---
title: Validating the Featured Image
slug: editorial/validating-the-featured-image
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-01-20T08:44:42.055Z
---

## Summary

This article describes how to use the Featured Image Meta Information Validation feature within Purple Hub. The feature ensures that custom fields (such as copyright ownership) are filled in for images used as featured images of articles, and that articles have a featured image in the first place.

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## Preconditions

- Have an Admin role in Purple Hub
- Optionally: Have a field group and a custom field defined that applies to images. See[Create Custom Fields in Purple Hub](docId\:Sfolj8v8QCn3M3JiBzBuk) 
- Optionally: Have Purple DAM active with EXIF and/or IPTC data enbaled.

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### Configuration Location

The featured-image validation settings now live in **Settings → Media → General**, in the **Required image fields** section (they were previously on the "Purple Settings" page). Look for the **Featured Image** row.

### Available Settings

The **Featured Image** row offers:

1. **Required** — a checkbox. When enabled, a post cannot be published without a featured image selected.
2. **Required metadata** — a dropdown where you pick the metadata fields that must be filled on the featured image before publishing. It replaces the former separate "caption required" / "alt text required" checkboxes and the comma-separated ACF-field text box: caption, alt text, and any attachment ACF / EXIF / IPTC field are now all selectable entries in the same dropdown.

:::hint{type="info"}
ACF fields marked *required* in the ACF settings are always enforced, independent of this list, and are checked already at upload (not only at publish).
:::

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If either of these validations fail, a red error banner is shown in the editor, and publishing the article will not be possible.

Results in the editor:

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/ygR6KtT9QI_R0u3uKTJsm/u7kAItg_u2-uSwNiD0bEA_screenshot-2025-01-20-at-101941.png" size="90" width="1111" height="366" position="center" caption=""Featured image is required" but not set in an article" darkWidth="1111" darkHeight="366" showCaption="true"}

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/ygR6KtT9QI_R0u3uKTJsm/iruGuzDReMfutO-629zVS_screenshot-2025-01-20-at-101956.png" size="90" width="1111" height="503" position="center" caption="One of the "Featured image required meta fields" is not set on the selected featured image" darkWidth="1111" darkHeight="503" showCaption="true"}