=== AI Content Generator & Calculator Builder by TalkGenAI ===
Contributors: talkgenai
Tags: ai content writer, content generator, calculator, seo, geo
Requires at least: 5.0
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 2.7.5
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

AI articles for WordPress that ChatGPT actually cites.

== Description ==

**SEO got you here. GEO takes you further.**

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynFS1kJpXlM]

Google isn't the only one answering questions anymore. ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are serving answers directly to your audience. TalkGenAI helps you create content that AI engines can trust, cite, and recommend. Every article is structured to strengthen your E-E-A-T signals — so both search engines and AI models see your site as an authoritative source.

= AI-Powered Content Generation =

Generate publish-ready articles right inside WordPress. Every article includes:

* **Internal Links** - Automatically links to your existing content, building topical authority across your site
* **External Links** - Cites authoritative sources that AI engines trust and verify
* **FAQ Sections + JSON-LD Schema** - Structured Q&A that AI engines can pull directly into conversational answers
* **AI Hero Image** - Generates a photorealistic featured image matched to your article topic (paid plans)
* **Meta Descriptions** - Optimized summaries tuned for both traditional and AI-powered search
* **Save as WordPress Draft** - One click publishes directly to your WordPress drafts — no copy/paste needed
* **Any Language** - Write in English, Hebrew, Spanish, French, German, and more

Just type your topic, toggle on the features you want, and TalkGenAI generates a complete, publish-ready article in seconds.

= Interactive Widgets — Auto-Embedded in Articles =

When TalkGenAI generates an article, it automatically decides what interactive tool fits the content — a mortgage calculator for a real estate post, a comparison table for a review, a chart for a data piece — and embeds it inside the article. No separate step. No developer. No other AI writer does this.

TalkGenAI is also a standalone **AI-powered widget builder**. Instead of configuring complex settings or hiring a developer, you describe what you need:

*"Create a mortgage calculator with loan amount, interest rate, and term length"* - done in 10 seconds.

* **Calculators** - Mortgage, BMI, ROI, cost estimators, quote generators, loan, savings, currency converters
* **Interactive Charts** - Bar, line & pie charts with hover tooltips, axis labels and auto-extracted data
* **Infographics** - Stats cards, key points, timelines & step flows that highlight article data
* **Countdown Timers** - Sales countdowns, product launches, event timers, Pomodoro timers
* **Comparison Tables** - Product specs, pricing plans, affiliate charts (AI researches the data for you)
* **To-Do Lists & Checklists** - Onboarding flows, shopping lists, process trackers

Every widget is **responsive**, **lightweight**, and works with **Elementor, Divi, Gutenberg, and Beaver Builder** via a simple shortcode.

= How It Works (4 Steps) =

1. Open the TalkGenAI dashboard in your WordPress admin
2. Type what you want: *"Build a calorie calculator for women"* or *"Write an article about home workout routines"*
3. Preview the result - tweak it by chatting: *"Add an FAQ section"*, *"Make the button blue"*
4. Copy the shortcode, paste it into any page or post

= Why Site Owners Choose TalkGenAI =

**Internal links generated automatically.** TalkGenAI scans your existing content and links every article to relevant pages on your site — building topical authority without manual work.

**Publish-ready in one click.** Articles include internal links, external citations, FAQ schema, meta description, and an AI hero image. Save directly as a WordPress draft — no copy/paste.

**GEO-ready from day one.** Your articles are structured with internal links, external citations, and FAQ sections that AI engines like ChatGPT and Gemini can trust and cite.

**The only AI writer that embeds a working tool inside the article.** Every other AI writer generates text and stops. TalkGenAI generates the article and automatically places a working calculator, chart, or comparison table inside it — matched to your content, no extra step required.

**One plugin instead of many.** Most sites need a calculator plugin, a timer plugin, a table plugin. That means 3+ plugins to maintain, update, and troubleshoot. TalkGenAI replaces them all.

**No coding, no configuration screens.** Other plugins make you drag fields around and configure formulas. With TalkGenAI, you describe the result and the AI writes the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

**Lightweight output.** Each widget is self-contained code - no framework dependencies, no external scripts loaded on your frontend.

= Real Examples =

Here are actual prompts that produce working results:

* *"Write an article about the best protein powders for beginners"* (generates article with internal links to your site, external sources, FAQ schema, and AI hero image)
* *"Mortgage calculator - monthly payment based on home price, down payment, interest rate, and loan term"*
* *"Countdown timer to December 31, 2026 with days, hours, minutes, seconds"*
* *"Compare iPhone 16 vs Samsung S25 - screen, battery, camera, price"* (AI fills in the specs)
* *"BMI calculator with metric and imperial units"*
* *"Pricing table for 3 plans: Basic $9/mo, Pro $29/mo, Enterprise $99/mo"*

= Free Plan Included =

Start building immediately — no credit card required:

* **15 credits / month** (resets monthly)
* 1 website
* Standard AI model
* Articles with internal links, external links & FAQ schema
* ⚡ **Interactive apps embedded inside articles** — charts, infographics, calculators auto-generated alongside every article
* Standalone widgets: calculators, timers, comparison tables & checklists

= Starter Plan — $39/mo =

For creators and growing sites:

* **150 credits / month**
* Up to 5 websites
* Premium AI models (better quality, longer articles)
* 🖼️ **AI Hero Image** — photorealistic featured image generated for every article
* 🎙️ **Brand Voice** — learns your writing style from existing content and applies it to every new article

= Growth Plan — $89/mo =

For growing businesses:

* **400 credits / month**
* Up to 10 websites
* Everything in Starter, plus email support

= Agency Plan — $199/mo =

For agencies managing multiple sites:

* **1,000 credits / month**
* Unlimited websites
* Everything in Growth, plus dedicated WhatsApp account manager

= Privacy & External Service Notice =

**This plugin connects to an external API service to provide AI generation.**

**Service Provider:**

* **Service**: TalkGenAI
* **Service URL**: [https://app.talkgen.ai](https://app.talkgen.ai)
* **Terms of Service**: [Read Terms](https://app.talkgen.ai/terms)
* **Privacy Policy**: [Read Privacy Policy](https://app.talkgen.ai/privacy)

**Data collected when you generate a widget or article:**

* The text prompt you enter (e.g., "Create a BMI calculator")
* WordPress site URL, WordPress version, PHP version (for compatibility)
* Timestamp, IP address (for security), and User ID

**Data we do NOT collect:**

* Your site's database, posts, pages, or media
* Passwords or personal credentials
* Data from other plugins

You are responsible for reviewing and testing all generated widgets and articles before publishing. AI can make mistakes - always verify calculations and content.

== Installation ==

= Automatic Installation =

1. In your WordPress admin, go to **Plugins > Add New**
2. Search for **"TalkGenAI"**
3. Click **Install Now**, then **Activate**
4. Register for a free API key at [https://app.talkgen.ai](https://app.talkgen.ai)
5. Enter your API key in **TalkGenAI > Settings**
6. Go to **TalkGenAI > Generate App** and describe your first widget or article

= Manual Installation =

1. Download the plugin ZIP file
2. Go to **Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin**
3. Upload the ZIP and click **Install Now**
4. Activate the plugin
5. Register at [https://app.talkgen.ai](https://app.talkgen.ai) for your free API key
6. Enter the key in **TalkGenAI > Settings**

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)? =
GEO is the shift from traditional SEO to optimizing for AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Instead of just ranking in Google, GEO ensures your content is structured so AI engines can trust, cite, and recommend it. TalkGenAI generates articles that are GEO-ready out of the box.

= Is the content optimized for SEO? =
Yes. Every article is built for SEO from the ground up — a focus keyword in the title and headings, a clean H2/H3 structure, automatic internal and external links, and FAQ schema markup that search engines can read. Because TalkGenAI optimizes for both classic SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), your content is positioned to rank in Google and to be cited by AI engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.

= How do I get started? =
Install the plugin, get a free API key at [app.talkgen.ai](https://app.talkgen.ai), and type your first prompt. Watch the [setup video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynFS1kJpXlM) for a quick walkthrough.

= Is it really free? =
Yes. The free plan gives you 15 credits per month — no credit card required. An article costs 5 credits, a widget costs 1 credit. You can upgrade later if you need more.

= Do I need to know HTML or JavaScript? =
No. You describe what you want in any language - TalkGenAI supports English, Hebrew, Spanish, French, German, and more. The AI writes all the code.

= How do the internal and external links work? =
When generating an article, TalkGenAI scans your existing posts and pages to find relevant internal link opportunities — and automatically inserts them into the article. It also cites authoritative external sources. This builds topical authority and signals credibility to both traditional search engines and AI engines like ChatGPT and Gemini.

= Does it generate images for articles? =
Yes. On paid plans, TalkGenAI generates a photorealistic AI hero image for every article using GPT-Image-1. The image is matched to your article topic and inserted automatically. Free plan articles do not include image generation.

= Can I publish directly to WordPress? =
Yes. After generating an article, click "Save as Draft" to push it directly to your WordPress drafts. It appears in your Posts list ready to review and publish — no copy/paste required.

= Can I customize the design after generating? =
Yes. Just tell the AI what to change: *"Make the background dark"*, *"Use a larger font"*, *"Add more FAQ questions"*. You can iterate as many times as you want within a single generation.

= Does it work with my page builder? =
Yes. TalkGenAI outputs a standard WordPress shortcode like `[talkgenai_app id="123"]`. This works in Gutenberg, Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, WPBakery, and any theme that supports shortcodes.

= Can I put multiple widgets on the same page? =
Yes. Each widget is fully self-contained. You can place a calculator and a countdown timer on the same page and they work independently.

= What kinds of calculators can it build? =
Mortgage, BMI, ROI, cost estimators, quote generators, loan calculators, savings calculators, currency converters, calorie calculators, tip calculators - anything you can describe.

== Screenshots ==

1. **Article Generation** - Enter a topic, toggle on internal links, external links, FAQ & AI image, and generate a publish-ready article in seconds
2. **Generated Article Preview** - Full article with headings, internal links, AI hero image, and one-click Save as Draft button
3. **Interactive Chart** - Bar, line & pie charts auto-generated from article data with axis labels and hover tooltips
4. **Infographic Widget** - Animated stats cards, key points, timelines and step flows embedded inside articles
5. **BMI Calculator** - Describe any calculator and the AI builds it instantly with full functionality
6. **Countdown Timer** - Professional countdown timers for sales, launches, and events
7. **Comparison Table** - AI-researched comparison tables with specs, checkmarks, and formatting
8. **App Dashboard** - Manage all your generated widgets and articles, copy shortcodes, and filter by type

== Changelog ==

= 2.7.5 - 2026-07-13 =
* Feature: Refined articles can now be pushed to the post that is already live. TalkGenAI Cloud updates that post in place, keeping its URL, publish status and featured image, so your edits reach the live page.
* Fix: Publishing the same article twice no longer creates a duplicate post — the existing post is updated instead.

= 2.7.4 - 2026-07-12 =
* Fix: Internal links now work on sites protected by Cloudflare (and similar firewalls). TalkGenAI Cloud could not read the sitemap of a protected site, so articles were generated with no internal links at all. The plugin now sends your published posts and pages to TalkGenAI Cloud itself, so it never needs to read your site from outside.
* Improvement: Internal links are more accurate. Link suggestions now use your real post titles, excerpts and permalinks (including category paths and Yoast primary categories) instead of titles guessed from the URL.
* Improvement: Clearer errors. If a firewall or security plugin blocks TalkGenAI Cloud from reaching your site, you now get an explanation and how to fix it, instead of an unhelpful server error.

= 2.7.3 - 2026-06-21 =
* Feature: Parent page support for auto-publish — choose a Parent page (WordPress Page Attributes → Parent) from the TalkGenAI Cloud dashboard so generated content nests under the right section of your site. Works for both Pages and, when a hierarchy plugin is active, Posts.
* Fix: Interactive app widgets (calculators, tools) published from TalkGenAI Cloud now render correctly on the page — they are saved as proper apps and embedded via the [talkgenai_app] shortcode, so their styling and behaviour load through WordPress instead of appearing as raw code. These apps now also show up under TalkGenAI → My Apps.
* Improvement: The Parent page picker now lists draft and private pages too, not just published ones.

= 2.7.2 - 2026-06-07 =
* Fix: When an article is pushed as a draft, the plugin now stores its clean, permanent permalink (e.g. /blog/your-article/) instead of the temporary ?p=ID link. This lets TalkGenAI Cloud correctly match Google Search and AI traffic back to the article it generated.

= 2.7.1 - 2026-06-07 =
* Feature: IndexNow integration — instantly notifies Bing, Yandex and other IndexNow engines whenever a post is published or updated, so new and refreshed content gets discovered in hours instead of days. Because ChatGPT Search and Perplexity draw on Bing's index, this speeds up how fast AI search engines pick up your articles.
* Feature: Article Type (optional) — choose a high-intent, buyer-focused format when generating an article: Comparison (X vs Y), Alternatives, or Best X for a use case. These structured formats are designed to get cited by AI search and convert. Leave it on "Standard article" for a normal blog post.
* Feature: Pillar length option — generate in-depth pillar articles (2,500+ words) directly from the plugin, matching the TalkGenAI Cloud dashboard. Available on Growth and Agency plans.
* Improvement: Self-contained and keyless — no Bing account or API key needed. Generates its own key, serves the verification file virtually (nothing written to disk), and stands down automatically if another IndexNow plugin (Microsoft IndexNow, Rank Math, Yoast SEO) is already active.

= 2.7.0 - 2026-05-24 =
* Feature: Articles are now saved as native Gutenberg blocks — each heading, paragraph, list, and image becomes its own editable block instead of one large "Classic" block
* Feature: New "Post Format" setting (Settings → Post Format) to choose between Gutenberg blocks (default) and plain HTML output
* Improvement: Applies to both the in-plugin "Save as Draft" button and articles published from TalkGenAI Cloud

= 2.6.9 - 2026-05-22 =
* Feature: WordPress category assignment when saving articles as draft (plugin UI + REST publish-article endpoint)
* Feature: Default WordPress category from TalkGenAI Cloud integration settings applied on article creation
* Improvement: Updated plugin listing copy and tags for WordPress.org
* Improvement: Tested up to WordPress 7.0

= 2.6.8 - 2026-05-15 =
* Feature: Connect WordPress site to TalkGenAI Cloud via one-time token (Settings → Generate Connection Token)
* Feature: REST API for SaaS direct article publish to WordPress (draft/post, featured image, SEO meta, FAQ schema)
* Feature: REST endpoint to set Yoast/RankMath SEO meta from TalkGenAI SaaS

= 2.6.7 - 2026-03-26 =
* Improvement: Article image alt text is now descriptive and in the article's language instead of just repeating the focus keyword
* Fix: Post slug now uses the focus keyword (short, SEO-friendly URL) instead of the full article title; falls back to the core topic phrase when no keyword is provided

= 2.6.6 - 2026-03-21 =
* Improvement: Widget content anchoring — calculators, comparison tables, and timers now always use exact numbers, values, and durations from the article instead of invented data
* Improvement: Article refinement is now fully asynchronous — no more timeouts on longer articles; progress bar shown during refinement
* Improvement: External links validated on generation — broken links (404) removed, duplicates deduplicated, none placed in the intro paragraph
* Fix: Domain mismatch between API key and active site now shown as a clear warning banner in the plugin admin

= 2.6.4 - 2026-03-15 =
* Feature: Article Refinement — iterate on generated articles with natural language instructions (e.g. "make it more formal", "add a section about pricing"). Paid plans only, 2 credits per refinement.
* Feature: Brand Voice tip shown in article empty state for paid users who haven't created a voice yet — one-click shortcut to set up their first voice
* Improvement: Articles now consistently reach the requested length target (short ~500 words, medium ~900, long ~1400)
* Improvement: Actual word count shown after article generation and after each refinement
* Improvement: Downloaded HTML for Hebrew and Arabic articles now includes correct RTL direction and text alignment
* Improvement: Refine panel UI — orange send button, correct message bubble alignment, no horizontal scroll, taller transcript area
* Fix: "Refine your article" upgrade nudge now uses orange brand colors instead of purple

= 2.6.3 - 2026-03-12 =
* Feature: Form preferences are now remembered across sessions in both WordPress plugin and SaaS dashboard — article options (FAQ, links, image, interactive app, length, writing style) are saved locally and restored on next visit
* Feature: Credit pre-check with descriptive error messages — free plan users see a clear breakdown (e.g. "5 for article + 3 for image = 8 total") when bonus credits are insufficient for image generation
* Feature: Upgrade nudge shown after article generation for free users, with direct link to billing
* Feature: Create Draft button now animates with a green glow after both article and interactive app are ready
* Improvement: Meta Description, FAQ Schema, and SEO Checklist now collapsed in an accordion after article result — cleaner view by default
* Improvement: Advanced options panel is now open by default for quicker access
* Improvement: Brand Voice profile preview is now collapsible (collapsed by default)
* Fix: Upgrade links now point directly to the billing tab

= 2.6.2 - 2026-03-11 =
* Feature: Interactive apps (charts, infographics, calculators) embedded inside articles are now available on all plans including Free
* Improvement: Free plan credit display corrected to 15 credits/month

= 2.6.1 - 2026-03-07 =
* Fix: Calculator "more info" toggle now works reliably across all themes — JS inline styles used instead of CSS class toggling; plugin-level footer script also initialises toggles on existing published articles so no regeneration is needed
* Fix: Article hero image now placed before the 3rd H2 (below the fold) to avoid impacting Largest Contentful Paint on mobile
* Fix: Article images now include a responsive srcset with 400px and 480px sizes — reduces mobile image payload and passes Lighthouse "properly sized images" audit
* Fix: Article images use lazy loading to avoid render-blocking on mobile
* Improvement: Meta descriptions extended to 145–155 characters for fuller Google search snippets
* Security: `$_POST['custom_urls']` now correctly unslashed before sanitization (PHPCS compliance)

= 2.6.0 - 2026-03-03 =
* Feature: Interactive Chart widget — bar, line & pie charts with axis titles, hover tooltips and auto-extracted article data
* Feature: Infographic widget — animated stats cards, key points, timelines and step flows embedded inside articles
* Feature: Smart widget placement — widgets are embedded at the most relevant section inside the article, not just appended at the end
* Feature: Brand Voice — create and apply custom writing voices to article generation
* Improvement: Widget decision engine now prioritizes high-value widgets (charts, calculators, infographics) over generic lists
* Improvement: Chart sizing is now compact with dynamic Y-axis padding so labels are never clipped
* Improvement: Chart bars use a bright 8-color palette for better readability
* Security: App previews now render inside a sandboxed iframe instead of direct script execution
* Security: Chart color and direction inputs are validated against strict whitelists
* Security: Sanitizer fallback now returns empty string instead of unsanitized input
* Fix: First paragraph no longer stripped when creating a WordPress draft with a featured image
* Fix: PUT/PATCH API requests now correctly attach the JSON body

= 2.5.2 - 2026-02-28 =
* Feature: Brand Voice section now always visible for premium users in the article generator — shows a "no voices yet" message with a link to create one when none exist
* Fix: Brand Voice dropdown was hidden on localhost due to domain filtering — resolved for local WordPress testing
* Fix: API key generation error code mismatch — website limit error now correctly triggers the upgrade prompt
* Fix: Dashboard tab state is now preserved across page refreshes — active tab is saved in the URL hash

= 2.5.1 - 2026-02-21 =
* Improvement: AI-generated article images now use gpt-image-1 for more realistic, photographic results
* Improvement: Image generation included at no extra credit cost for all paid plans
* Improvement: Image prompts now intelligently describe a scene based on the article topic
* Fix: Image title attribute now matches alt text for better SEO and accessibility
* UI: Updated demo video

= 2.5.0 - 2026-02-17 =
* Feature: FAQ JSON-LD schema now included in generated articles and WordPress drafts
* Feature: Copy Visual button now copies rich formatted content (not raw HTML code)
* Feature: Code tab shows FAQ schema alongside article HTML
* Fix: FAQ and external link options now properly passed for app-based articles
* UI: Standalone mode is now the default article generation mode
* UI: Article mode toggle redesigned with purple active state

= 2.4.9 - 2026-02-16 =
* Branding: Updated plugin title and tags to reflect AI content generation capabilities

= 2.4.7 - 2026-02-12 =
* Maintenance: Pre-release validation and stability improvements

= 2.4.6 - 2026-02-07 =
* Feature: Standalone article generation (articles not tied to a specific app)
* Maintenance: Minor improvements and cleanup

= 2.4.5 - 2026-01-24 =
* UI: Improved admin UI visibility and readability
* Install: More reliable database setup on activation and self-healing table creation
* Feature: Added sticky flag for apps

= 2.4.4 - 2026-01-18 =
* New: Smart Comparison Table Builder - create responsive comparison tables, pricing charts, and spec sheets with AI-researched data
* Feature: Added Comparison Table app type to the generation menu
* UI: Responsive table styles with checkmarks, cross marks, and winner badges

= 2.4.3 - 2026-01-18 =
* SEO: Updated plugin metadata to improve discoverability

= 2.4.2 - 2026-01-11 =
* Article Generation: Improved context with app URL and internal link candidates for smarter linking
* Performance: Optimized internal link candidate query

= 2.4.1 - 2025-12-18 =
* Fix: "Keep Calculator" reliably closes the overlay popup in admin preview
* Fix: Prevents chat transcript from leaking into subsequent AI requests

= 2.4.0 - 2025-12-04 =
* Security: Removed external CDN dependency - now using custom modal system
* Fix: "Get App Ideas" shows proper upgrade modal for free users
* New: "Generate New" button for quick workflow
* New: Clickable example prompts that auto-fill chat input
* UX: User-friendly error messages throughout
* Compatibility: Tested with WordPress 6.9

= 2.3.1 - 2025-11-30 =
* Improved error handling with clear messages when AI providers are temporarily unavailable

= 2.2.0 - 2025-11-30 =
* New: Bonus Credits System - earn credits for premium AI features
* Bonus credits are prioritized over plan credits
* Visual display of bonus credits in admin dashboard

= 1.0.0 - 2025-10-19 =
* Initial Release
* AI-powered app generation with multiple AI providers
* Template library for instant creation
* Live preview and shortcode embedding
* Automatic site registration with free monthly credits
* WordPress 6.4+ and PHP 8.2+ compatibility
