Ecosystem Bridges
Vexal products integrate through shared taxonomy, internal processing bridges, and optional ledger hooks. Each plugin runs standalone; bridges are opt-in and avoid hard dependencies on theme or builder rendering.
Integration map
Vexal Portfolio (Portfolios, Projects, Project Assets, Gallery module, uploader intake)
↔ Vexal Media (optimize, categories, queue, video, Media Library columns)
↔ Vexal SmartBlocks (media readiness in ledger snapshots, engine credentials)Shared taxonomy
| Bridge | Owner | Consumers |
|---|---|---|
vexal_portfolio_category | Portfolio (registered); Media adds attachment terms | Portfolio, Media, Media Library filters |
_vxp_portfolio_item_id | Project linkage meta | Media Library Vexal Project column |
_vxp_showcase_project_ids | Portfolio membership meta (key retained) | Media Library Vexal Portfolios column |
Portfolio ↔ Media processing bridge
- Uploader intake:
NADMP_Intake_Upload::stage_and_queue_files() - Workspace batches:
process_workspace_batch() - Media Linkage admin tool syncs attachment ↔ Project / Portfolio / category
- Category filter in Media Library when both plugins active
Portfolio owns Project/Portfolio relationships and intake UX. Vexal Media owns optimization, queue, and Media Library asset-management UI.
Media ↔ SmartBlocks ledger bridge
When SmartBlocks is active alongside Vexal Media:
- Ledger snapshots include
metadata.media_readiness - Apply fix events log as
media_readiness_fix_applied - Engine credentials can inherit from SmartBlocks Integrations settings
Vexal Media operates fully standalone without SmartBlocks.
Credential boundary (mandatory)
Do not configure external API keys in Portfolio Project Workspace. Processing credentials belong in Vexal Media → Settings / Integrations or SmartBlocks Integrations. Portfolio consumes internal bridge APIs only.
SearchAsist / Vexal Engine routing for vision metadata, alt text, and image generation follows the same rule.
Standalone behavior
| Plugin | Works without others? |
|---|---|
| SmartBlocks | Yes — full visibility platform on WordPress |
| Vexal Media | Yes — media optimization and readiness |
| Vexal Portfolio | Yes — Portfolios and Projects; uploader requires Media |
Vexal Hub bridges
Hub pulls Intake module/workspace payloads using per-site machine authentication and typed contracts. Human login on Hub and Intake remain separate. See Machine auth & contracts and Intake overview.
Archived wording: Earlier docs said Hub was “not production.” Hub 0.3.x ships Workspace, membership, and Intake ingest—see Hub overview.