WP125 1.1 Released

Sep 12, 2008 by Matt | Posted in Featured, WordPress 30 Comments

The WordPress 125×125 ad management plugin has just got better. I’ve just released version 1.1.0, which improves performance, adds several customization options, as well as a few major features.

New is version 1.1:

  • Setting to change the widget title.
  • Option to remove the default ad styling, enabling you to use your own CSS rules.
  • Settings are no longer stored in a database table, but in WordPress’s built-in Options system. This reduces database queries, and improves performance.
  • Admin menu functions are no longer included outside of the WordPress Admin (hehe :D ).
  • A few other tweaks were made of efficiency and security nature.
  • Major feature: If you supply an email address in the options page, you can opt to receive email notifications when ads expire, allowing you to easily send follow-up emails to advertisers, or simply just stay in the know.
  • Major feature: Placeholder ads! If an ad slot is empty, instead of not being shown, a placeholder ad (a.k.a “Your ad here” image) will be shown, linking to your sales page.

Download the plugin here, or just use the WordPress 2.5+ automated plugin updater.

If you have any suggestions, or if you find a bug, please leave a comment or shoot me an email.

EDIT: Everyone using 1.1.0, please upgrade to 1.1.1, unless you don’t mind your ads being unclickable. A stupid mistake on my part caused the issue in 1.1.0. It’s been patched now.

EDIT: Arg!!! I made another mistake. Version 1.1.1 is identical to 1.1.0, and therefore didn’t get the fix. Please use 1.1.2. :D

ANOTHER EDIT: Another bug squished. 1.1.3 is out, everyone. Fixes an issue with the slot dropdown on the Add/Edit page.

  • http://slightlymordant.com Mik

    Just upgraded the plugin and my ads are now all butted up together and not clickable or displaying alt test.

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    @Mik… Er, that was such a stupid mistake! 1.1.1 patch coming before you can blink!

  • http://blogbuildingu.com/ Hendry Lee

    I especially like the second follow up feature. Another level of automation that frees an item from my PIM.

  • http://slightlymordant.com Mik

    Thanks Matt, what service, appreciate the work.

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    @Hendry Lee, Glad you like it. Michael Martin requested it as well, and it makes sense. Most people check their email more often than their WordPress admin.

    @Mik (and everyone using 1.1.0), I’ve just committed 1.1.1 to the SVN repository. The plugin page should update in 15-20 minutes. I’m not sure about your issue with the ads being up against each other. Maybe the “default style” setting is off?

  • http://slightlymordant.com Mik

    I’ve got the use default stylesheet option checked, I’ll see what happens when the plugin is updated.Thanks again.

  • http://guntotingliberal.com The GTL™

    Excellent plugin!  Two things — even after upgrading to 1.1.1, the ad still isn’t clickable (default ad in my case)?
    Another thing I’d LOVE to see in a future version is the ability to place more than one ad set in a multi-columned theme.  In the meantime, is there a workaround for this you would suggest? 
    Thanks again :-)

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    @The GTL, Do you have the ad sales page link set in your Settings?

  • http://guntotingliberal.com The GTL™

    Hi Matt…
    I did.  I had all the proper settings and couldn’t get the ad image to be clickable no matter what I did.  I uninstalled, re-installed, cleared cache, etc., but it wouldn’t work for me.  As of right now, I’ve just gone back to 1.0.0. again and it’s working just fine.  Go figure, eh? Did anybody else have this problem with 1.1.1 or is it just something on my end I wonder?

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    Today just isn’t my day. I just put out 1.1.2. Apparently I just uploaded the old version as 1.1.1, so no one got the fix. 1.1.2 has the ad click fix that 1.1.1 was *supposed* to have.

  • http://wpstart.org Terje

    Hey, thanks for a great plugin :)
    But, when i put in more than 6 ads and put them in random the “Advertise here” comes up, sometimes to of them. Is it possible to avoid that?In a future update will it be possible to get more than 2 columns, maybe as many as we want? Another bug is when I use the code without putting it in a div (with height set at  400px (2×3 ads)) the widget under gets messed up (the h2 bg from the widget under gets placed under the ads).

    • nick

      I have the same problem as Terje (I'm running WP2.7 and plugin version 1.3.6) and I'm absolutely certain I have the correct settings. It's pretty easy, I have two columns and two ad placements, there's not much to go wrong. But still the default ad shows up about 1 in 5 when the Ad Order is set to Random. Under Normal the default ad never shows, but then the ads don't randomly place. It is a bug.

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    @Terje, To answer your first question, if you have more than six active ads at a time, or intend to anyway, make sure you go to the settings page and set the number of ad slots to the correct number. As for your secon question, it is possible if you have the CSS skills (just go to the settings page, disable the default styles, and then go crazy with the CSS). Your 400px bug is a combination of the way the plugin is set up along with how your theme is, probably. If you have a problem with it, seek CSS advice (w3schools.invisionzone.com is a good place for CSS advice).

  • http://guntotingliberal.com The GTL™

    Just thought I’d poke my way back in here to let you know I upgraded to 1.1.2 and it RAWKS!  Thanks for the update and congrats to you for your great plugin finally getting the press it deserves :-)

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    I just released 1.1.3, which fixes a bug many of you have been having (mainly new users). The patch fixes an issue caused by the migration to the wp_options system to handle the plugin settings. Essentially, first-time installers wouldn’t get any options in the Slot dropdown on the Add/Edit page. Those who upgraded from prior versions have a slightly different issue, where they get the slot dropdown, but the dropdown won’t add or remove options when you change the number of ad slots on your settings page.

  • http://www.intheleed.com Pat

    Hey Matt,I’m hoping to incorporate your plugin into my webpage – it couldn’t have come at a better time. Problem is, when I install is, i get this error at the top of my wordpress plugins page:

    Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argument is expected to be a valid callback, ‘wp125_add_admin_menu’ was given in /home/inthelee/public_html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 164

    When I deactivate it, it then says:

    Warning: Cannot modify header information – headers already sent
    by (output started at
    /home/inthelee/public_html/wp-includes/plugin.php:164) in /home/inthelee/public_html/wp-includes/pluggable.php on line 391

    Not sure what’s going on, and was wondering if you could help =)I do have an adsense plugin running as wel, and I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. Thanks – it’s very much appreciated! Cheers.-Pat

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    @Pat, What version of WordPress are you running? What AdSense plugin specifically? Have you tried temporarily deactivating the AdSense plugin before activating WP125, in order to see if that’s the problem?

    What other plugins do you have installed? It may not be another ad plugin conflicting, it could be anything.

  • http://www.intheleed.com Pat

    Hey Matt,I’m using WP2.3.2 and I am using the following plugins:
    adsense manager
    askimet
    all in one seo pack
    astickypostorderer
    author highlight
    CformsII
    Configurable Tag Cloud
    Get Recent Comments
    Google XML Sitemaps
    My Category Order
    My Link Order
    My Page Order
    Page Link Manager
    ShareThis
    Subscribe to comments
    Wordpress.com Stats
    WPcache

    Any help would be awesome. I’m afraid to update, because I can’t afford the risk of losing data, and I have a book launching on the site on October 1st. Nothing hasn’t worked until your plugin, and everything has been fine, so I don’t feel like i need to change. What your opinion? Thanks Matt.

  • http://www.intheleed.com Pat

    Ok, so i said, the hell with it and i upgraded to 2.6.1. Your plugin is now working without the error messages I had before. Thanks for your help!

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    Whoa, 2.3.2… I’ll have to test the plugin on that version and see if I a reproduce the bug. 2.3.x seems like it was so long ago… :D

    Thanks for the data, and enjoy the plugin.

  • mike

    I just installed wp125 and i can-t set the slot number for the ads and they don-t show on the front page ..

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    @mike First of all, which version of WP125 are you using? Second, do you have the widget added, or the template tag if you don’t use widgets?

  • mike

    1.1.3 is the version and with either one, widget or code added into the sidebar i just the slot option does not work, it shows blank, and all my banners are add in slot 0 and none of them show up. and i`m also using wordpress 2.6.2

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    @mike, Have you tried removing the plugin, re-downloading it and then installing it again? Are there any other plugins you have installed that may be conflicting with WP125?

  • mike

    yes i have tried,i also tried the 1.1.2 version and got the same result, well that i don`t really know, i don`t have any other ad plugin installed, is there a list with plugins that might conflict with yours?

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    @mike, Try the new 1.1.4 version. The only plugin that I actually *know* conflicts is WP Super Cache (and a workaround is covered in the README).

  • mike

    the new 1.1.5 version works like a charm, thaks a million! :D

  • http://www.webmaster-source.com Matt

    @mike, Good. Hopefully no more bugs will turn up. I’d like to take a short break, then get to work *improving* the plugin instead of fixing things that should already be working.

    @everyone, If anyone’s been holding off upgrading to the 1.1.x line, your wait is over. No bugs reported since 1.1.5 was released. I think everything’s fixed now. Sorry about the chaos over the past few days. :D

  • http://www.alterfalter.de Stefan

    WP125 displays only 1 column, obviously because my sidebar ain’t wide enough. UBD Block Ad Plugin is working fine with two columns on my theme though. Unfortunately it doesn’t have the nice features of WP125.I guess I need to reduce the gap between two horizontal ads in WP125 – but where and how?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/redwall_hp redwall_hp

    Just edit the wp125/wp125.css file