=== EXC Widget Suite for Telegram ===
Contributors: eaglexstudio
Tags: telegram, widget, shortcode, sidebar, social
Requires at least: 5.5
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 7.2
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Display a beautiful "Join Telegram Channel/Group" widget on your posts, sidebar, or anywhere via shortcode. Lightweight and fully customizable.

== Description ==

**EXC Widget Suite for Telegram** is a lightweight, professional plugin that helps you grow your Telegram channel or group directly from your WordPress site. Add an eye-catching "Join Telegram" widget in four different places — with zero coding required.

Whether you run a news site, blog, movie/download site, or community, EXC Widget Suite for Telegram makes it effortless to convert your website visitors into Telegram subscribers.

= 🚀 Key Features =

* **4 Independent Display Sections** — turn the widget on/off exactly where you want it:
  1. **Before Post Content** — displays right after the post title, before the article begins.
  2. **After Post Content (Post Footer)** — displays automatically at the end of every post.
  3. **Sidebar Widget** — a fixed **300×250px** widget box, perfectly sized for any sidebar or widget area (drag-and-drop via Appearance → Widgets).
  4. **Shortcode `[excwst_telegram]`** — drop it anywhere: inside a post, page, footer, or any shortcode-supporting area.

* **One Settings Screen** — manage your Telegram link, title, subtitle, button text, and colors from a single, simple admin page. Update your Telegram link once and it updates everywhere instantly — no need to edit individual posts.

* **Fully Responsive** — automatically adapts from desktop to mobile. The banner style stacks cleanly on small screens; the sidebar card keeps a professional fixed size.

* **Speed Optimized** —
  * Inline SVG icon (no extra image requests)
  * No jQuery dependency on the front end
  * A single, minimal CSS block loaded only once per page (not once per widget instance)
  * No render-blocking assets, no external font/API calls

* **Won't Break Your Design** — every class name is uniquely scoped and CSS is written defensively so it can never clash with your theme's existing styles, override your menus, or affect any other part of your site.

* **Customizable Colors** — match your brand using the built-in WordPress color picker for the primary gradient and text colors.

* **Two Style Variants** — choose "Banner" (full-width, ideal for before/after post) or "Card" (compact 300×250 box, ideal for shortcodes and sidebars) independently per section.

* **Accessible & SEO-Friendly** — proper ARIA labels, optional `rel="nofollow"`, and semantic markup out of the box.

= 💡 Who Is This For? =

* Bloggers and news sites growing a Telegram community
* Movie/software/download sites offering Telegram-exclusive links
* Any WordPress site wanting a professional, non-intrusive Telegram call-to-action

= 🔧 Shortcode Usage =

`[excwst_telegram]` — displays the default banner style.

`[excwst_telegram style="card"]` — displays the compact 300×250 card style, usable inside post content, widgets, or anywhere shortcodes are supported.

== Installation ==

= Automatic Installation =

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to **Plugins → Add New**.
3. Search for **"EXC Widget Suite for Telegram"**.
4. Click **Install Now**, then **Activate**.

= Manual Installation =

1. Download the plugin ZIP file.
2. Go to **Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin**.
3. Choose the downloaded ZIP file and click **Install Now**.
4. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu in WordPress.

= After Activation =

1. Go to **Telegram Widget** in your WordPress admin sidebar menu.
2. Enter your **Telegram channel/group URL** (e.g. `https://t.me/yourchannel`).
3. Customize the title, subtitle, button text, and colors as desired.
4. Toggle **on** whichever of the 4 sections you want to use (Before Post, After Post, Sidebar, Shortcode).
5. If using the sidebar option, go to **Appearance → Widgets** and drag **"EXC Widget Suite for Telegram"** into any widget area.
6. Click **Save Settings**. That's it!

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Do I need to know how to code to use this plugin? =

No. Everything is controlled from a single, simple settings page — no HTML, CSS, or PHP editing required.

= Can I use this for a Telegram Group instead of a Channel? =

Yes. Any valid public Telegram invite link works, whether it's a channel or a group.

= Will this slow down my website? =

No. The plugin uses inline SVG icons (no image requests), loads a single small CSS block once per page regardless of how many times the widget appears, and adds no jQuery or external script dependencies on the front end.

= Will this break my theme's design? =

No. All widget styles are scoped to unique class names and protected so they cannot be overridden by — or interfere with — your theme's existing CSS.

= Can I change the Telegram link later without editing every post? =

Yes — that's the whole point of the central settings screen. Update the link once on the **Telegram Widget** settings page, and it updates instantly everywhere the widget appears (before post, after post, sidebar, and every shortcode instance).

= Can I show a different style in the sidebar vs. after the post? =

Yes. Before Post and After Post sections each let you choose between "Banner" (full width) and "Card" (300×250) independently. The Sidebar widget is always the fixed 300×250 card, since that's the standard size for sidebar ad/widget slots.

= Does the shortcode work inside Gutenberg, Classic Editor, and page builders? =

Yes, as long as the page builder supports rendering standard WordPress shortcodes (most do, including a dedicated Shortcode block in Gutenberg).

= Is this plugin translation-ready? =

Yes, all strings are translation-ready via standard WordPress i18n functions, with a text domain of `exc-widget-suite-for-telegram`.

== Screenshots ==

1. Admin settings page — configure your Telegram link, text, and colors in one place.
2. The 4 toggleable display sections.
3. Fixed 300×250 card-style widget shown in a sidebar
4. Banner-style widget shown before a post and sidebar widget.
5. Banner widget color options.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release.
* Added Before Post, After Post, Sidebar, and Shortcode display sections.
* Added central admin settings page with live preview.
* Added color customization with WordPress color picker.
* Added fixed 300x250 sidebar widget (classic WP_Widget).
* Added `[excwst_telegram]` shortcode with `style="banner"` and `style="card"` support.
* Fully responsive layout for all placements.
* Speed-optimized: inline SVG, single shared stylesheet, no external requests.

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.0 =
Initial release of EXC Widget Suite for Telegram.
