Open Graph Tags
10-20 minBeginner
Open Graph (OG) tags control how your content looks when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, Discord, and Slack. A compelling card increases referral traffic significantly.
Prerequisites
- WordPress admin access
- Featured images set
Easy Recommended
Using Yoast SEO
Automatically uses your SEO Title/Description and Featured Image unless overridden.
1
Enable Social Features
1
Go to Yoast SEO > Settings > Site Features > "Social sharing"
2
Toggle ON
2
Set Default Image
1
Go to Yoast SEO > Settings > Site basics
2
Upload a "Social sharing image" (1200x630px)
3
This acts as a fallback for pages without images
Best Practices
Do
- Use 1200x630px images for optimal display
- Keep text centered in the image (networks crop differently)
- Use a different headline for Social vs SEO if audience differs
- Force a scrape if you update the image
Don't
- Use massive file sizes (keeps stats low), aim for <300KB
- Rely on random scraped images
- Ignore the default fallback image
Verification Checklist
- View Source > Search "og:"
- og:image is defined and accessible
- Facebook Sharing Debugger shows the correct preview
- LinkedIn Post Inspector shows the correct preview
Pro Tips
- Add "twitter:card" metadata as well (usually "summary_large_image")
- If the image doesn't update on potential shares, use the Facebook Debugger "Scrape Again" button
Common Issues & Fixes
Problem: Wrong image showing on Facebook
Solution: Facebook caches aggressively. You MUST use the Sharing Debugger tool to force a refresh.
Problem: Image is cropped weirdly
Solution: Ensure physical dimensions are 1200x630 (1.91:1 ratio). Square images often look bad in news feeds.
Problem: No image showing
Solution: Check if the image URL is https. Some platforms reject http images.