, flips, zooms, overlays, caption reveals, and more * πŸ–ΌοΈ **1500+ pre-designed layouts**: professionally crafted templates ready to customize * πŸ“¦ **10 powerful effect modules**: General, Caption, Flipbox, Button, Square, Lightbox, Comparison, Magnifier, Carousel, and Filter * πŸ‘οΈ **Live preview**: see every change in real time without leaving the editor * πŸ“± **Fully responsive**: independent layout controls for desktop, tablet, and mobile * πŸ‘† **Touch-friendly**: smooth interactions on iOS and Android devices * πŸ”€ **650+ Google Fonts**: full typography control for headings, descriptions, and buttons * ⚑ **Pure CSS3, no jQuery**: fast-loading animations that don't slow your site down * πŸ” **Clone any style**: duplicate an effect and customize it without starting from scratch * πŸ› οΈ **Custom CSS editor**: add your own CSS for total creative control * ♻️ **Built-in cache system**: optimized loading even on pages with many images * πŸ”Œ **Native Elementor widget**: select and embed effects directly from the Elementor editor panel, no shortcode needed * 🟦 **Native Gutenberg block**: insert and live-preview effects directly from the WordPress block editor, no shortcode needed * 🧩 **Works with every major page builder**: WPBakery, Divi, Beaver Builder, and SiteOrigin support via shortcode --- == ✨ Free Version Features == The free version is genuinely capable. Here is everything included at no cost: * βœ… All 10 effect modules available * βœ… 500+ CSS3 image hover animations * βœ… 1500+ pre-designed layout templates * βœ… Live preview admin panel * βœ… Fully responsive with per-device controls (πŸ–₯️ Desktop, πŸ“± Tablet, πŸ“² Mobile) * βœ… Touch and mobile device support * βœ… One-click style cloning * βœ… Image alignment, padding, and margin controls * βœ… Per-item links with optional new-tab support * βœ… Built-in cache system * βœ… Custom CSS editor * βœ… Shortcode-based, works in any post, page, or widget * βœ… Native Gutenberg block: insert and preview effects directly from the block editor, no shortcode needed * βœ… Native Elementor widget: select and embed effects directly from the Elementor editor panel, no shortcode needed * βœ… WPBakery, Divi, Beaver Builder, and SiteOrigin support via shortcode * βœ… SEO-friendly HTML output with proper alt tag support --- == πŸ”₯ Pro Version Features == Pro unlocks the full creative toolkit and priority support: * πŸ”“ **Full customization of all 500+ hover effects**: control colors, overlays, borders, shadows, and timing on every style * 🎨 **Advanced color pickers**: unlimited color control for text, backgrounds, overlays, borders, buttons, and hover states * πŸ”€ **650+ Google Fonts**: independent font selection for headings, descriptions, and button text * ✏️ **Custom font sizes**: separate size controls for every text element * πŸ–ΌοΈ **Border and shadow settings**: fine-tune border width, radius, and box shadows per element * ♾️ **Unlimited hover items** per shortcode * πŸ”— **Advanced link options**: open links in a new tab on a per-item basis * πŸ’» **Custom CSS generation**: override styles at the individual effect level * πŸ“Ή **Video tutorials** for every feature * 🎧 **24/7 priority support** with responses within 12 hours πŸ‘‰ **[See All Free vs Pro Features](https://oxilab.dev/image-hover-effects/pricing/)** --- == 🎯 Perfect For == * 🎨 **Portfolios and agencies**, showcase work with stylish image reveals and hover captions * πŸ›οΈ **eCommerce and WooCommerce**, highlight product details, overlays, and buy buttons on hover * πŸ“Έ **Photographers**, display galleries with elegant hover overlays and lightbox popups * πŸ‘₯ **Team pages**, show staff names, roles, and social links with caption hover effects * πŸ“° **Blogs and magazines**, make featured images more engaging with CSS hover animations * 🏠 **Landing pages**, draw attention to key visuals and CTAs with smooth motion * πŸ”¬ **Product detail pages**, use the magnifier module to zoom into product images on hover --- == πŸ“ˆ Why Use This Plugin == There are a few image hover plugins out there, but Image Hover Effects Ultimate is the one that covers every use case in one place. Here is why 20,000+ users choose it: * πŸ“¦ **All modules in one plugin**: General Effects, Caption Effects, Flipbox, Lightbox, Comparison, Magnifier, Carousel, and Filter are all built in. No separate add-ons needed. * πŸ–±οΈ **No coding required**: everything is configured through the visual admin panel with live preview * ⚑ **Lightweight**: pure CSS3 output with zero jQuery dependency keeps your pages fast * 🧩 **Builder ready**: native Elementor widget and Gutenberg block included; shortcodes also work in Divi, WPBakery, Beaver Builder, and any other builder * πŸ”’ **Actively maintained**: regular updates, PHP 8.4 compatibility, and security hardening with every release * πŸ‘¨β€πŸ’» **Developer-friendly**: custom CSS support, PSR-4 namespacing, and a clean codebase make it easy to extend --- == Installation == **⬇️ Option 1: Install from WordPress.org (Recommended)** 1. πŸ”‘ Log into your WordPress admin panel 2. πŸ” Go to **Plugins > Add New** and search for **Image Hover Effects Ultimate** 3. πŸ–±οΈ Click **Install Now**, then **Activate** **πŸ“¦ Option 2: Manual Upload** 1. ⬇️ Download the plugin zip from WordPress.org 2. πŸ“‚ Go to **Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin** 3. πŸ“€ Upload the zip file and click **Install Now** 4. βœ… Click **Activate Plugin** **πŸš€ Getting Started** 1. πŸ—‚οΈ Go to **Image Hover** in your admin sidebar 2. πŸŽ›οΈ Choose an effect module (for example, **Caption Effects**) 3. πŸ–ΌοΈ Pick a layout from the template library 4. ✏️ Give it a name and click **Save** 5. βž• Click **Add New Item**, upload an image, add your title and description 6. πŸ“‹ Copy the shortcode, for example `[iheu_ultimate_oxi id="1"]` 7. πŸ“„ Paste it into any post, page, or widget --- == Frequently Asked Questions == = πŸ”Œ Does this plugin work with Elementor? = Yes. The plugin includes a native Elementor widget. Search for "Image Hover" in the Elementor editor panel, drag it onto your page, and select your effect directly from the widget's Inspector Controls β€” no shortcode needed. You can also use the shortcode approach if you prefer. = 🟦 Does it work with the Gutenberg block editor? = Yes. The plugin includes a native Gutenberg block. Search for "Image Hover" in the block inserter, add the block, and select your effect from the Inspector Controls sidebar. A live preview renders directly in the editor β€” no shortcode needed. = πŸ’» Do I need to write any code? = No. All effects are created through the visual admin panel. Developers who want more control can also add custom CSS, but it is completely optional. = πŸ“± Are the effects mobile-friendly? = Yes. Every layout is fully responsive with separate controls for desktop, tablet, and mobile. Touch interactions also work smoothly on iOS and Android. = πŸ†“ What is the difference between free and Pro? = The free version gives you access to all 10 modules and hundreds of layouts. Pro unlocks full customization of every effect: advanced color controls, 650+ Google Fonts, border and shadow settings, unlimited items, and priority support. See the πŸ”₯ Pro section above for the full list. --- == Screenshots == 1. πŸ—‚οΈ Image Hover dashboard showing all effect modules. 2. πŸ–ΌοΈ Template library: browse and select from 150+ pre-designed layouts. 3. ✏️ Naming a new shortcode before customization begins. 4. πŸŽ›οΈ Fully customizable admin panel with live preview. 5. βž• Image upload and content form for individual hover items. 6. 🎨 Background settings with gradient and image upload options. 7. πŸ”€ Typography controls with Google Fonts for headings and descriptions. 8. πŸ“± Responsive device preview controls: Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile. 9. 🎠 Carousel and Slider extension with hover effects. 10. πŸ”½ Shortcode List. --- == Changelog == = 9.11.6 = * πŸ†• New: Added native Gutenberg block, insert and preview Image Hover Effect styles directly from the WordPress block editor without writing shortcodes * πŸ†• New: Style selector and Edit Style button placed in the block's Inspector Controls sidebar, keeping the editor canvas clean with only the live preview * πŸ†• New: Plugin's branded SVG icon displayed in the Gutenberg block inserter * ✨ Improvement: All CSS (base styles, module-specific styles, and per-shortcode stylesheet) is fully inlined during block editor REST rendering so the hover effect preview displays correctly without relying on wp_footer = 9.11.5 = * πŸ”’ Security: Fixed path traversal vulnerability in template import, file reads are now restricted within the plugin directory using realpath() validation * πŸ”’ Security: Fixed missing authorization check in AJAX action handler, requests now require proper user permissions * πŸ”’ Security: Sanitized CSS output in frontend style block to prevent potential `` injection * πŸ”’ Security: Strip `` tags from custom CSS before storing to database * πŸ› Fix: Renamed "Save" button to "Rename" in the editor header to avoid confusion with the main Save button * ✨ Improvement: Added "How to use?" documentation link in the editor header for quick access to getting started guide = 9.11.4 = * πŸ› Fix: Fixed Flipbox back side image not displaying across all styles, corrected invalid CSS syntax where `!important` was placed inside `url()` (Style 1) and replaced `background` shorthand with `background-image` to prevent unintended property resets * πŸ› Fix: Fixed Flipbox back side overlay color not working, background image is now applied to the correct layer (`backend:after`) so the admin-configured background color properly acts as a semi-transparent overlay on top of the image * ✨ Improvement: Replaced `background-size: 100% 100%` with `background-size: cover` and added `background-position: center center` and `background-repeat: no-repeat` for better image rendering across all Flipbox styles = 9.11.3 = * ✨ Improvement: Added dynamic "Edit Shortcode" button to Elementor Widget for quick access to the styling dashboard * πŸ› Fix: Resolved issue where the shortcode edit button URL wouldn't update on dropdown change * πŸ› Fix: Fixed CSS and JS failing to load on the plugin's internal backend template listing and editor pages * πŸ› Fix: Corrected asset isolation logic in the iframe preview which accidentally blocked some internal scripts * πŸ› Fix: Whitelisted missing external dependencies (e.g., image zoom, isotope) in the iframe preview to prevent layout breaks * πŸ› Fix: Resolved CSS handle collisions between the Lightbox and Magnifier modules which caused Lightbox styles to fail loading * πŸ› Fix: Fixed raw CSS text leaking onto the screen in nested modules (e.g., Filter) by properly sanitizing content before shortcode evaluation = 9.11.2 = * πŸ†• New: Added Elementor Widget for Image Hover Effects, select and embed shortcodes directly from the Elementor editor * πŸ› Fix: Resolved CSS and JS not loading in the Elementor editor for module-specific styles (Flipbox, General, Carousel, etc.) * πŸ› Fix: Fixed inline CSS and JS not rendering during Elementor AJAX widget re-renders * πŸ› Fix: Fixed styles missing after saving and reloading the Elementor editor * ✨ Improvement: Registered base CSS/JS assets for proper Elementor dependency resolution = 9.11.1 = * πŸ› Fix: Resolved PHP 8.4 compatibility issue with mb_ereg_replace function * ✨ Improvement: Replaced dashicon with a custom SVG icon in the admin sidebar for a cleaner branded appearance * ✨ Improvement: Updated admin panel logo from PNG to SVG format in the header and Getting Started page * ✨ Improvement: Hardcoded total template count to 150+ in the dashboard for accurate display * πŸ”„ Update: Replaced all demo image URLs with new CDN format using WebP for faster loading = 9.11.0 = * πŸ†• New: Added item count display for each module in the Image Hover dashboard * πŸ†• New: Added Create New and Import buttons to the Shortcode page header * πŸ†• New: Implemented iframe-based preview for strict style isolation and better performance * πŸ†• New: Added responsive device controls (Desktop, Tablet, Mobile) with live preview scaling * ✨ Improvement: Moved inline CSS to external admin stylesheet for better maintainability * ✨ Improvement: Simplified template selection, all templates now visible directly on the effect page * πŸ› Fix: Fixed CSS specificity issues where saved styles could override live preview changes * πŸ› Fix: Resolved backward compatibility issues with legacy shortcode data * πŸ› Fix: Resolved Pro feature access issues with legacy license status = 9.10.6 = * πŸ†• New: Conditional asset loading, Waypoints and Touch scripts only load when enabled in settings * πŸ†• New: Added cache-busting for admin assets via file modification time * ✨ Improvement: Hardened AJAX and REST flows with stricter nonce verification * πŸ› Fix: Minor stability fixes across shortcode rendering and widget output escaping * πŸ”’ Fix: Fixed security issue in the Lightbox module = 9.10.5 = * πŸ› Fix: Resolved WordPress 6.7 "_load_textdomain_just_in_time" notice * πŸ› Fix: Allowed safe HTML in Short Description fields using wp_kses_post * ✨ Improvement: Deferred heavy operations to later hooks for better performance = 9.10.4 = * πŸ†• New: Added Getting Started page for new users * 🎨 Update: Refreshed UI and UX across the admin panel * πŸ› Fix: Fixed HTML tags not rendering in Lightbox title and description fields * πŸ› Fix: Fixed HTML tags not rendering in button text across all modules * πŸ› Fix: Fixed Visual Composer integration, dropdown now correctly passes Style ID * πŸ› Fix: Fixed PHP 8.2 deprecation warning for dynamic properties * ✨ Improvement: Enhanced error handling and input validation throughout the shortcode system = 9.10.3 = * πŸ”’ Fix: Resolved all reported security vulnerabilities * ✨ Improvement: Improved input sanitization and output escaping throughout the plugin * ✨ Improvement: Updated all database queries to use $wpdb->prepare() = 9.10.0 = * πŸ†• New: Integrated Freemius SDK for license management and Pro upgrades * πŸ†• New: Added PSR-4 namespacing and Composer autoloading * πŸ› Fix: Resolved responsive layout issues across multiple modules = 9.9.7 = * βœ… Compatible with WordPress 6.8 * πŸ› Fix: Resolved shortcode listing display issue * πŸ› Fix: Fixed icon display issue in admin panel = 9.9.6 = * βœ… Compatible with WordPress 6.7.2 * πŸ› Fix: Fixed color changes not saving correctly in some configurations = 9.9.5 = * βœ… Compatible with WordPress 6.7 * πŸ› Fix: Fixed data table search functionality = 9.9.4 = * βœ… Compatible with WordPress 6.6.2 * πŸ› Fix: Resolved AJAX-related bugs = 9.9.3 = * βœ… Compatible with WordPress 6.4.3 * ✨ Updated Admin AJAX handling = 9.9.0 = * βœ… Compatible with WordPress 6.2.2 * πŸ› Fix: Resolved custom CSS issues = 9.8.5 = * βœ… Compatible with WordPress 6.1.1 * πŸ”’ Fix: Resolved XSS security issues = 9.8.2 = * βœ… Compatible with WordPress 6.0 * πŸ†• New: Added alt tag support for all images * πŸ› Fix: Resolved template display issues = 9.3 = * πŸ†• New: Redesigned admin panel * πŸ†• New: 8 types of hover effect modules introduced = 8.9 = * πŸ› Fix: Resolved Gutenberg block editor compatibility issues = 1.0 = * πŸŽ‰ Initial release with responsive layout support --- == Upgrade Notice == = 9.11.1 = βœ… Recommended for all users. Fixes a PHP 8.4 compatibility issue and updates demo images to faster WebP CDN format. = 9.11.0 = πŸ†• Major admin panel update. Adds live responsive device preview, iframe-based style isolation, and improved template selection. Upgrade recommended. = 9.10.6 = πŸ”’ Performance and security update. Improves frontend asset loading and hardens AJAX security. Upgrade recommended. = 9.10.4 = ✨ Adds Getting Started page, refreshed admin UI, and fixes multiple compatibility bugs including PHP 8.2, Visual Composer, and Lightbox. Upgrade recommended. = 9.10.3 = 🚨 Security release. Resolves all reported security issues. All users should upgrade immediately. = 9.10.0 = πŸ†• Major update. Introduces Freemius license management and PSR-4 autoloading. Upgrade recommended for all users.