Content Automation Add-on Changelog

[1.3.0] - 2025-12-15

Added

Post Excerpt Population

• New option to automatically populate post excerpts from episode descriptions during import and auto-publishing
• Episode descriptions are intelligently truncated to create meaningful excerpts for WordPress post listings
• Toggle control available in both Import wizard (Step 2) and Auto-Publish settings
• Option enabled by default for new imports and auto-publish configurations

WP-CLI Excerpt Command

• New wp podcaster-plus-ca populate-excerpts command to backfill excerpts for existing posts
  • Extracts content from Episode Description blocks to create post excerpts
  • Supports dry-run mode (--dry-run) to preview changes without modifications
  • Post type filtering (--post-type) to target specific content types
  • Processing limits (--limit) for batch operations
  • Force mode (--force) to overwrite existing excerpts

WP-Cron Configuration Warning

• Auto-Publish settings now display a helpful notice when server-side cron is not configured
• Warning informs users about potential reliability issues on low-traffic sites
• Includes link to WordPress documentation for proper cron setup

Improved

License Validation

• Added license grace period handling for scheduled feed checks
• Feed processing continues during temporary license API outages if license was recently valid
• Enhanced logging for skipped feed checks due to invalid licenses
• Prevents auto-publishing interruptions from transient connectivity issues

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[1.2.0] - 2025-12-04

Changed

Naming Standardization

• Standardized all naming conventions across the codebase from "PodcasterPlus" to "PodcasterPlus" for consistency in comments, documentation, and user-facing strings

Pattern Selection Improvements

• Enhanced pattern handling to use pattern names (e.g., podcaster-plus/basic-player) instead of pattern IDs for Episode Processor lookups, improving reliability with both registry and user-created patterns
• Refactored favorite pattern handling to support identification by both pattern name and ID, ensuring compatibility across different pattern types
• Updated Pattern interface to support both plugin-registered and user-created patterns with additional fields for sync status, viewport width, and user pattern identification
• Implemented state synchronization for PatternSelector component, ensuring UI accurately reflects changes from parent components
• Added backward compatibility for pattern selection logic, supporting both old (name-based) and new (numeric ID) formats

Synced Pattern Support

• Refactored Episode Processor get_pattern_content method to properly handle both synced and unsynced block patterns
• Improved GUID injection logic based on pattern sync status for accurate episode selection block references
• Enhanced REST Controller pattern_exists method to support user pattern identification by both slug and numeric post ID

Added

Episode Artwork Integration

• Implemented episode artwork handling with media library integration, storing attachment IDs for imported episode images
• Added methods to store episode data with attachment ID and update episode cache with image ID
• New WP-CLI command wp podcaster-plus-ca fix-images to update episode images for existing posts
  • Supports dry-run mode (--dry-run) to preview changes without modifications
  • Post type filtering (--post-type) to target specific content types
  • Processing limits (--limit) for batch operations

Auto-Publish Start Date Tracking

• Added auto_publish_start_date to REST API settings response, providing visibility into when auto-publishing was first enabled
• Integrated start date tracking in the Auto-Publish settings interface for improved monitoring

Improved

Pattern Preview Display

• Refined pattern preview styles for improved layout consistency and better visual presentation of server-side rendered content
• Enhanced empty state design for pattern previews with cleaner styling and improved user feedback
• Added ARIA labels to pattern preview containers for better screen reader accessibility

License Validation

• Enhanced logging behavior to only log warnings after the WordPress init action has fired, improving debugging accuracy and reducing false positives during early initialization

Code Quality

• Added comprehensive documentation to PatternPreviewRenderer component explaining the rendering approach and CSS handling
• Updated logic to skip deprecated bundled patterns during block processing
• Improved sync status tracking and user pattern identification throughout the admin interface

Fixed

Pattern Selection

• Fixed pattern ID comparisons to handle string values, improving compatibility with API responses
• Resolved state synchronization issues where pattern changes from parent components were not reflected in the PatternSelector UI

Technical Improvements

• Updated tested WordPress version to 6.9.0
• Enhanced Admin UI block processing with sync-aware operations
• Improved getPatternName function for accurate pattern title retrieval by name or ID
• Refined type definitions in TypeScript for better pattern management support
• Added comprehensive test coverage for synced and unsynced pattern processing in Episode Processor
• Enhanced test bootstrap with WEEK_IN_SECONDS constant and mock functions for wp_block pattern testing

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[1.1.0] - 2025-11-26

Added

Processed Episodes Management

• New REST API endpoints for managing processed episode records:
  • POST /processed-episodes/cleanup-orphans - Scan and remove orphaned records
  • DELETE /processed-episodes/{guid} - Remove specific episode from history to allow re-import
  • GET /processed-episodes/stats - Retrieve statistics including total, orphaned count, and breakdown by source
• Automatic cleanup of processed episode records when WordPress posts are permanently deleted via before_delete_post hook
• Weekly scheduled orphan cleanup via Action Scheduler to catch records missed by deletion hooks
• Post deletion detection maintains duplicate prevention integrity

WP-CLI Commands

• wp podcaster-plus-ca cleanup-orphans - Scan and clean orphaned processed episode records with dry-run support
• wp podcaster-plus-ca clear-history - Clear specific episode GUID or entire history to allow re-imports

Improved

• Enhanced duplicate prevention system with automatic orphan detection and cleanup
• Better recovery from edge cases where posts are deleted outside normal WordPress flow
• Improved data integrity between processed episodes table and actual WordPress posts

Technical Improvements

• New podcaster_plus_ca_cleanup_orphans action hook for scheduled maintenance
• Post deletion hook integration at priority 10 on before_delete_post
• Batch processing for orphan cleanup (100 records per execution)
• Activity logging for all cleanup operations

Documentation

• Complete REST API reference for processed episodes endpoints
• Comprehensive WP-CLI documentation for new cleanup and history commands
• Updated hooks and filters guide with new action hooks
• New workflow examples for re-importing deleted episodes and complete resets

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[1.0.1] - 2025-11-17

Fixed

• Admin UI Disappearance: Resolved intermittent issue where the Content Automation admin interface would disappear after page reloads, caused by transient license cache corruption during WordPress initialization race conditions
• Stale RSS Feed Cache: Fixed bug where changing the RSS feed URL in parent plugin settings would not update cached feed data, causing imports to use outdated episode information

Improved

• License Validation: Implemented conditional negative caching that only stores invalid license results after WordPress fully initializes, preventing premature cache corruption
• Cache Invalidation: Changed feed cache key strategy from static identifier to URL-based hashing, ensuring feed URL changes automatically invalidate old cache entries
• Error Recovery: Reduced negative license cache TTL from 5 minutes to 2 minutes for faster recovery from transient errors
• Diagnostic Logging: Enhanced logging throughout license validation and feed cache operations for improved troubleshooting
• Defensive Programming: Added comprehensive null checks and early returns to prevent crashes during edge cases

Technical Improvements

• URL-based feed cache keys using md5($feed_url) for automatic invalidation
• WordPress initialization lifecycle handling improvements
• Cache operation logging (hit/miss/store) for debugging
• Maintained 5-minute feed cache TTL for optimal performance

Upgrade Note: This is a recommended update for all v1.0.0 users. The fixes improve reliability and eliminate two edge cases that could disrupt workflow. No manual intervention required - cache transition is automatic.

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[1.0.0] - 2025-11-17

Added

Bulk Import Feature

• Import your entire podcast back-catalogue from RSS feeds with flexible scope options (last 20, 50, all episodes, or custom range)
• Four-step import wizard with pattern selection, post configuration, episode content options, and confirmation
• Real-time progress monitoring with pause, resume, and cancel controls
• Background processing via Action Scheduler prevents browser timeouts for large imports
• Batch processing system handles 10 episodes per batch for optimal performance
• Episode content options: include/exclude descriptions and artwork
• Duplicate detection using episode GUID prevents importing episodes that already exist
• CSV export of import logs for analysis and record-keeping
• Comprehensive error handling with detailed reporting and recovery options

Auto-Publishing Engine

• Automated episode detection and publishing when new episodes appear in your RSS feed
• Configurable feed monitoring with hourly to daily check intervals (1-24 hours)
• Priority-based pattern rules system for automatic pattern assignment by category or title pattern
• Drag-and-drop interface for managing pattern rule priority
• Pattern testing panel to preview which pattern will be applied to episodes
• Publishing delays from 0-48 hours allow time for review before posts go live
• Manual feed checks with instant "Check Now" button and detailed results
• Historical episode skipping ensures only new episodes are auto-published (won't import your back-catalogue)
• Smart feed caching with URL-based cache keys for improved performance

Notification System

• Email notifications for all major events (import completion, auto-publish success/failure)
• Granular notification preferences with per-event-type controls
• Admin dashboard notices for important activities
• Deep linking from email notifications directly to relevant admin tabs
• Rate limiting prevents email spam during bulk operations
• Customizable notification recipients

Activity Logging

• Comprehensive activity log tracks all import, auto-publish, and system events
• Five log levels: success, error, warning, info, and skipped
• Advanced filtering by source (import/auto-publish/system), level, and date range
• Full-text search across log messages and details
• Pagination for performance with large log histories
• CSV export for external analysis and troubleshooting
• Structured JSON details for technical debugging

Developer Features

• Complete REST API with 20+ endpoints for all plugin functionality
• WP-CLI commands for command-line control of imports and auto-publishing
• Action Scheduler integration for reliable background job processing
• WordPress coding standards compliant codebase
• Comprehensive PHPUnit test coverage (80%+)
• TypeScript-powered React admin interface built with WordPress components
• Extensive hooks and filters for customization
• Detailed inline documentation and comprehensive developer guides

User Interface

• Modern React-based admin interface with three main tabs (Import, Auto-Publish, Activity Log)
• Pattern preview system shows real-time rendering of selected patterns
• Responsive design works seamlessly on desktop and tablet devices
• WordPress component library integration for native admin experience
• Accessibility-focused design with ARIA labels and keyboard navigation
• Loading states and error boundaries for graceful error handling

Security & Performance

• SSRF protection for RSS feed fetching prevents server-side request forgery attacks
• Input sanitization and output escaping throughout
• Capability checks and nonce verification on all admin actions
• Feed caching with transients reduces server load
• Memory-efficient processing for feeds with 500+ episodes
• Database indexes optimize query performance
• Rate limiting prevents abuse

Technical Improvements

• Bundled Action Scheduler 3.9.3 for reliable background processing
• Four custom database tables with optimized indexes for tracking episodes, pattern rules, activity logs, and import sessions
• Database version management system supports future schema migrations
• Singleton pattern implementation across core classes ensures proper resource management
• Comprehensive error handling with WP_Error integration throughout
• Parent plugin integration via minimal coupling design
• Automatic database upgrades with version detection
• Episode data caching reduces redundant API calls

Documentation

• Complete user guides for bulk import, auto-publishing, and pattern rules
• Comprehensive troubleshooting guide with common issues and solutions
• REST API reference documentation
• Database schema documentation
• WP-CLI command reference
• Architecture overview for developers
• Hooks and filters reference
• Contributing guide for developers
• GitHub Actions workflows for automated testing and releases

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[0.0.1] - 2025-08-11

Added

• Initial plugin concept and foundation
• Basic project structure and configuration
• Early development framework