Automatic YouTube imports (Core 1.6+)
Open Sermons > Automatic Imports. Connect one church channel by handle or URL, add a YouTube Data API key (or reuse the saved key), choose a default speaker, and select drafts or automatic publication. No separate Auto Poster plugin or Gemini key is needed.
Exclude recurring recording titles: For a result needing attention, open Exclude title pattern, keep a stable phrase without its changing date (for example, your church's recurring full-service recording title), and confirm Save rule & skip matching videos. Future YouTube titles containing the phrase are skipped case-insensitively; descriptions are not checked. Matching queued results stop retrying, while existing sermons, Shorts and saved drafts are kept. Rules are plain phrases without commas or wildcards. Edit or remove a rule under Connection & import settings > Optional title and length filters > Skip titles containing these phrases. After removing a rule, use Retry for an older skipped item if desired; removing a rule does not automatically backfill it.
Start with today to avoid importing your entire old library. Choose an earlier start date for a background backfill. Enable imports and save. Core checks hourly, verifies public embeddable videos, saves duration and downloads a thumbnail. Thumbnail failures leave a draft and retry without duplicating it. Existing posts, including drafts and trashed posts, are kept unchanged.
Recognized Shorts can go to the homepage Shorts row; unclear clips need your decision. Live and upcoming broadcasts wait until they finish. Review the results for specific errors, retry options and editor links. The latest 100 Shorts remain in the homepage library.
Check for new videos now runs directly with live progress (Core 1.6.2+), without waiting for the background scheduler. Keep this page open while it reads uploads and processes videos one at a time. Refresh the detailed results for individual outcomes. The active start date and Shorts destination appear above the button: choose Add to homepage Shorts row and a date covering the missing clips. Changing these settings still requires Save connection & settings. API errors explain the reason and retry timing; an uncertain network response asks you to refresh before trying again.
Moving from Auto Poster: let any old import finish, review the compatible defaults, and check the explicit switch confirmation. Saving with imports enabled deactivates the old plugin and clears only its own schedules. Its settings and your content stay in place. A renamed copy of the same old plugin is recognized too; network activation must be handled by a network administrator. This setup supports one channel, not the old plugin's multi-channel workflows.
Uploading this update alone never enables imports. You can close the admin page after setup. WordPress scheduled jobs depend on site requests; ask your host to configure a server cron if checks must run reliably on a quiet site. Pause stops after the current video, preserving the queue. Re-enable in Connection & import settings to resume.
Changed thumbnails
Imported sermon thumbnails are checked separately each day. Automatic replacement applies only to images identified as importer-created; choosing a different image stops automatic replacement. A saved YouTube image URL can stay the same while the image bytes change. WordPress cron needs traffic or a host cron to run reliably.
For one sermon, use Refresh from YouTube in its Featured image panel. For a batch, use the thumbnail check on the imports screen. A worker currently importing another video can ask you to retry shortly; do not delete the lock or repeatedly start overlapping work.