ByTheWeb AI - Full Changelog

= 1.9.7 =
* Removed the AI Article Wizard, Auto Pilot, article idea generation, and related article-generation workflows.
* Removed AI image generation and related featured-image generation workflows.
* Added a clear AI-processing notice to Media Metadata Optimization before sending image URLs for AI analysis.
* Updated plugin setup, settings, and documentation around AI Audit, FAQ Schema, and Media Metadata Optimization.
* Added clear documentation for optional plugin Usage Tracking and the data collected when enabled.

= 1.9.6 =
* Fixed minor text issues.
* Removed temporary load_plugin_textdomain() compatibility code.
* Added clearer review and responsibility notices for AI-generated articles and images.
* Added explicit consent and server-side safeguards for Auto Pilot automatic publishing.
* Added AI-generation disclosure to articles created by the Article Wizard and Auto Pilot.
* Added internal provenance metadata for AI-generated images, including provider, model, fallback status, generation record time, and plugin version.
* Improved Auto Pilot notifications to clearly distinguish drafts from automatically published articles.

= 1.9.5 =
* Updated compatibility for WordPress 7.1.
* Fixed the Admin Bar AI icon across WordPress admin screens.
* Updated the Admin Bar credits link to open the Packages tab.
* Added a new Getting Started setup experience for first-time activation.
* Added API Key connection and verification to the Getting Started flow.
* Added optional Usage Tracking controls and a new Privacy & Usage settings tab.
* Improved the main Dashboard with quick access to key AI tools and settings.
* Added an AI disclosure notice to articles created with the Article Wizard and Auto Pilot.

= 1.9.4 =
* Fixed duplicate credit charging for metadata generated with AI-created images.
* Added included-metadata support to the Featured Image Generator, Article Wizard, and Auto Pilot.
* Added per-article credit cost to the Auto Pilot confirmation summary.
* Improved Help & Guides links throughout the plugin.
* Removed outdated Video Guide buttons and updated Support labels to "Help & Guides".

= 1.9.3 =
* Added secure signed scanner launch parameters for scans opened from the AI Audit page.

= 1.9.2 =
* Improved the API Connection & Credits pricing interface.
* Removed the extra AI Audit description text.

= 1.9.1 =
* Fix: Display exact bytheweb.cloud prices with decimals instead of rounded numbers.

= 1.9.0 =
* Added compatibility with Rank Math SEO.
* Added a unified SEO provider system for Yoast SEO, Rank Math SEO, and ByTheWeb GEO.
* Added Rank Math SEO integration to the AI Article Wizard and Auto Pilot.
* Generated SEO titles, meta descriptions, and focus keywords are now synchronized with the active supported SEO provider.
* Improved the Article Wizard and Auto Pilot interfaces to accurately reflect the active SEO and GEO plugins.
* Removed the legacy Site Analysis page and related dashboard functionality.
* Removed the legacy SEO Audit page and related settings.
* Simplified dashboard issue counters to focus on Media Optimization issues.
* Updated plugin texts and interfaces to remove outdated Yoast-only references.

= 1.8.2 =
* Added a new AI Audit page with direct access to the ByTheWeb AI Website Scanner for the current site domain.
* Added AI engine availability indicators for ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude based on the website's API connection status.
* Improved API Key verification so invalid or domain-mismatched keys are rejected and not saved.
* Improved the AI Audit interface with a fixed site-domain display and a clear connection notice for enabling all supported AI engines.
* Removed automatic plugin activation and deactivation analytics.

= 1.8.1 =
* Added the new bytheweb branding.

= 1.7.9 =
* Improvement: Enhanced the SEO Audit table to accurately reflect the final, computed SEO Titles and Meta Descriptions. The report now fully evaluates global templates, smart variables (like `%%title%%` for Yoast or `%post_title%` for GEO), and automated excerpt fallbacks, ensuring you see exactly what search engines see rather than just raw database values.
* Tweak: Set "Pages" as the default active tab when visiting the SEO Audit page for a smoother workflow.
* Tweak: Expanded "SEO Audit" page accessibility to all users with content editing capabilities (`edit_posts`), making it hidden only for Subscribers.
* Security: Restricted the "API Connection & Credits" settings tab exclusively to Administrators (`manage_options`), while granting Editors (`edit_others_posts`) access to manage all other configuration tabs.

= 1.7.8 =
* UI/UX: Renamed the "Yoast Settings" tab to "SEO Audit" and removed icons from all tab titles for a cleaner, unified interface.
* Compatibility: The "SEO Audit" tab and its settings are now fully accessible if either ByTheWeb GEO or Yoast SEO is active.
* Tweak: Hid the "Keyword" column in the SEO Audit table when Yoast SEO is inactive (as ByTheWeb GEO no longer utilizes Focus Keywords for scoring).

= 1.7.7 =
* Fix: Resolved a critical JSON decoding bug where FAQ schemas containing double quotes or special characters were breaking and failing to display via the shortcode.

= 1.7.6 =
* Compatible to Woedpress 7.0
* New: Dedicated Elementor Widget for the AI FAQ Generator with advanced styling controls (Columns, Colors, Typography, Icon customization).
* Improvement: SEO Audit tool now fully supports ByTheWeb GEO fields when Yoast SEO is inactive.
* UX: Added original upload location (parent post) details in the Media Optimization page, including quick links to view and edit the parent post.
* Tweak: Replaced the `[btw_faq]` shortcode with `[btwgeo_faq]` for better compatibility (backward compatibility maintained).
* Tweak: Smartly hide promotional banners if ByTheWeb GEO is already active.
* Tweak: Updated the promotional banner with responsive images and a direct internal WordPress installation link.
* UI: Updated plugin name to "ByTheWeb AI - Content Generator & AI Assistant" with a standard hyphen to comply with WordPress.org guidelines.

= 1.7.5 =
* Compliance Update: Added a legal disclaimer to all AI image generation features (Article Wizard, Post Editor, and Auto Pilot) to remind users to review AI-generated media for third-party rights prior to publishing.
* UI/UX: Integrated a direct link to the Terms of Service within the image generation approval modals for better transparency.

= 1.7.4 =
* Update: Service URL bytheweb.cloud.
* Fix: Auto Pilot settings can now be saved immediately without the summary modal when the pilot is disabled.

= 1.7.3 =
* Fix: Translation support for Hebrew sites.
* Fix: Update plugin Description text.

= 1.7.2 =
Fix: Dashboard banner CSS cache issue
= 1.7.1 =
* Documentation: Fully updated readme.txt with the new 4-step Article Wizard workflow, comprehensive feature details, and a clear breakdown of free vs. AI-powered tools.

= 1.7.0 =
* New Feature: Added [btw_faq] shortcode to easily display generated FAQs on the frontend.
* Customization: Added FAQ frontend display settings (Standard, Accordion, Toggle) directly in the plugin settings.
* Performance: Frontend CSS and JS for the FAQ shortcode strictly follow WordPress.org guidelines and load only when the shortcode is used.
* Integration: Full compatibility with ByTheWeb GEO plugin. Auto-generated articles now instantly populate GEO fields (Short Answer, AI Summary).
* Smart Tags: AI-generated articles now automatically generate and assign highly relevant WordPress tags to improve site structure.
* New: Internal Links Dictionary - Define up to 10 keywords and URLs. The AI will automatically and naturally weave up to 3 of these links into your newly generated articles.
* New: AJAX Content Search - Easily find and select internal posts, pages, or products directly from the Internal Links settings using a fast AJAX search.
* New: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Support - AI now automatically generates 'Short Answer' and 'AI Summary (Key Facts)' fields for better visibility in AI search engines.
* New: Auto-Tags Generation - The AI now generates and assigns 5 highly relevant WordPress tags for each new article.
* Improved: Prompt Chaining Architecture - Completely rebuilt the AI generation engine to use a two-step process. This ensures 100% strict compliance with SEO metadata limits.
* Improved: Perfect SEO Focus Keywords - The AI now smartly extracts a concise (1-3 words) Focus Keyword directly from the topic and seamlessly integrates it into the SEO Title and Meta Description.
* Improved: Auto Pilot Compatibility - Auto Pilot now fully supports the new Internal Linking and GEO features.
* Fixed: SEO Title & Meta Description lengths to perfectly align with Yoast SEO requirements (Green score).
* Backward Compatibility: Full support maintained for older plugin versions (1.6.9 and below) to ensure stable API usage.

= 1.6.96 =
* Compliance: Updated terminology to strictly align with WordPress.org Serviceware guidelines (Guideline 6).
* UI/UX: Replaced "License Key" with "API Key" across the plugin to accurately reflect the external cloud connection architecture.
* UI/UX: Removed "Trial" and "Locked" terminology. Clarified that local built-in features are 100% free and unrestricted, and the API key is used solely for external AI cloud computations.
* UI/UX: Replaced restrictive lock icons with standard cloud and sparkle icons to prevent confusion regarding built-in functionality.

= 1.6.95 =
* Security: Implemented deep sanitization (`map_deep`) for nested JSON POST data (FAQ Schema) to ensure maximum safety.
* Security: Upgraded `register_setting` array sanitization using strict whitelist callbacks and `sanitize_key`.
* Security: Improved sanitization of POST array keys to prevent malicious input.
* UI/UX: Adjusted the admin dashboard menu position to integrate seamlessly with the WordPress core hierarchy.
* Documentation: Expanded the 3rd-party external service (AIPM) documentation with precise data transmission details and policy links.

= 1.6.9 =
* Compliance Update: Updated all plugin prefixes to ensure strict naming convention compliance and avoid global collisions.
* UI/UX Improvements: Removed physical UI overlays. The local plugin interface is now completely unrestricted and fully accessible at all times.
* Access Control: License and credit validations are now elegantly handled via JS and API checks only when triggering external AI services, providing a smoother experience.
* Performance: Cleaned up inline CSS/JS and properly enqueued all assets according to WordPress best practices.
* Code Cleanup: Removed redundant `load_plugin_textdomain()` call as WordPress now handles translations automatically from the directory.
* UI Polish: Upgraded the FAQ schema generator box to a new premium dark design and added dynamic status icons to AI action buttons.

= 1.6.8 =
* Security Enhancements: Improved input sanitization and validation across all AJAX endpoints to fully comply with WordPress.org security standards.
* Code Optimization: Resolved minor PHPCS warnings and improved meta_query structures.

= 1.6.7 =
* Reordered Dashboard hub for better user experience.
* Added AI Auto Pilot module for scheduled content generation.
* Masked license key field (password type) for better security.
* Updated Admin Bar credit notice for accounts without active packages.
* Added strict user capability checks to all AJAX endpoints for enhanced security.

= 1.6.4 =
* Improved AI Article Wizard flow.
* Added support for realistic image generation.
* Enhanced SEO audit capabilities.
* Fixed minor UI bugs.

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release.