Atomic Element · Free

Elementor Featured Image Widget: every post's image, framed the same way

Portrait, landscape or square, every featured image fills the same frame in your blog cards and article headers, with the photographer's credit underneath. Free on Elementor Free.

Download free See the demos

Native Elementor 4 Atomic Element
Free on Elementor Free
16:9, 4:3, 1:1 or Auto
Photo credits shown automatically

Animation Addons 4.3Updated October 2026

The short answer

What is the Elementor featured image widget?

The Elementor featured image widget from Animation Addons, called Post Image, is an Elementor 4 Atomic Element that displays the current post's featured image. It crops to a fixed aspect ratio with object fit, loads the WordPress image size you pick, reserves space to prevent layout shift, and can show a caption as its own child element.

Many "Elementor V4 compatible" addons are classic v3 widgets running inside Elementor 4. Post Image is a real Atomic Element, so the frame and the caption each take Elementor 4 Classes and Variables.

Key factsAnimation Addons 4.3

Post Image key facts
Plan	Free
Element type	Native Elementor 4 Atomic Element (container with a Caption child)
Works with	Elementor Free and Elementor Pro, Atomic Editor on
Panel location	AAE Post category
Image Settings	Object Fit (Cover, Contain, Fill), Aspect Ratio (16:9, 4:3, 1:1 (Square), Auto), Image Size (Thumbnail, Medium, Medium Large, Large, Full)
Link Settings	Link URL (one fixed URL)
Caption Settings	Show Caption, Caption Source (Attachment Caption or Custom Caption), Custom Caption Text
Child elements	Caption (a native Paragraph; a Heading is also accepted)
Limits	No fallback image: a post without a featured image shows nothing; Link URL is the same for every post; loads one image size (no responsive srcset)
Plugin version	Animation Addons for Elementor 4.3 · Last updated October 2026

Demo variations

Six ways to use the Post Image.

Ideas you can build today with the Post Image and native Elementor 4 elements. Cards marked Pro add an Animation Addons Pro extension or element; the rest work on the free plugin.

01Magazine and news article templates

Magazine article hero with photo credit

A full-width 16:9 image under the headline, a small grey credit line beneath it, and a slow drift as the reader scrolls.

Built with: Post Image with Image Size Full, Aspect Ratio 16:9, Object Fit Cover; Show Caption on with Caption Source Attachment Caption, so credits written in the Media Library appear automatically.
Motion: Slow vertical drift with Parallax on Post Image (Pro extension).
Needs Pro: Parallax.

02Food blogs and Instagram-style recipe grids

Recipe grid of square photos (Free only)

A four-column grid of square dish photos with 16px rounded corners on cream; the photo zooms slightly on hover; the title sits below.

Built with: Post Image in a Loop Grid card with Aspect Ratio 1:1 (Square), Image Size Medium Large, border radius from the Style tab; hover zoom with Custom CSS (free extension): selector img { transition: transform .4s } selector:hover img { transform: scale(1.06) }.
Motion: CSS hover zoom only.

03Design studios and freelancers

Studio case-study cover in an arch

A tall cover image clipped to an arch shape beside the project title and services list; the image wipes into view as it enters the screen.

Built with: Post Image with Aspect Ratio Auto inside a Flexbox using the free Mask extension (built-in shape); Post Title and an Icon List beside it.
Motion: Image Animation "Reveal" on scroll, on Post Image (Pro extension).
Needs Pro: Image Animation.

04Shops building a simple product layout on Elementor 4

Product page image that never crops the packaging

The product's main image at 4:3 with Object Fit Contain on a pale grey panel, so jars and boxes are never cut off, next to the title, price and Add to Cart button.

Built with: Post Image (a WooCommerce product's main image is its featured image), Object Fit Contain, Aspect Ratio 4:3; Post Title, plus the Pro WooCommerce Product Price and Add to Cart elements.
Motion: The image tilts toward the cursor with Tilt (Pro extension).
Needs Pro: Product Price, Add to Cart and Tilt.

05Podcast and video series archives

Podcast artwork with an overlaid label (Free only)

Square cover art for each episode with a black "Listen now" pill sitting over the bottom-left corner of the image.

Built with: Post Image 1:1 with Show Caption on, Caption Source Custom Caption, Custom Caption Text "Listen now"; the Caption child set to Position absolute, bottom 12px, left 12px in its own Style tab (Post Image's frame is already position relative with overflow hidden).
Motion: None.

06Knowledge bases and product changelog pages

Changelog list with light thumbnails (Free only)

A compact one-column list with a 96px-wide 4:3 thumbnail beside each entry title, loading the small Thumbnail file for speed.

Built with: Post Image with Image Size Thumbnail, Aspect Ratio 4:3, fixed width from the Style tab, in a one-column Loop Grid.
Motion: None.

Features

What you get with the Post Image.

Every option below is a real control in the Post Image panel or part of how the element renders. Nothing here needs custom code.

The featured image, pulled in automatically

Post Image reads the featured image of whichever post is shown, in a single template or each Loop Grid card, with alt text from the Media Library.

Even grids from uneven photos

16:9, 4:3 or 1:1 (Square) make every image fill the same frame; Auto keeps the photo's own proportions. Object Fit chooses Cover, Contain or Fill.

The right file for the job

Image Size decides which WordPress size loads: Thumbnail for small lists, Large or Full for heroes.

No jumping content

Width and height are written on the image, and with Auto the frame reserves the photo's real proportions, so text below stays put while it loads, even under lazy-loading cache plugins.

Captions as their own element

Show Caption displays the Attachment Caption or a Custom Caption in a separate Caption element with its own Style panel, so you can restyle or overlay it without touching the image.

A finished preview while you design

On the canvas, Post Image previews a real published post with a featured image, the same post Post Title previews, so cards look complete.

Built on the atomic base

How the Post Image widget is built (atomic structure)

Why it mattersThe caption is a separate atomic element inside a positioned frame, so it can sit under the image or over it, and one Class restyles every caption on the site.

StructureNavigator

Post Imageframe: aspect ratio, position relative, overflow hidden, optional link
- Imagethe featured image, with object fit
- CaptionParagraph child, rendered only when Show Caption is on

Step by step

How to add the featured image widget in Elementor 4

Five steps, from installing the plugin to publishing the page. The bold names are the exact labels you will see in the Elementor 4 panel.

Download free

Install and activate Animation Addons for Elementor, then open a Single template or a Loop Grid card with the Atomic Editor on.
From AAE Post in the Elements panel, drag Post Image into place.
In Image Settings, choose Aspect Ratio, Object Fit and Image Size.
Optional: in Caption Settings, turn on Show Caption and choose the source.
Set border radius, width and spacing in the Style tab, then preview on tablet and mobile.

Honest comparison

Elementor Atomic Image vs Animation Addons Post Image

What each option has, side by side. We list where the other choice is the better fit, too.

Elementor Atomic Image vs Animation Addons Post Image
Feature	Elementor Atomic Image	Animation Addons Post Image
Requires Elementor Pro	No	No
Native Elementor 4 Atomic Element	Yes	Yes
Shows the current post's featured image	Only through a dynamic tag	Yes, automatically in templates and loop cards
Caption	No caption setting	Attachment or custom caption, as a child element
Link	Yes, Link setting	Yes, Link URL
Image from an external URL	Yes	No, featured image only

Compared with Elementor 4.3.3 (September 2026).

Which one to pick

For a fixed image, such as a logo or hero photo, Elementor's Atomic Image is the right element. Use Post Image wherever the picture should change with the post. Elementor Pro's classic Featured Image widget covers the same job only with a Pro licence.

Who it's for

Who uses the Post Image?

The people who get the most out of it, and what they use it for.

Bloggers and publishers
Who want consistent images across archives.
Agencies
Building card layouts that stay even with any client photo.
Portfolio sites
That need tall or masked cover images.
Shops
Showing product images in Elementor 4 templates.

FAQ

Questions about the Post Image

How do I show the featured image in an Elementor template without Elementor Pro?

Install the free Animation Addons for Elementor plugin and drag the Post Image element from the AAE Post category into your single template or Loop Grid card. Animation Addons Post Image shows the current post's featured image automatically and runs on Elementor Free with the Atomic Editor turned on.

How do I make all featured images the same size in an Elementor grid?

Set Animation Addons Post Image's Aspect Ratio to 16:9, 4:3 or 1:1 and Object Fit to Cover. Every featured image then fills the same frame, cropping the edges as needed, so cards in a grid line up even when the original photos are portrait, landscape or square.

What shows when a post has no featured image?

On the live site, Animation Addons Post Image renders nothing when a post has no featured image, so there is no broken frame, and there is no fallback image option. To keep grids even, turn on the Loop Grid's Only With Featured Image filter or set a featured image on every post.

Can I link a featured image to its own post in a loop?

Animation Addons Post Image's Link URL stores one fixed address, so in a Loop Grid every card would link to the same page. To link each card to its own post, use a post-URL dynamic tag on the link, or use the Animation Addons Posts Grid, which links every image to its post automatically.

Does the Post Image widget cause layout shift or slow pages?

No. Animation Addons Post Image writes the image's width and height and reserves its aspect ratio before the file loads, so content below stays in place and Cumulative Layout Shift stays low. Choose the smallest Image Size that looks sharp, such as Medium Large for cards, to keep pages fast on mobile.

Is the Post Image widget accessible and SEO friendly?

Yes. Animation Addons Post Image outputs a standard img tag in the page HTML with the alt text saved in the WordPress Media Library, so search engines and screen readers get a description. Fill in alt text for every featured image; an empty alt marks the picture as decorative.

Can I animate the featured image?

Yes. Animation Addons Pro extensions such as Image Animation (Reveal, Scale, Stretch), Parallax and Tilt work on the Post Image element. The free plugin's Mask extension can clip a Flexbox around the image to a shape, and Custom CSS can add a simple hover zoom, both without Pro.

More answers in the FAQ · Documentation · Free vs Pro

Pairs well with

Related Atomic Elements

Elements that work well with the Post Image on the same page or template.

See all Atomic Elements

Frame every post the same way

Post Image is free on Elementor Free. Add Pro image animations when you want motion.