Taxonomy Term Images – Add Images to Categories, Tags & Custom Taxonomies

Add an image field to categories, tags, and custom taxonomies in WordPress. Pick the image from the media library on the term screens, then show it with a block, a shortcode, template functions, or the REST API. Images are stored as attachment IDs, so they render with responsive srcset and alt text.

Features

• Any public taxonomy: choose which ones get the field under Settings → Term Images (categories and tags by default).
• Media library picker on the Add and Edit term screens, with preview, replace, and remove.
• Thumbnail column in the term list tables.
• Term Image block for archive templates (dynamic, no build step).
• Shortcode [term_image] for the current archive term or any term.
• Template functions for themes.
• REST API: meta.ttimg_image_id on each enabled term, editable by users who can edit the term.
• Optional og:image on term archives, skipped when Yoast SEO, Rank Math, SEOPress, or All in One SEO is active.
• WooCommerce aware: product category thumbnails are used as a fallback.

Usage

Shortcode

[term_image]                                             Current archive term
[term_image term="news" taxonomy="category" size="medium"]
[term_image term="12" size="large" link="yes" class="rounded"]

[taxonomy_term_image] is an alias, registered always ([term_image] is skipped if another plugin already uses that name).

Template functions

// Attachment ID (int, 0 when none). $term: WP_Term, term ID, or null for the current archive term.
$id = taxonomy_term_images_get_id( $term );

// Image URL for a size, or ''.
$url = taxonomy_term_images_get_url( $term, 'medium' );

// <img> with srcset, sizes, and alt (falls back to the term name), or ''.
echo taxonomy_term_images_get_html( $term, 'large', array( 'class' => 'term-hero' ) );

Category grid example:

foreach ( get_terms( array( 'taxonomy' => 'category' ) ) as $term ) {
    printf(
        '<a href="%s">%s<span>%s</span></a>',
        esc_url( get_term_link( $term ) ),
        taxonomy_term_images_get_html( $term, 'medium' ),
        esc_html( $term->name )
    );
}

REST API

GET /wp-json/wp/v2/categories/5
{ ..., "meta": { "ttimg_image_id": 42 } }

Hooks

• taxonomy_term_images_taxonomies (filter): taxonomy names that get the image field.
• taxonomy_term_images_image_id (filter): change the attachment ID returned for a term.
• taxonomy_term_images_seo_plugin_active (filter): return true to turn off the og:image output.

Project structure

taxonomy-term-images.php                         Plugin header and bootstrap
includes/class-taxonomy-term-images.php          Term meta, shortcode, block, og:image
includes/class-taxonomy-term-images-settings.php Settings defaults and validation
includes/class-taxonomy-term-images-admin.php    Term form fields, list column, settings page
includes/template-functions.php                  Public template functions
assets/admin.js, admin.css                       Media library picker and admin styles
assets/block/                                    Term Image block (block.json and editor script, no build step)
uninstall.php                                    Removes settings and term image meta
readme.txt                                       WordPress.org readme

Custom development

Need category landing pages, custom taxonomy templates, more term fields, or a brand or product category design built into your theme? The plugin is built and maintained by Ali Nawaz, a WordPress and WooCommerce developer. Get in touch for custom work.

License

GPLv2 or later. See LICENSE.