Aura Gallery Documentation

1. Overview

Aura Gallery is a professional-grade WordPress gallery plugin designed for photographers and content creators. It provides a robust, immersive media display framework that synchronizes assets directly from Google Cloud, enabling high-performance media rendering while maintaining full control over layout, security, and aesthetics.

2. Core Features

  • Cloud-Synced Importer: Connects to the Google Photos API using a secure OAuth authentication loop to import assets into your WordPress Media Library.
  • Global Style Orchestration: Centralized settings allow you to define universal gallery parameters (layout, spacing, columns) and enforce them across the entire site via the “Master Override Switch”.
  • Immersive Lightbox: A hardware-accelerated viewer that supports image transitions, EXIF metadata display, social sharing, and automated responsive scaling.
  • Dynamic Grid & Masonry: Offers flexible layout options, including perfect-square grids and masonry-style distribution, with per-device column controls.
  • Asset Protection: Built-in right-click protection disables context menus on gallery images, discouraging unauthorized downloading of your work.

3. Installation & Setup

  1. Deployment: Download the Aura Gallery plugin.
  2. Activation: Navigate to the WordPress Plugins menu and activate “Aura Gallery.”
  3. Authentication:
    • Navigate to Aura Gallery > Authentication in your admin dashboard.
    • Enter your Google Client ID and Secret obtained from the Google Cloud Console.
    • Click “Establish Secure API Authentication Loop” to authorize the plugin to access your photo library.
  4. Importing: Navigate to the Import Media tab, initiate the Google Picker session, and select the images you wish to sync to your site.

4. Usage Instructions

  • Gutenberg Blocks: Aura Gallery is fully integrated into the WordPress block editor. Add the “Aura Gallery” block to any post or page.
  • Attribute Configuration: Use the block sidebar to customize specific gallery attributes. If the “Master Override Switch” is active in your Global Defaults, these block settings will be ignored in favor of your global configuration.
  • Performance: The plugin uses REST API endpoints to load images asynchronously, ensuring that large galleries do not negatively impact page load speeds.

5. FAQ

Q: What cloud services are supported? A: Aura Gallery currently supports direct synchronization with Google Photos via the Google Picker API.

Q: How do I change the gallery layout? A: You can set a default layout in the Global Defaults tab. To change it for a specific page, select the gallery block and update the “Layout Style” in the editor sidebar (unless the Master Override Switch is active).

Q: Can I filter my images? A: Yes. You can assign WordPress categories to your images. Enabling “Enable Category Filters” in the plugin settings will generate a filter bar above your gallery, allowing users to toggle images based on their assigned categories.

Q: How do I protect my images? A: Navigate to Global Defaults and ensure “Right-Click Protection” is set to “Enabled.” This applies a CSS/JavaScript layer that prevents users from using the standard right-click context menu on images.