{"id":4464,"date":"2018-04-05T20:11:56","date_gmt":"2018-04-05T20:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/2018\/04\/05\/how-to-set-the-image-of-your-wordpress-page-content-when-sharing-to-facebook\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T17:51:32","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T21:51:32","slug":"how-to-set-the-image-of-your-wordpress-page-content-when-sharing-to-facebook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/edu\/wordpress\/how-to-set-the-image-of-your-wordpress-page-content-when-sharing-to-facebook\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set the Image of Your WordPress Page Content when Sharing to Facebook"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When a visitor shares content from your website to Facebook, there is specific metadata that needs to be present to generate a post with a preview of the content being shared. This information, also known as Open Graph Markup<\/strong>, can be modified using the Open Graph for Facebook, Google+ and Twitter Card Tags<\/strong> plugin for WordPress. This plugin allows you the ability to customize the Open Graph Metadata<\/em> using the Page\/Post Editor interface. In this guide, you can learn how to use this plugin, allowing you to easily customize the image selected for sharing on Facebook<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WARNING:<\/b> The instructions in this guide require that you have installed the Open Graph for Facebook, Google+ and Twitter Card Tags<\/strong> By Webdados<\/em> plugin. If you have not installed the plugin yet, you can follow the instructions in our guide, “How to Install Open Graph for Facebook, Google+ and Twitter Card Tags<\/a>“. Once you have installed the plugin, you will be able to follow the instructions below.<\/p>\n

While these instructions are for that plugin specifically, many SEO and Open Graph plugins<\/a> will have similar workflows.\n<\/p> \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Add an Image<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Facebook generates a preview of your Page content, it is searching for the Metadata Markup<\/em>, including “og:image<\/strong>“. Then, Facebook loads that image for the post that will be made once shared. This variable is provided, based on priority, according to your Open Graph for Facebook Settings<\/em>. In the following section, you can learn the various methods for how to customize the image that is loaded when your Page is shared on Facebook<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Default Image for All Pages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want the same image to load for all your Pages, you can set a default image in the Open Graph for Facebook Settings<\/em>. Simply follow the instructions below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Log into your WordPress Administrative Dashboard<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Hover over Settings<\/i> and click on Open Graph for Facebook, Google+ and Twitter Card Tags<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. From the General<\/i> tab, scroll to the Image settings<\/strong> section. Click on Upload\/Choose<\/b> to open the Select image<\/i> pop-up. From here you can Upload Files<\/i> or select an image<\/i> from the Media Gallery. Once you upload\/select the image, click on the Use this image<\/b> button.

    NOTE:<\/b> The recommended image size\/dimensions are 1200x630px. This is important to ensure that your image is properly loaded\/cropped for the Facebook post\/preview and may display errors in the Facebook Sharing Debugger<\/a><\/b> when testing.<\/p>
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  4. Review the On Post\/Page, use image from:<\/i> section. Here, you can prioritize the order of which image should be used, when sharing to Facebook. Ideally, you can set the default image –as a placeholder– until you have specified an image on a particular Page, using the Featured Image<\/em> or Open Graph<\/em> (Use this image<\/i>) fields located in the Page editor. Select the options (displayed below) to follow along with the rest of the instructions in this guide.

    1) “Open Graph Image” custom field on the post<\/p>

    2) Post\/page featured image<\/p>

    5) Default image specified above<\/p>


    NOTE:<\/b> If you prefer that the default image specified be used for all<\/u> Pages shared to Facebook, then you only need to select 5) Default image specified above<\/i>. This will prevent the featured image or any other images on your Pages from being used and only allow the default image to be used when sharing any<\/u> Page to Facebook.<\/p>
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  5. Click the Save Changes<\/b> button at the bottom of the page.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Featured Image<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In the Open Graph for Facebook Settings<\/em>, the options selected prioritize using a Featured Image<\/em> on a Page over the default image<\/i> previously configured. Since a unique image may not be necessary for every Page created, setting the default –to fall back on– ensures that there is always an image associated with your website content, when it is shared to Facebook. In this section, you can learn how to set the Featured Image for a specific Page, as the image in the Facebook post, when sharing that particular Page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    IMPORTANT:<\/b> It may be necessary to adjust the Screen Options<\/i> for the necessary Page Editor field to appear. Click on the button labeled Adjust Screen Options<\/i> (below) to expand and follow the steps in that section to learn how to adjust the Page Editor view to include Featured Image<\/i> field.<\/p>\n