how to replace 404 broken images ?

The reason you’re not finding that option is that the plug-in IS NOT designed to work that way.

The typical solution for this problem – typically utilizing jQuery/Javascript – will replace or remove bad images visually, after a load error registers but before the usual broken image is display to the visitor. In effect, it conceals or replaces the broken image. The underlying errors remain, along with their negative impact on SEO and page-loads, while filling up site error logs (often along with additional sets of bad image link errors).

The only way (that I know of!) to replace all 404 images ahead of time would be to scan the posts database for image links, attempt to load each one, and remove/replace it in the site database. I’ve run across tools that promised to scan for bad links/images, or seemed to, but I never found one that worked, and, even if it did, it would tend to make repairing or restoring those same images/links more difficult if not impossible. Nor would it address the other main problem that this plug-in is actually intended to address: The presence of working links to unlicensed images.

If your site has a significant problem with 404 broken images, this plug-in can help you to isolate and quarantine, then fix, the posts that produce it. It won’t fully automate that process.

Just want to add – thanks for the question: I will more strongly emphasize this topic in the plug-in’s description.

Thanks for your swift and eloborate response! I’m familiar with css show/hide strategy, but I truly want to alter the image location permanently, instead of the on-the-fly at loading; based on the parameters through your plugin.

Something that has replacement options (but involves manually ticking them 1-by-1) is part of https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/quick-featured-images/ and — dated but working great — https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/wp-broken-images/ … and currently writing a function myself based on something pregmatch stuff I already got to rewrite links on-the-fly and combine that with https://www.ads-software.com/plugins-wp/wp-404-images-fix/ (which has great code, but doesn’t function in WP 4.7) … or just going to use .htaccess modrewrite.

Either way plenty of options, but none that have it all. And as your plugin has “broken images” as part of your WP plugin title? Well perhaps in the future? ??

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Earnie Rhyker.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Earnie Rhyker.

Thanks again. I’m going to take a closer look at those as time permits, especially since at least one of them overlaps with another plug-in I’m working on (comprehensive featured/thumbnail image fallbacks). I’d also be curious to see what you come up with in your own work, so please feel free to contact me (using the contact links in the plug-in, or back here if you prefer) when you’re done, or before then if you want feedback on a Beta version.

Since we’re moving beyond “support,” I’m inclined to mark this and the other thread “resolved.” Also, if you like the plug-in or found it useful and functional (even if it didn’t solve all of the problems you’d like solved), please give it a high rating, since I got an initial scary-sounding lowest-rating that I think was unhelpful for further development/distribution.

Oh, I guess you “resolved” it already.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by CK MacLeod.

well I didn’t ‘resolve’ it technically, but like to keep things tidy in WP tickets; as the original request got answered by it not being possible at the moment. Btu will send you a message as soon as ehhh lots of things to do indeed ??