Hook: post.default_image

Last updated on May 21, 2026 05:07

Overview

Type: Filter Location: app/helpers.php - get_default_post_image()

Allows themes and modules to override the fallback image displayed when a post has no featured image. The administrator sets a global default via Settings > Reading > Default Post Image. This filter runs after that value is retrieved, giving developers a chance to return a different URL based on context.

Parameters

Param	Type	Description
`$imageUrl`	string or null	Current default image URL from settings
`$context`	mixed	Post model instance (or null)

Return

Must return string|null - the image URL to use, or null to fall back to the SVG placeholder.

Usage Example

Set a different default image per post category:

use App\Facades\Hook;

Hook::addFilter('post.default_image', function (?string $url, $post) {
    if ($post?->categories->contains('slug', 'technology')) {
        return '/images/defaults/tech-cover.jpg';
    }
    return $url;
});

Related Hooks

post.frontend_url - Customize post public URL
post.content.render - Filter post HTML before API response