How to fix the incorrect Facebook thumbnail issue in WordPress

When you share a post on Facebook, it’s accompanied by a thumbnail image. The thumbnail is automatically retrieved by Facebook when a URL is pasted into the site. However, sometimes the correct image is not picked up.

One of the most common reasons for this issue is multiple images configured with the og:image tag that Facebook examines to identify the correct thumbnail to use. If your featured image is smaller than the rest of the images tagged, it will not be selected.

A range of plugins can allocate Facebook OpenGraph tags – for example, an SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO automatically adds OpenGraph tags to posts and pages. If you’re using this plugin, then you can easily set a specific thumbnail image for Facebook.

While editing your post, scroll down to the Yoast SEO meta box near the bottom of the page and select the Social tab. You’ll see a button to upload a specific thumbnail image for Facebook.

Yoast SEO

Upload your desired image, and the issue will be resolved. Alternatively, use the Facebook Debug Tool to troubleshoot the problem.

Sharing Debugger

Enter your site’s URL in the Sharing Debugger tab to identify any configuration issues. The most common error looks like the following:

Provided og:image is not big enough. Please use an image that’s at least 200×200 px. Image ‘https://mysite.com/uploads/2016/08/the-image.jpg’; will be used instead.

Pressing the debug button a second time on the same URL makes this error disappear.

If you need help with your HostPapa account, please open a support ticket from your dashboard.

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