Okay, so if you’re running a WordPress site and you’ve ever been like, “I need to make sure my posts don’t look bare without a featured image,” this one’s for you. It’s super simple to set up a default image for posts that don’t have one. You can either use a plugin or add some code. Here’s how:

Option 1: The Plugin Way

You know how plugins can make life easier? Yeah, that’s definitely the case here.

1. First, install and activate the Default Featured Image plugin. Just head to the WordPress plugin repository and search for it.
2. After it’s installed, go to Settings > Default Featured Image.
3. Upload your default image. It can be anything you like. It’ll be the go-to whenever a post doesn’t have a featured image.
4. Hit save.

That’s it. Now your posts won’t be looking naked without an image.

Option 2: The Code Method (For the Code Lovers)

Okay, if you’re more into doing things the custom way and don’t mind adding a bit of code, here’s a quick method:

1. Upload your default image to the Media Library and grab the image URL.
2. Now go to Appearance > Theme Editor and open the functions.php file.
3. At the bottom of the file, add this little snippet of code:

function set_default_featured_image($post_id) {
    if (!has_post_thumbnail($post_id)) {
        $default_image = 'YOUR_IMAGE_URL'; // Replace with your image URL
        set_post_thumbnail($post_id, $default_image);
    }
}
add_action('save_post', 'set_default_featured_image');

4. Don’t forget to replace 'YOUR_IMAGE_URL' with the URL you copied earlier.
5. Save it.

From now on, whenever you post something without a featured image, WordPress will automatically set the default one for you.