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Free Plugin by uri v0.9.2

REST API Featured Image

Enhance your WordPress REST API by adding a featured image URL field directly to API responses, improving performance by eliminating extra requests.

REST API Featured Image

The facts

Rating
4★ from 4
Active installs
700+
Price
Free
Last updated
6 Aug 2025
Added
Oct 2020
Requires WP
5.3.0
Tested up to
WP 6.8.8
Requires PHP
7.4
Downloads
10,108

Our analysis

AI-assisted

REST API Featured Image is a WordPress plugin that enhances the retrieval of featured images through the WordPress REST API. It introduces a new field, featured_media_src_url, which provides direct access to the featured image URL in API responses, streamlining the process and improving performance.

This plugin is suitable for developers creating applications or themes that utilise the WordPress REST API, as it reduces the need for additional API calls to fetch featured images, leading to faster load times and better site efficiency.

Best for: Developers working with the WordPress REST API who need efficient access to featured images.

What it does well

  • Adds featured_media_src_url for direct access to featured image URLs
  • Reduces the number of API requests needed
  • Supports custom post types with configurable settings
  • Easy to install and configure without coding

Where it falls short

  • Limited information on specific configurations or settings
  • No details on compatibility with other plugins or themes

Verdict

REST API Featured Image offers a straightforward solution for optimising featured image retrieval in REST API responses, making it a useful tool for developers focused on performance.

From the developer

uri's own description of REST API Featured Image, lightly tidied.

REST API Featured Image is a lightweight yet powerful plugin that simplifies how to retrieve featured images via the WordPress REST API. By introducing a top-level field called featured_media_src_url, this plugin embeds the direct URL of the featured image into your REST API responses. This eliminates the need for additional API calls to fetch featured images, resulting in faster load times and enhanced site performance.

Key Features:

Direct Access to Featured Image URL: Adds featured_media_src_url to REST API responses, providing immediate access to the featured image URL.
Performance Optimization: Reduces the number of API requests, improving the speed and efficiency of your applications.
Custom Post Type Support: Fully supports custom post types, allowing you to enable or disable the featured image URL field for specific post types through the admin settings.
User-Friendly Configuration: Easy to install and configure without any coding.

Why Use REST API Featured Image?

When developing applications or themes that rely on the WordPress REST API, accessing the featured image typically requires an additional request for each post. This can be time-consuming and may negatively impact site performance. REST API Featured Image addresses this issue by including the featured image URL directly in the REST API response, saving you time and resources.

REST API Featured Image Field:

featured_media_src_url

Read the full description on the official page →

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