Changelog

Version 1.7.2 (July 10th, 2023)

  • Security fixes

Version 1.7.1 (February 2nd, 2022)

  • FIX - Security fix

Version 1.7.0 ( November 1st, 2021 )

  • FIX - Menu disappears when selecting the "order by views" on archive pages

Version 1.6.9 ( April 9th, 2021 )

  • NEW - Added WhatsApp sharing
  • FIX - Issue with image/text vertical centering in the top small carousel

Version 1.6.8.1 ( April 1st, 2021 )

  • FIX - PHP 8 issue with theme update

Version 1.6.8 ( March 16th, 2021 )

  • FIX - Video embeds via Gutenberg are now responsive

Version 1.6.7 ( February 16th, 2021 )

  • NEW - Added archive filters (order by latest, views or comments), can be enabled in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Other
  • FIX - Issue with horizontal spacing on images added with Gutenberg

Version 1.6.6 ( December 9th, 2020 )

  • FIX - Issue with encoding for the "share via email" functionality

Version 1.6.5 ( September 24th, 2020)

  • FIX - Minor issue with text displayed on homepage

Version 1.6.4 ( September 1st, 2020 )

  • NEW - Option to select which categories to include on the homepage

Version 1.6.2 ( May 23rd, 2020 )

  • Fix - Conflict with Thrive Architect plugin, page automatically refreshes

Version 1.6.1 ( April 27th, 2020 )

  • FIX - Undefined index PHP notice when promo boxes disabled in the options
  • FIX - Issue with array to string conversion for "show on" option making the footer posts not show up while in the Customizer
  • FIX - Removed default values for promo box 6 subtitle and footer posts category that applied when in the Customizer

Version 1.6.0 ( April 21st, 2020 )

  • IMPROVEMENT - Compatibility with the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed for displaying Instagram images in the footer. Just activate the plugin, go to WP admin > Instagram Feed and click the button to connect to your Instagram account, no need for any additional settings changes.
  • FIX - Disabling the share count for "Blog Post Single" wasn't applied to mobile view.

Version 1.5.9 ( March 17th, 2020 )

  • NEW - Option to add an ad banner after the header

Version 1.5.8 ( February 9th, 2020 )

  • FIX - Fixes issue with Font Awesome icons

Version 1.5.7 ( January 31st, 2020 )

  • NEW - Option to move the homepage promo boxes after the posts listing ( option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Promo Boxes ).

Version 1.5.6 ( January 7th, 2020 )

  • NEW - Option to set the image to be used when sharing a post to Pinterest via the sharing elements in the theme. Option located in the "Post Options" when adding/editing a post.

Version 1.5.5 ( December 16th, 2019 )

  • IMPROVEMENT - Switched to FontAwesome version 5 for icons. Version 4 still available, theme can be set to version 4 in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Other.

Version 1.5.4 ( December 3rd, 2019 )

  • NEW - Options to place custom content in several positions on the homepage

Version 1.5.3 ( November 25th, 2019 )

  • NEW - Option to show modified date in the post meta ( option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Blog Posts Listing ).

Version 1.5.2 ( November 2nd, 2019 )

  • TWEAK - Cleaned up font family values in CSS to make it easier to change globally

Version 1.5.1 ( September 17th, 2019 )

  • NEW - Option to add global content ( text/HTML ) at the top of the main content area on blog post single page. Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Blog Post Single
  • FIX - Twitter share functionality not working
  • TWEAK - Removed Google+ sharing functionality

Version 1.5.0 ( June 26th, 2019 )

  • NEW - Option to enable/disable "Dynamic Delays for API calls" for social share counts. If you have a lot of posts and a lot of traffic you might hit the Facebook API call limits. If that happens enable this option. It will cache the sharing count information longer for older posts. Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Social Sharing Counts. 
  • TWEAK - Option for "Facebook App ID" and "Facebook App Secret" moved from "Other" to "Social Sharing Counts" section in Customizer.
  • FIX - Issue with carousel/slider not working properly on mobile phones

Version 1.4.9 ( June 14th, 2019 )

  • IMPROVEMENT - OwlCarousel switched to version 2
  • NEW - Option to set the small and big carousel to automatically adjust height ( to be as tall as the currently visible item ). Options located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Header. 

Version 1.4.8 ( May 27th, 2019 )

  • FIX - Compatibility with Facebook API changes ( for share counts )
  • TWEAK - Force browsers to get rid of the cached style.css and reload it on new theme versions

Version 1.4.7 ( April 18th, 2019 )

  • FIX - PHP 7.2 deprecated function notice

Version 1.4.6 ( March 8th, 2019 )

  • NEW - Option to disable the floating share icons on single blog posts. Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Blog Post Single.

Version 1.4.5 ( December 17th, 2018 )

  • NEW - Option to use a custom image resizer instead of WordPress image resizing functionality ( to avoid creation of too many images, the custom resizer only creates the needed versions ). Option to switch to the custom resizer in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Other ( option name is Image Resizing Functionality )

Version 1.4.4 ( December 5th, 2018 )

  • TWEAK - CMB2 removed from the theme and is now being loaded as a plugin

Version 1.4.3 ( October 29th, 2018 )

  • IMPROVEMENT - carousel and carousel-small are no longer displayed in the "tags listing" at the end of blog post content.

Version 1.4.2 ( October 19th, 2018 )

  • IMPROVEMENT - Changed the mobile navigation system from <select> system to an HTML dropdown list

Version 1.4.1 ( October 8th, 2018 )

  • NEW - Sticky sidebar. Can be enabled in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Other.
  • IMPROVEMENT - Tags options for the carousel now support multiple tags. Separate multiple tags with a comma, example: tag-one,tag-two,tag-three
  • FIX - Active menu items didn't have a special color applied to them
  • FIX - If using a CDN for images, the "Big Carousel Height" option will not work because it uses a custom function to resize the image "on the fly" ( which WordPress can not do ). But it relies on the images being stored and served from the server. So, if using a CDN switch the option Big Carousel - Items Height Resizer to WordPress Native Functionality

Version 1.4.0 ( October 1st, 2018 )

  • NEW - Options to change the tags that are used for the big and small carousel at the top ( options located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Header )
  • NEW - Option to disable the "related posts" section for "Style A" listing ( option located in WP admin > Appearance > Other )
  • FIX - Fixed issue with navigation and social sharing overlapping when navigation is set to be sticky
  • FIX - PHP notice error for carousels when in the Customizer mode

Version 1.3.9 ( August 3rd, 2018 )

  • FIX - Issue with Pinterest sharing ( was not showing a description for the pin )

Version 1.3.8 ( August 1st, 2018 )

  • NEW - Option to make the featured posts carousels at the top autoplay ( options located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Header )
  • NEW - Option to set the posts in the footer not to show posts older than X days ( option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Footer )
  • NEW - Option to exclude tags on the homepage ( option located under "Homepage Options" when editing the page that serves as the front page )
  • TWEAK - Footer posts no longer put sticky posts at the beginning

Version 1.3.7 ( July 16th, 2018 )

  • NEW - Option to set where ( home, pages, posts, archive, search results show ) the big carousel shows ( WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Header)
  • NEW - Option to set the height for the big carousel images ( WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Header)
  • NEW - Option to change the amount of items per slide for the big carousel ( WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Header)
  • NEW - Option to set where ( home, pages, posts, archive, search results show ) the small carousel shows ( WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Header)
  • NEW - Option to set where ( home, pages, posts, archive, search results show ) the footer posts carousel shows ( WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Footer )

Version 1.3.6 ( July 9th, 2018 )

  • NEW - Option to show advertisement banner at the top of the footer area ( option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Ad Banners )

Version 1.3.5 ( May 30th, 2018 )

  • FIX - Added checkbox option to comment form for optional saving information

Version 1.3.4 ( April 25th, 2018 )

  • NEW - Option to disable cropping of featured images ( WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Other ). Install and run the plugin Force Regenerate Thumbnails after changing this option so WordPress recreates the new image sizes.
  • TWEAK - Removed creation of several image sizes that were not needed.

Version 1.3.3 ( April 23rd, 2018 )

  • TWEAK - Removed the need to enter Instagram User ID for the Instagram footer section
  • TWEAK - Removed featured image cropping for the main posts listing.

Version 1.3.2 ( March 27th, 2018 )

  • NEW - The theme now supports OptinForms for the subscribe widget, which allows you to connect it to popular newsletter service providers such as MailChimp instead of the "self-hosted" system from MailPoet.

Version 1.3.1 ( March 24th, 2018 )

  • NEW - Option to enable caption for the feature image on single blog post page. Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Blog post single.
  • FIX - Instagram API no longer supports a 320x320 image, only 150x150 is available so the footer area now uses that version and since it's quite small we've made it show 12 per row.

Version 1.3.0 ( January 24th, 2018 )

  • NEW - Option to set the "small carousel" to only show on homepage ( by default shows on all pages ). Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Other
  • NEW - Option to enable mobile navigation for the primary menu. Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Header
  • TWEAK - The top bar navigation now supports submenus
  • TWEAK - Class "about-author-id-NUM" added to the about author box ( after content on single blog post and on top of the author archives ) so developers can target the box for specific authors with CSS

Version 1.2.9 ( January 19th, 2018 )

  • FIX - Instagram images functionality was broken due to changes in Instagram API

Version 1.2.8 ( January 15th, 2018 )

  • NEW - Option to set Pinterest profile URL for authors ( displays in about author section below post )
  • NEW - About author section below posts now shows the website URL ( from user/author options )
  • NEW - Option to set an URL to which the image in about author widgets links to
  • TWEAK - Avatar author sizes are now doubled and limited by CSS, so it's possible to increase the size with CSS now
  • TWEAK - All the social links in about author section open in a new tab now

Version 1.2.7 ( January 3rd, 2018 )

  • NEW - About author box added on author archives page
  • TWEAK - Added social share count backup, so in case the system fails to get the social share count the last known count will be used instead of defaulting to 0

Version 1.2.6 ( December 13th, 2017 )

  • NEW - Function for developers to output a list of posts ( posts grid ). Function is called the_essence_posts_list(), the following options/attributes are accepted: order, orderby, amount, columns, category. Usage is in this example https://gist.github.com/BobaWebDev/81788f5eb85d622533b0c533e1b936c0
  • TWEAK - The caching system for social share counts has been improved to minimize the potential of hitting the API calls limit on high traffic websites.
  • FIX - Issue with certain characters missing when sharing a post on twitter

Version 1.2.5 ( November 20th, 2017 )

  • TWEAK - The related posts on the homepage now only show posts with a featured image
  • FIX - Issue with the date on homepage related posts ( date shown was same as the main post )

Version 1.2.4 ( October 30th, 2017 )

  • NEW - Social count numbers now include shares from LinkedIn
  • NEW - Option to set the related posts to show posts ordered by date ( currently randomized ). Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Blog Post Single.
  • FIX - Issue with Twitter and LinkedIn sharing functionality when post titles have non a-z characters ( such as | )

Version 1.2.3 ( September 29th, 2017 )

Version 1.2.2 ( September 16th, 2017 )

  • NEW - Call to action widget added
  • NEW - Option to have the previous/next post links ( on single blog post page ) be the post titles instead of the static labels. Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Blog Post Single.
  • NEW - Option to switch to using normal dates instead of "time ago". Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Blog Post Listing.
  • NEW - Option to disable the "first letter capitalization" ( the big letter before post excerpt/content ). Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Blog Post Listing.

Version 1.2.1 ( September 14th, 2017 )

  • NEW - Option to set a default blog post single layout ( content + sidebar or full width ). Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Blog Post Single. All new posts will then use that as their layout unless specified otherwise in the Layout option for that specific post.

Version 1.2.0 ( September 8th, 2017 )

  • FIX - Embedded videos stop playing when switching from landscape to portrait mode ( and vice versa )
  • FIX - On tablets portrait mode the social icons on the left side of a post were not visible due to width limitations. Replaced by a fixed bottom sharing area ( like on phones )
  • TWEAK - Added LinkedIn to author bio social elements
  • TWEAK - Added LinkedIn as a social sharing option

Version 1.1.9 ( August 10th, 2017 )

  • Theme options filters for developers to add new options

Version 1.1.8 ( July 6th, 2017 )

  • NEW - Added "demo importer" to help those using the theme on a brand new website by adding some placeholder posts/pages/menus

Version 1.1.7 ( July 5th, 2017 )

  • TWEAK - Improvements to the "welcome page" which shows after theme activation

Version 1.1.6 ( June 29th, 2017 )

  • NEW - Option to switch to a masonry layout for the homepage ( option is called "Layout Type" and is located in "Homepage options" on the page that serves as homepage )
  • FIX - Issue with numbers increment on Style D homepage posts
  • TWEAK - Read more button added for Style D posts on homepage

Version 1.1.5 ( May 19th, 2017 )

  • Option to change the style/layout for the search results page ( option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Other )
  • Fixed issue with search form functionality when navigation menu is empty

Version 1.1.4 (May 2nd, 2017)

  • Compatibility with the Facebook Comments plugin ( in the plugin's settings under "Display Settings" uncheck the checkbox with the label "Singular Posts" )
  • Improved the side panel navigation to be more mobile friendly
  • New pagination type option added called "Automatic Load More", which is similar to the "Load More" option but it automatically loads new post as the visitor scrolls down
  • Fixed an issue with related posts functionality

Version 1.1.3 (January 3rd, 2017)

  • NEW - Dashboard updates ( as of next version you will be able to update the theme directly from the WordPress dashboard )
  • FIX - Minor fixes

Version 1.1.1 (November 15th, 2016)

  • Fix - Issue with relevancy of the related posts section on blog post single page

Version 1.1.0 (October 27th, 2016)

  • New - Option to have previous/next buttons as posts pagination. Option located in WP Admin > Appearance > Customize > Other. 
  • New - Option to only show one category in the posts listings ( homepage, archives... ). Option located in WP admin > Appearance > Customize > Other.

Version 1.0.9 (October 24th, 2016)

  • New - Option to change the pagination type ( "AJAX load more" and "classic numbered" ). Option located in WP Admin > Appearance > Customize > Other. 

Version 1.0.8 (October 20th, 2016)

  • New - Option to switch to a text logo ( WP admin > Appearance > Customize > General )
  • New - The theme is now retina ready
  • New - Additional options ( order, order by, post types, category, tags ) for the Posts and Posts Alternate widgets.
  • Tweak - The side panel logo can now be disabled, if there is no image set it will not show up
  • Fix - Issue with missing srcset on post thumbnails due to usage of a custom image resizing script, the theme now uses default WordPress features for creating custom image sizes
  • Fix - Issue with instagram widget not immediately responding to changes to the "Amount" option
  • Fix - Issue with lack of bottom margin on the "Post Alternate" widget
  • Fix - Issue with side panel widgets being hidden if taller than the window
  • Fix - Issue with the has_thumbnail check in related posts
  • Important - Due to the switch to native WordPress image resizing functionality which does not resize images "on the fly" ( only on upload ) you need to install and run a plugin called Regenerate Thumbnails. You'll see a notification asking you to install it when you update the theme.

Version 1.0.6 (August 23rd, 2016)

  • Added option to disable different meta elements in the blog posts listing
  • Fixed issue with Facebook share count

Version 1.0.5 (August 11th, 2016)

  • Share counts now include Google+ as well
  • Fixed missing social icon for Google+ in the social widget
  • Fixed issue with dropcap on blog posts content not working in some cases
  • Fixed issue with wrong post author displayed in the related posts in the posts listing
  • Fixed issue with the same post being shown in the related posts on the single blog post page
  • Fixed issue with no related posts being shown ( on the posts listing ) if there is only one related
  • Fixed Twitter share count, activation needed. Check the theme documentation Other -> Twitter Share Count
  • Fixed issue with promo box background image position ( centered now )
  • Fixed issue with localization ( for translation ) of the "1 month ago" string to allow the "1 monht" to be shown before or after the "ago" ( for different languages )

Version 1.0.4 (July 27th, 2016)

  • Option to turn on sticky navigation ( located in Customizer > Other )
  • Options for three more promo boxes added for the homepage ( located in Customizer > Home Promo Boxes )
  • Added page template to be used for styling elements inside of blog post or page content ( more info below )

Version 1.0.3 (July 23rd, 2016)

  • Improved documentation ( http://meridianthemes-demo.net/docs/the-essence/ )
  • Share counter improved for shares over 1000 ( 1K, 1.2K, 5K, 10K... )
  • Compatibility with Max Mega Menu plugin. When choosing a "Theme" for the mega menu choose "The Essence"
  • Added option to choose which categories to display in the footer posts ( Customizer > Footer )
  • Added options to choose how to order and by what to order the footer posts  ( Customizer > Footer )
  • Added option to disable "about author" section on single blog post page ( Customizer > Blog Post Single )
  • Added option to disable "related posts" section on single blog post page ( Customizer > Blog Post Single )
  • Added option to choose style for archive pages. All the same styles available as for the homepage.  ( Customizer > Other )
  • Added option to separately disable elements in the post meta ( just below the title ) on single blog post page  ( Customizer > Blog Post Single )
  • Added option to disable the "side panel"  ( Customizer > Other )
  • Fixed issue with the amount option for footer posts not working properly

Version 1.0.2 (July 16th, 2016)

  • New page template ( Full Width Content ) added for creating pages without a sidebar
  • Fixed issues with layout of WooCommerce pages

Version 1.0.1 (July 9th, 2016)

  • Post layout option added ( to choose between "content + sidebar" and "full content" )
  • Issue in Firefox with post titles in the small carousel at the top ( not displayed if short )
  • Automatic vertical centering of the post titles in the small carousel at the top
  • Fixed Instagram widget ( you will see the "Access Token" option with a link where to acquire it ) 

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