# Link Featured Images to Their Posts

> Wraps featured images on blog, archive and search pages in a link to the post, for themes that show the image without one. Works with classic themes and the Featured Image block.

- Type: PHP
- Runs: Frontend only
- Category: [Archives](https://wpide.com/library/category/archive/)
- Tags: archive, featured-image, links
- Author: WPIDE Team
- Installs: 0
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Page: https://wpide.com/library/link-featured-images-to-posts/

## Code

```php
// The image link repeats the title link, so it is hidden from screen readers and skipped by the Tab key.
$wpide_featured_link_open = function ( $post_id ) {
    return '<a href="' . esc_url( get_permalink( $post_id ) ) . '" class="wpide-featured-image-link" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">';
};

$wpide_featured_link_skip = function ( $post_id ) {
    return ! $post_id || is_admin() || is_feed() || ( is_singular() && (int) $post_id === get_queried_object_id() );
};

// Classic themes: the_post_thumbnail() and get_the_post_thumbnail().
add_filter( 'post_thumbnail_html', function ( $html, $post_id ) use ( $wpide_featured_link_open, $wpide_featured_link_skip ) {
    if ( '' === trim( (string) $html ) || wp_is_block_theme() || false !== stripos( $html, '<a ' ) || $wpide_featured_link_skip( $post_id ) ) {
        return $html;
    }

    return $wpide_featured_link_open( $post_id ) . $html . '</a>';
}, 10, 2 );

// Block themes: the Featured Image block when "Link to post" is switched off.
add_filter( 'render_block_core/post-featured-image', function ( $content, $block, $instance = null ) use ( $wpide_featured_link_open, $wpide_featured_link_skip ) {
    $post_id = ( $instance instanceof WP_Block && ! empty( $instance->context['postId'] ) ) ? (int) $instance->context['postId'] : 0;

    if ( '' === trim( (string) $content ) || ! empty( $block['attrs']['isLink'] ) || false !== stripos( $content, '<a ' ) || $wpide_featured_link_skip( $post_id ) ) {
        return $content;
    }

    return preg_replace_callback( '/<img\b[^>]*>/i', function ( $match ) use ( $wpide_featured_link_open, $post_id ) {
        return $wpide_featured_link_open( $post_id ) . $match[0] . '</a>';
    }, $content, 1 );
}, 10, 3 );
```

## Notes

Images that already have a link are left alone, including Featured Image blocks with "Link to post" switched on. If a classic theme puts its own link around the image from outside, turn this off to avoid a link inside a link. The extra link is hidden from screen readers and the Tab key because the post title already links to the same page.

## How to use it

Install the free WPIDE plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpide/), find "Link Featured Images to Their Posts" in its snippet library and add it in one click; or create a new PHP snippet in WPIDE (or any code snippets plugin) and paste the code above. More snippets: https://wpide.com/library/