Thumbnail 1.0.7: movie and TV posters for XenForo threads

Thumbnail 1.0.7 turns the movie and TV tags in your threads into XenForo movie posters on your thread lists. When a thread's first post uses a [TMDB] or [IMDB] BB code, the poster becomes that thread's thumbnail. It is a free update for XenForo 2.3, released on 25 September 2026.

This matters most on film, TV and anime forums. A list of titles is hard to scan. A list of posters looks like a streaming shelf, and readers spot what they want at a glance.

What changed in Thumbnail 1.0.7

The release has four changes. All of them are about posters from custom BB codes.

• Thumbnail can now take a thread's image from custom BB code tags you choose, including TMDB and IMDb tags.
• When a tag holds only an ID and shows no image, Thumbnail can look the poster up on TMDB. IMDb IDs are looked up through TMDB too.
• Posters come first when Thumbnail picks an image on its own. A thumbnail someone chose by hand is never replaced.
• A new rebuild in the Admin CP fills in posters for older threads that don't have one yet.

Everything else works as before. Attachments, images from other sites and video previews still count as sources.

How XenForo movie posters are picked

Out of the box, XenForo thread lists show the starter's avatar next to each title. Thumbnail replaces that with an image from the thread itself. It reads the first post and takes the first image it can use.

Many movie forums already use custom BB codes such as [TMDB] or [IMDB]. Members paste an ID, and the tag shows details about the film. Thumbnail 1.0.7 knows about those tags now. You list the ones it should read, and the poster they show becomes the thumbnail.

Some tags hold only an ID and draw no picture. For those, Thumbnail can ask TMDB for the poster in the background. That needs a TMDB API read token, which is optional. Without one, Thumbnail still uses any poster the tag draws, plus attachments, images and video previews.

Posters win over other images when Thumbnail chooses by itself. So a review thread with a poster tag and a few screenshots shows the poster. If a member or moderator picked a thumbnail by hand, that choice stays.

Set up posters in three steps

All the options are under Setup > Options > D.C Style - Thumbnail.

1. Check Forums limit. Thumbnail only works in the forums selected there, and none are selected after a fresh install.
2. Fill in Poster BBCode tags with the tags to read, for example TMDB,IMDB.
3. If your tags hold only IDs, add a TMDB API read token. You get one from your account on TMDB's site.

New threads and edited first posts get their poster automatically. That relies on Auto rebuild thumbnail cache after first post changes, which is on by default.

Fill in posters for older threads

Threads posted before the update keep their old thumbnail until something rebuilds them. Version 1.0.7 adds a rebuild just for them.

1. Go to Tools > Rebuild caches.
2. Run Fill missing posters from configured BBCode tags. It works through threads that still have no thumbnail.
3. If you also changed other sources, run Rebuild thread thumbnails as well.

On a big forum, the command line avoids browser time limits:

php cmd.php xf-rebuild:dcThumbnail-thumbnail

If you use the TMDB lookup, run the rebuild at a quiet time. Each thread without a poster may need a lookup.

Where the posters show up

Once a thread has a poster, it appears everywhere Thumbnail draws an image:

• In thread lists, next to each title.
• In widgets, including the picture layouts of our free Widgets add-on.
• In search results, if Thumbnail on search results is on.
• As the preview image when someone shares the thread on social media.

That last point is easy to miss. A shared link with a real movie poster stands out far more than one with a generic logo.

Posters also help readers once they finish a thread. More Threads adds a list of related threads under each thread, and it builds on Thumbnail. On a movie forum, that list becomes a row of films to open next.

Upgrading, and forums still on XenForo 2.2

Upgrade the usual way, from the Add-ons page in your Admin CP. Your settings and existing thumbnails stay in place. Then add your poster tags and run the rebuild above.

Thumbnail 1.0.7 needs XenForo 2.3. Forums still on XenForo 2.2 can keep using 1.0.5 Patch Level 6, the last build for 2.2. The poster features are not in that build, so they arrive when you move to 2.3.

A few other changes landed earlier this year, in the 1.0.6 releases:

• Images from other sites can be optimized and stored locally when picked as a thumbnail.
• The thumbnail picker got a new design.
• Thumbnail no longer needs the Attachment View add-on.

Every release is listed on our changelog, newest first.

Questions about XenForo movie posters

Do I need a TMDB token?

No. The token is only used when a tag holds an ID and draws no picture. If your tags already show a poster, Thumbnail uses it without any token.

Does it work for TV shows as well as films?

Yes. The TMDB lookup covers movie and TV posters. IMDb IDs work too, because Thumbnail resolves them through TMDB.

Will it replace thumbnails members chose by hand?

No. Manual choices are protected. Posters only win when Thumbnail picks an image on its own.

What if a thread has no poster tag at all?

Nothing changes for that thread. Thumbnail falls back to attachments, images and video previews, then to the author's avatar or your default image.

What to do next

If you run a movie or TV forum, update Thumbnail and add your poster tags today. XenForo movie posters take a few minutes to set up. Then run the poster rebuild and look at your busiest forum. If you haven't tried Thumbnail yet, it is free, and the setup guide gets you going in a few minutes.