Background queue, decorative detection, spending controls, content alt fill, output language

[howarddc]

Summary

• Alt text in existing posts: empty alt attributes in post content are filled from the Media Library at render time (wp_content_img_tag, WP 6.0+). Posts aren't modified; author-written alt is never replaced. Setting: Existing posts (default on).
• Output language: alt text and titles are written in the site language, the image's Polylang/WPML language, or a language chosen in Settings. New everyalt_output_locale filter.
• Background queue: uploads and bulk jobs are queued (post meta, no custom table) and worked by WP-Cron and by any open EveryAlt page, so it works where WP-Cron is blocked. Atomic lock, retries at 1/5/30 min, pauses (without burning retries) on missing key or spending limit. "Generate for all N images" on bulk tabs. New uploads setting keeps the old synchronous mode available.
• Decorative images: the model may answer DECORATIVE for clearly decorative images; alt stays empty on purpose (WCAG), image is flagged, excluded from bulk, shown in Review with Describe anyway.
• Spending controls: per-month/per-model estimated spend on Logs; optional monthly limit pauses generation with an admin notice.
• build.sh parses shields-escaped pre-release versions (e.g. 1.1.0-beta.1).

Testing

End-to-end in WordPress Playground (real WP, SQLite) with a stubbed AI provider:

• Upload → 6 jobs queued → processed by the open admin page with WP-Cron unavailable
• Divider image flagged decorative; photos described; titles generated
• Language setting German → German output
• $0.01 limit blocks the next request, pauses the queue, shows notice; removing it resumes automatically
• Post render: empty alt filled, author alt kept, decorative stays empty, stored content unchanged
• "Generate for all" via the UI

Not yet tested: real provider responses; WP-Cron on a normal host.

Test plan

• Install the test ZIP on a real site and upload images with auto-generate on
• Run "Generate for all" on a larger library, close the tab, confirm it finishes
• Check spending on Logs against the provider dashboard

🤖 Generated with Claude Code