Article Generator

Details
Contents
  1. Overview
  2. Installation
  3. Getting Started
  4. Your Article Generator Subscription
  1. API Keys & Service Providers
  2. Campaign Themes
  3. Troubleshooting
  4. Support

Overview

Article Generator (pkg_artigen) is a Joomla extension package that uses AI to create complete, research-backed articles. It searches the web for source material, generates well-structured content, and finds Creative Commons licensed images — all from within your Joomla admin.

The package includes a component for article management and a system plugin for background batch processing via Joomla’s task scheduler.

Article Generator is open source software released under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPL-3.0-or-later).

AI Article Creation

Generate complete articles using OpenAI GPT models with configurable tone, reading level, word count, and content structure.

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Web Research

Automatic web search via Serper, Tavily, or Google Custom Search to ground articles in real, up-to-date information.

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Campaign Themes

Generate multiple related articles from a single creative brief with distinct angles, then process them in batch.

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Installation

Step 1: Install the Package

  1. Download the latest pkg_artigen package from the extensions directory or from Multizone Limited
  2. Log into your Joomla Administrator
  3. Navigate to Extensions > Install > Install from File
  4. Upload the pkg_artigen_vx.x.x.zip file and click Install

Step 2: Verify Installation

  1. Go to Extensions > Manage > Manage
  2. Search for “Article Generator”
  3. Ensure the component and system plugin are both installed and enabled

Step 3: Configure API Keys

  1. Navigate to Components > Article Generator
  2. Click Options in the toolbar
  3. Enter your OpenAI API key (required for article generation)
  4. Enter a search provider API key (required for web research)
  5. Optionally configure an image provider API key
  6. Click Save & Close
Tip: You can start generating articles with just an OpenAI key and a Serper key. Image providers like Openverse and Wikimedia Commons work without an API key.

Getting Started

Step 1
Create an Article Brief

Navigate to Article Briefs and click New. Enter a title, description, target keywords, intended audience, and content goal. These inputs guide the AI in producing relevant, focused content.

Choose your preferred tone (professional, conversational, technical), reading level, and target word count.

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Step 2
Generate the Article

Click Generate Article in the toolbar. The pipeline searches the web for source material, generates the article content, finds relevant images, and creates a Joomla article — all in one step.

Progress is shown in a sidebar activity log so you can follow each stage of the pipeline.

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Step 3
Review and Publish

Click View Article to open the generated Joomla article. Review the content, make any editorial adjustments, select your preferred images, and publish when you are happy.

For bulk content, use Campaign Themes to generate multiple related articles from a single creative brief.

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Your Article Generator Subscription

Article Generator uses a tiered subscription model. It is freely available as a trial, and paid subscriptions unlock higher monthly article limits and additional features.

Trial
  • Limited articles/month
  • Single article generation
  • Basic image sourcing
  • 30-day trial period
Standard
  • More articles/month
  • Campaign themes
  • Batch processing
  • Updates and support
Premium
  • Higher article limits
  • Content calendar
  • Social teasers
  • Premium support
Enterprise
  • Unlimited articles
  • All features
  • Priority support
  • Dedicated assistance

API Keys & Service Providers

OpenAI (Required)

An OpenAI API key is required for article generation. Sign up at platform.openai.com and create an API key. GPT-4o Mini is recommended for the best balance of quality and cost.

Search Providers (Required)

A search provider is needed for web research. Choose one:

  • Serper (recommended) — Google search results via API. Free tier available at serper.dev
  • Tavily — AI-optimised search. Free tier at tavily.com
  • Google Custom Search — Direct Google API. Requires a Google Cloud project and Custom Search Engine ID

Image Providers (Optional)

Image providers source Creative Commons licensed images for your articles:

  • Openverse (recommended) — Aggregator of openly licensed media. No API key required (free registration recommended)
  • Wikimedia Commons — No API key required
  • Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay — Free API keys available from their respective websites
  • Local Image Library — Use your own curated images matched by filename keywords
Tip: API keys can also be set via environment variables, which take priority over values entered in the configuration form.

Campaign Themes

What Are Campaign Themes?

Campaign themes let you generate multiple related articles from a single creative brief. Define a theme with a topic, target audience, and content goals, then create distinct angles — each angle becomes a separate article brief that shares the theme’s context.

Creating a Campaign

  1. Navigate to Components > Article Generator > Campaigns
  2. Click New and enter the theme details
  3. Add angles — each angle defines a unique perspective or subtopic
  4. Click Generate All to batch-create article briefs for every angle

Batch Processing

Once briefs are created from a campaign, batch processing generates articles in the background via Joomla’s task scheduler. The system plugin (plg_system_artigentasks) must be enabled for batch processing to work.

Content Calendar

The Content Calendar view provides a visual overview of your planned and published articles. Schedule publication dates and generate social media teasers for each article.

Troubleshooting

Check that your OpenAI API key is valid and has available credit. Verify your server’s PHP max execution time allows for the generation pipeline (30+ seconds recommended). Check the Joomla error log for details.

Verify your search provider API key is correct. Check that your server can make outbound HTTPS requests. Try a different search provider to rule out provider-specific issues.

Check that at least one image provider is configured. Openverse and Wikimedia Commons do not require API keys. For other providers, verify the API key is valid. Try broadening your article keywords to improve image search results.

Batch processing requires the plg_system_artigentasks plugin to be enabled. Check System > Plugins and ensure the Article Generator Tasks plugin is published. Joomla’s task scheduler must also be running.

Article Generator uses the standard Joomla update system. Check for updates via Extensions > Update in your Joomla administrator.

If updates are not appearing, verify your server can reach the Multizone update server. If the update site is missing, reinstall the package to restore it.

Support

Need Help?

For additional support, technical questions, or feature requests, get in touch.

  • Website: www.multizone.co.uk
  • Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • In-app Help: Available in the Joomla admin under Components > Article Generator > Help
Important Notes
  • Backup First — Always backup your site before installing or updating
  • API Costs — OpenAI charges per token; monitor your usage on their dashboard
  • Editorial Review — Always review AI-generated content before publishing
  • Joomla 5+ — Article Generator requires Joomla 5.x or later