=== Image Hover Effects Ultimate ( Image Gallery, Effects, Lightbox, Comparison & Magnifier ) ===
Contributors: oxilab, wpkin, richardmallick
Tags: image hover effects, css3 effects, image hover animation, image gallery, photo gallery
Requires at least: 6.2
Tested up to: 6.9
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 9.11.1
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, no coding needed. Support Elementor & Gutenberg.

== 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/)** | 📖 **[Documentation](https://oxilab.dev/docs/image-hover-effects/)** | 🆘 **[Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/image-hover-effects-ultimate#new-post)**

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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.

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== 🚀 Key Features ==

* 🎨 **500+ CSS3 hover animations** — fades, slides, flips, zooms, overlays, caption reveals, and more
* 🖼️ **1500+ pre-designed layouts** — professionally crafted templates ready to customize
* 📦 **10 powerful effect modules** — General, Caption, Flipbox, Button, Square, Lightbox, Comparison, Magnifier, Carousel, and Filter
* 👁️ **Live preview** — see every change in real time without leaving the editor
* 📱 **Fully responsive** — independent layout controls for desktop, tablet, and mobile
* 👆 **Touch-friendly** — smooth interactions on iOS and Android devices
* 🔤 **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
* 🔁 **Clone any style** — duplicate an effect and customize it without starting from scratch
* 🛠️ **Custom CSS editor** — add your own CSS for total creative control
* ♻️ **Built-in cache system** — optimized loading even on pages with many images
* 🧩 **Works with every major page builder** — Elementor, Gutenberg, WPBakery, Divi, Beaver Builder, SiteOrigin

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== ✨ Free Version Features ==

The free version is genuinely capable. Here is everything included at no cost:

* ✅ All 10 effect modules available
* ✅ 500+ CSS3 image hover animations
* ✅ 1500+ pre-designed layout templates
* ✅ Live preview admin panel
* ✅ Fully responsive with per-device controls (🖥️ Desktop, 📱 Tablet, 📲 Mobile)
* ✅ Touch and mobile device support
* ✅ One-click style cloning
* ✅ Image alignment, padding, and margin controls
* ✅ Per-item links with optional new-tab support
* ✅ Built-in cache system
* ✅ Custom CSS editor
* ✅ Shortcode-based — works in any post, page, or widget
* ✅ Gutenberg block editor support
* ✅ Elementor, WPBakery, Divi, Beaver Builder, and SiteOrigin support
* ✅ SEO-friendly HTML output with proper alt tag support

---

== 🔥 Pro Version Features ==

Pro unlocks the full creative toolkit and priority support:

* 🔓 **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
* 🔤 **650+ Google Fonts** — independent font selection for headings, descriptions, and button text
* ✏️ **Custom font sizes** — separate size controls for every text element
* 🖼️ **Border and shadow settings** — fine-tune border width, radius, and box shadows per element
* ♾️ **Unlimited hover items** per shortcode
* 🔗 **Advanced link options** — open links in a new tab on a per-item basis
* 💻 **Custom CSS generation** — override styles at the individual effect level
* 📹 **Video tutorials** for every feature
* 🎧 **24/7 priority support** with responses within 12 hours

👉 **[See All Free vs Pro Features](https://oxilab.dev/image-hover-effects/pricing/)**

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== 🎯 Perfect For ==

* 🎨 **Portfolios and agencies** — showcase work with stylish image reveals and hover captions
* 🛍️ **eCommerce and WooCommerce** — highlight product details, overlays, and buy buttons on hover
* 📸 **Photographers** — display galleries with elegant hover overlays and lightbox popups
* 👥 **Team pages** — show staff names, roles, and social links with caption hover effects
* 📰 **Blogs and magazines** — make featured images more engaging with CSS hover animations
* 🏠 **Landing pages** — draw attention to key visuals and CTAs with smooth motion
* 🔬 **Product detail pages** — use the magnifier module to zoom into product images on hover

---

== 📈 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:

* 📦 **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.
* 🖱️ **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** — shortcodes drop into Elementor, Gutenberg, Divi, or any other builder without friction
* 🔒 **Actively maintained** — regular updates, PHP 8.4 compatibility, and security hardening with every release
* 👨‍💻 **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. 🔑 Log into your WordPress admin panel
2. 🔍 Go to **Plugins > Add New** and search for **Image Hover Effects Ultimate**
3. 🖱️ Click **Install Now**, then **Activate**

**📦 Option 2 — Manual Upload**

1. ⬇️ Download the plugin zip from WordPress.org
2. 📂 Go to **Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin**
3. 📤 Upload the zip file and click **Install Now**
4. ✅ Click **Activate Plugin**

**🚀 Getting Started**

1. 🗂️ Go to **Image Hover** in your admin sidebar
2. 🎛️ Choose an effect module (for example, **Caption Effects**)
3. 🖼️ Pick a layout from the template library
4. ✏️ Give it a name and click **Save**
5. ➕ Click **Add New Item**, upload an image, add your title and description
6. 📋 Copy the shortcode — for example `[iheu_ultimate_oxi id="1"]`
7. 📄 Paste it into any post, page, or widget

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== ❓ Frequently Asked Questions ==

= 🔌 Does this plugin work with Elementor? =

Yes. Paste the generated shortcode into an Elementor Shortcode widget and your hover effects will display exactly as designed.

= 🟦 Does it work with the Gutenberg block editor? =

Yes. Use the core Shortcode block in Gutenberg and paste in your shortcode. It works on any page or post.

= 💻 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.

= 📱 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.

= 🆓 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 🔥 Pro section above for the full list.

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== 📸 Screenshots ==

1. 🗂️ Image Hover dashboard showing all effect modules.
2. 🖼️ Template library — browse and select from 150+ pre-designed layouts.
3. ✏️ Naming a new shortcode before customization begins.
4. 🎛️ Fully customizable admin panel with live preview.
5. ➕ Image upload and content form for individual hover items.
6. 🎨 Background settings with gradient and image upload options.
7. 🔤 Typography controls with Google Fonts for headings and descriptions.
8. 📱 Responsive device preview controls — Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile.
9. 🎠 Carousel and Slider extension with hover effects.
10. 🔽 Shortcode List.

---

== 🔄 Changelog ==

= 9.11.1 =
* 🐛 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
* 🔄 Update: Replaced all demo image URLs with new CDN format using WebP for faster loading

= 9.11.0 =
* 🆕 New: Added item count display for each module in the Image Hover dashboard
* 🆕 New: Added Create New and Import buttons to the Shortcode page header
* 🆕 New: Implemented iframe-based preview for strict style isolation and better performance
* 🆕 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
* 🐛 Fix: Fixed CSS specificity issues where saved styles could override live preview changes
* 🐛 Fix: Resolved backward compatibility issues with legacy shortcode data
* 🐛 Fix: Resolved Pro feature access issues with legacy license status

= 9.10.6 =
* 🆕 New: Conditional asset loading — Waypoints and Touch scripts only load when enabled in settings
* 🆕 New: Added cache-busting for admin assets via file modification time
* ✨ Improvement: Hardened AJAX and REST flows with stricter nonce verification
* 🐛 Fix: Minor stability fixes across shortcode rendering and widget output escaping
* 🔒 Fix: Fixed security issue in the Lightbox module

= 9.10.5 =
* 🐛 Fix: Resolved WordPress 6.7 "_load_textdomain_just_in_time" notice
* 🐛 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 =
* 🆕 New: Added Getting Started page for new users
* 🎨 Update: Refreshed UI and UX across the admin panel
* 🐛 Fix: Fixed HTML tags not rendering in Lightbox title and description fields
* 🐛 Fix: Fixed HTML tags not rendering in button text across all modules
* 🐛 Fix: Fixed Visual Composer integration — dropdown now correctly passes Style ID
* 🐛 Fix: Fixed PHP 8.2 deprecation warning for dynamic properties
* ✨ Improvement: Enhanced error handling and input validation throughout the shortcode system

= 9.10.3 =
* 🔒 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 =
* 🆕 New: Integrated Freemius SDK for license management and Pro upgrades
* 🆕 New: Added PSR-4 namespacing and Composer autoloading
* 🐛 Fix: Resolved responsive layout issues across multiple modules

= 9.9.7 =
* ✅ Compatible with WordPress 6.8
* 🐛 Fix: Resolved shortcode listing display issue
* 🐛 Fix: Fixed icon display issue in admin panel

= 9.9.6 =
* ✅ Compatible with WordPress 6.7.2
* 🐛 Fix: Fixed color changes not saving correctly in some configurations

= 9.9.5 =
* ✅ Compatible with WordPress 6.7
* 🐛 Fix: Fixed data table search functionality

= 9.9.4 =
* ✅ Compatible with WordPress 6.6.2
* 🐛 Fix: Resolved AJAX-related bugs

= 9.9.3 =
* ✅ Compatible with WordPress 6.4.3
* ✨ Updated Admin AJAX handling

= 9.9.0 =
* ✅ Compatible with WordPress 6.2.2
* 🐛 Fix: Resolved custom CSS issues

= 9.8.5 =
* ✅ Compatible with WordPress 6.1.1
* 🔒 Fix: Resolved XSS security issues

= 9.8.2 =
* ✅ Compatible with WordPress 6.0
* 🆕 New: Added alt tag support for all images
* 🐛 Fix: Resolved template display issues

= 9.3 =
* 🆕 New: Redesigned admin panel
* 🆕 New: 8 types of hover effect modules introduced

= 8.9 =
* 🐛 Fix: Resolved Gutenberg block editor compatibility issues

= 1.0 =
* 🎉 Initial release with responsive layout support

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== ⚠️ Upgrade Notice ==

= 9.11.1 =
✅ Recommended for all users. Fixes a PHP 8.4 compatibility issue and updates demo images to faster WebP CDN format.

= 9.11.0 =
🆕 Major admin panel update. Adds live responsive device preview, iframe-based style isolation, and improved template selection. Upgrade recommended.

= 9.10.6 =
🔒 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 =
🆕 Major update. Introduces Freemius license management and PSR-4 autoloading. Upgrade recommended for all users.
