WP RSS Aggregator
As part of our effort to modernise and improve WP RSS Aggregator, We have made the tough choice of discontinuing certain add-ons when the time is right. The time has come for Excerpts & Thumbnails to be discontinued.
Excerpts & Thumbnails has served many people very well over the years, but it does not align with our plans going forward. The version 4.13 update of WP RSS Aggregator’s Core plugin brings with it changes that will take the plugin in a new direction with regards to rendering of the imported items.
The Why
You may be wondering what this next Core update brings to the table and why all this is happening.
WP RSS Aggregator version 4.13 will introduce templates, a new rendering system for our feed item displays. In the next few weeks we will also be releasing a brand new Templates Add-on. It will do what Excerpts & Thumbnails does and more, a lot more.
It is not a direct replacement, but rather a new add-on that will take the display options for WP RSS Aggregator to a whole new level while also being fully compatible with Feed to Post and many other add-ons. There are a lot of new and exciting opportunities coming your way with this change.
Existing users & license holders
At this point, you may be worried that you’ve already paid for the add-on that is to be discontinued very soon, so I’ll clarify a few things for everyone:
- The Excerpts & Thumbnails add-on will continue to work beyond the date when it is discontinued. This decision does not affect its functionality at this point.
- Excerpts & Thumbnails will be discontinued just before the release of a new add-on for WP RSS Aggregator called Templates. That will happen within the coming weeks.
- If you own a valid Excerpts & Thumbnails license, you will be eligible for premium support for this add-on until the current expiry date for the said license.
- Lifetime license holders will continue to receive support indefinitely, but we recommend you switch to the new Templates add-on once it is released (more on this further down).
- All license keys for Excerpts & Thumbnails will no longer be able to be renewed from the day the new Templates add-on is released. Any automatic renewals (subscriptions) will be cancelled at that point too.
- Once Excerpts & Thumbnails is discontinued, the add-on will no longer be up for sale on our website and no new features will be added to the plugin.
Free upgrade to the new Templates add-on (Coming soon)
If you own a valid Excerpts & Thumbnails license, you will have the opportunity to get your hands on the brand new Templates add-on at no extra cost. Here’s how it will work:
- An announcement notice will appear in your Plugins list next to Excerpts & Thumbnails announcing the discontinuation of the add-on as of Core version 4.13.
- As of the release of the Templates add-on, all holders of a valid Excerpts & Thumbnails license will have the opportunity to change out their Excerpts & Thumbnails license for a Templates license at no extra cost.
- More details on how to change out your license will be announced upon release.
Those whose Excerpts & Thumbnails license has expired will be able to purchase the Templates add-on from our website. There will be an announcement email and blog post once it has been officially released.
For those that may still have questions and concerns, our inbox is open.
How will I know when Templates is released?
Upon the release of the Templates add-on, we will make the following announcements:
- A blog post on our website and a tweet (not following us on Twitter? Click here)
- An email to all our subscribers (not subscribed to updates? Click here)
- A notice on your site’s Plugins page if the Excerpts & Thumbnails add-on is activated.
Stay tuned for our next few updates, there are some exciting improvements coming your way!
Have a suggestion for WP RSS Aggregator? Let us know in the comments below or contact us directly.
Camp FIRE Finance
Thanks for the advanced heads-up and for the detailed explanation. Looking forward to seeing the new product.
Mark Zahra
We are too 🙂
Dave Robson
The existing, old Excerpts & Thumbnails will still work though surely?
Mark Zahra
Hi Dave, yes it will still work. We’ve done our best to keep everything working the way it was. The add-on won’t stop functioning just because of the new updates and changes.
With that being said, if you have a valid license for Excerpts & Thumbnails, it will be worth checking out the Templates add-on once it is released.
Bruno Cerqueira
Hi, when will we have more details about the “Templates” option?
Mark Zahra
Hi Bruno, what would you like to know? 🙂
The add-on is in the works and will include two template types upon launch, both of which will support images and short excerpts. More template types will be added over time as we gather even more user feedback.
Are you looking for something in particular?
Bruno Cerqueira
Well, I have the “Excerpts & Thumbnails” working, so when you say it will be replaced by the new Templates option, I would like to better understand what will change, what features will I get that I don’t currently have, and what features will I lose.
Mark Zahra
Hi Bruno, apologies for the late reply.
We are creating a template that replicates Excerpts & Thumbnails’ display exactly, so if you switch over you can use that template type and you won’t lose anything.
Apart from that, at release (very soon!) we’re adding a grid template in which you can customise the number of columns, re-order elements, and style it just the way you want.
Renee
My license expires on June 11 for the excerpts & thumbnails. What am I to do meanwhile? Renew it and wait or just wait? I don’t want any interruption on my client’s site.
Mark Zahra
Hi Renee, I’ve replied to you about this through the email you sent us.
seun
Hello. Will Excerpts and Thumbnails be available for sale up till when the Templates add-on is released? I was planning to purchase it next week.
Mark Zahra
Hi Seun, yes, it will be.
Sean
I’ve purchased Excerpts and Thumbnails, installed and activated it, but it’s still displaying on my website as the regular list of WP RSS Aggregator. How can I get the E & T features active?
Mark Zahra
Hi Sean, have you enabled the excerpt and thumbnail options from the WP RSS Aggregator settings? You can read more about the options here: https://kb.wprssaggregator.com/category/69-excerpts-thumbnails
Now, to display them, you can currently only do that via the shortcode, but not using any templates. This is explained in some more detail here: https://kb.wprssaggregator.com/article/459-using-excerpts-thumbnails-with-templates
If you have any follow-up questions, please contact our support team so we can get a quicker reply out to you 🙂
xrayvsn
My Excerpts and Thumbnails (which I have a lifetime subscription) is no longer functioning on my website.
The short code [Rss aggregator] no longer works and the page is black.
I went to the template list (only one, default) and got the new shortcode. replaced the old one and it works but only gives it a standard list (title, publish date) with no image or excerpt (which I do not like, would want to go back to the old way of image and excerpt).
Mark Zahra
Hi xrayvsn, we’ve replied to your messages in support about this, have you received our messages?
Templates uses a new rendering system different to Excerpts & Thumbnails. How the two work together is explained here: https://kb.wprssaggregator.com/article/459-using-excerpts-thumbnails-with-templates
If something isn’t working as expected on your site, please get back to us in support and we’ll be happy to help.
Steve Hoare
With the new Templates add-on, how do you assign a default thumbail to each feed?
Naweed Chougle
Steve,
In the Images box on the Edit Feed Source page, there is a file upload link provided to help you upload and assign a default featured image. For further support, please get in touch with us through the support contact form here: https://www.wprssaggregator.com/contact/
Prince Sarpong
Hello, I purchased, installed and activated the Excerpts and Thumbnail add-on, but this is not showing under the WP RSS Aggregator Settings, which should be according to your instructions from https://kb.wprssaggregator.com/article/341-how-to-set-up-the-image-thumbnail-options-for-excerpts-thumbnails. Please I need assistance immediately.
Mark Zahra
Hi Prince, please contact us through the support form with the requested details and we’ll help you out with this: https://www.wprssaggregator.com/contact/