diff --git a/inc/helpers/aksrt-widgets-markup.php b/inc/helpers/aksrt-widgets-markup.php
index cd3f0cd0..0cdd1a0c 100644
--- a/inc/helpers/aksrt-widgets-markup.php
+++ b/inc/helpers/aksrt-widgets-markup.php
@@ -40,16 +40,36 @@ endif;
 
 if (!function_exists('aksrt_widget_term_cover_url')) :
 	/**
-	 * Category cover image URL with the theme meta fallback chain.
+	 * Category cover image URL, resolved through the theme's canonical chain:
+	 * explicit term cover → latest thumbnailed post inside the term → optional
+	 * default placeholder. The reference hides term cards without a real cover
+	 * while the aggregation card always falls back to a default image, so the
+	 * last step is opt-in via $default_fallback.
 	 */
-	function aksrt_widget_term_cover_url(int $term_id): string {
-		foreach (['aksrt_cover_url', 'cover_url'] as $meta_key) {
-			$url = esc_url_raw((string) get_term_meta($term_id, $meta_key, true));
+	function aksrt_widget_term_cover_url(int $term_id, bool $default_fallback = false): string {
+		$cover_id = (int) get_term_meta($term_id, 'aksrt_category_cover_id', true);
+		if ($cover_id > 0) {
+			$url = wp_get_attachment_url($cover_id);
 			if ($url !== '') {
-				return $url;
+				return (string) $url;
 			}
 		}
-		return '';
+		$posts = get_posts([
+			'category__in'   => [$term_id],
+			'posts_per_page' => 1,
+			'post_status'    => 'publish',
+			'orderby'        => 'date',
+			'order'          => 'DESC',
+			'meta_query'     => [['key' => '_thumbnail_id', 'compare' => 'EXISTS']],
+			'fields'         => 'ids',
+		]);
+		if (!empty($posts)) {
+			$url = get_the_post_thumbnail_url((int) $posts[0], 'medium_large');
+			if ($url) {
+				return (string) $url;
+			}
+		}
+		return $default_fallback ? get_template_directory_uri() . '/assets/img/placeholder.svg' : '';
 	}
 endif;
 
@@ -195,7 +215,7 @@ if (!function_exists('aksrt_widget_term_aggregation')) :
 		$href = esc_url((string) $href);
 
 		$icon = '<i class="fa fa-folder-open-o mr6" aria-hidden="true"></i>';
-		$img = aksrt_widget_term_cover_url((int) $term->term_id);
+		$img = aksrt_widget_term_cover_url((int) $term->term_id, true);
 		$img_html = aksrt_graphic_card([
 			'class'        => '',
 			'img'          => $img,