Automattic buys Social Image Generator plugin for WordPress revamp

WordPress parent company Automattic has acquired the Social Image Generator plugin, with plans to integrate with WordPress toolkit Jetpack already underway.

Founded by Daniel Post, Social Image Generator automatically creates social share images for its customers' social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, VK, WhatsApp, iMessage, and Reddit.

Speaking on the recently announced acquisition, Post said: “I’m incredibly excited to join Jetpack and Automattic so I can continue to grow Social Image Generator and help more people in the WordPress community improve their social media presence and get their message out to their fans.”

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Jetpack integration

Post will also be joining Jetpack to continue developing Social Image Generator and integrating it with Jetpack’s social media features.

Jetpack said it feels that the template editor fits in perfectly with all they are doing with WordPress, which was the main reasoning behind the deal.

That said, Jetpack added that Social Image Generator complements Jetpack’s social media tools which include automatic publishing of posts and products to websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumblr.

Social Image Generator offers a wide range of different templates, and according to the company, all of them are fully customizable.

“When I initially saw Social Image Generator, the functionality looked like a ideal fit with our existing social media tools,” said James Grierson, General Manager of Jetpack.

“I look forward to the future functionality and user experience improvements that will come out of this acquisition.

“The goal of our social product is to help content creators expand their audience through increased distribution and engagement. Social Image Generator will be a key component of helping us deliver this to our customers.“

This is not the first time Automattic has set its eyes on a company that is bringing something new to the WordPress ecosystem.

In February 2021, the firm snapped up Parse.ly to make it easier for users to add powerful analytics to their WordPress sites, and by June 2021, Automattic added personal journaling app Day One to its roster.