Imagine this scenario: You just wrote a lovely article; it might be your best work to date. You spent hours on it, editing each sentence and making sure each image fits just right. You went into your core of a subject topic and smelted it into a literary pickaxe that your users will find value in.
On that page, you had an image of a cute puppy set in your mind as what should show up anytime someone previews the link, whether on Facebook, Instagram, or Google. Bustling with pride at your new creation, you hurry to inform your dedicated Facebook followers about the new post.
If you’ve been in this position, you know how important it is that everything is right; from the words in the article to its presentation to the audience. The Facebook Incorrect Thumbnail Issue can happen when, for whatever reason, the thumbnail that you set is not what appears on Facebook.
The exact cause of this problem can vary wildly. Most often, it’s your fault; if you used an incorrect image URL or failed to upload a preview picture in WordPress, Facebook will default to its own automatic choice of thumbnail. This might be fine with most pictures, but if Facebook chooses an image that isn’t related to your subject matter, it can lead to a jumbled mess. Audiences can be misled by the thumbnail or turned off by your apparent lack of regard for detail.
Most frustratingly, this usually happens when you’re posting something really valuable and interesting to your readers (like that lovely puppy mentioned earlier). If the thumbnail is wrong and users can’t tell what they’re clicking on, they may not bother clicking through to your site. If they do decide to click, there is a high chance that they might be disappointed when the article doesn’t live up to their expectations.
Neither you nor your readers can afford this kind of mistake, so it’s important to know how to fix and avoid the Facebook Incorrect Thumbnail Issue.
How Do I Choose The Right Plugin For My WordPress Posts?
Here’s how to make sure the right image is displayed on Facebook for all of your blog posts:
- Fix thumbnails using a WordPress SEO plugin: This is the method that I use most often to prevent the Facebook Incorrect Thumbnail Error, and it’s by far my favorite. Several plugins can do this for you, but I recommend using Yoast SEO because it’s easy for beginners to set up. Yoast doesn’t just fox wrong thumbnails, you can also use it to continuously improve your blog posts’ SEO. No matter which plugin you choose, the process will be pretty much the same. Once Yoast is installed and activated on your site, go to SEO in your WordPress menu while editing a page or post. You’ll see a tab for Social that will allow you to set the correct thumbnail to display on Facebook.
- Using The Facebook Debug Plugin For WordPress: This is another really handy plugin that I’ve found to be just as effective at solving this problem. If you haven’t yet installed Yoast or don’t want to for some reason, this plugin will do the job. First, clear your WordPress page cache. Now, install and activate the extension. It was created by Facebook, so no need to worry. Now, click on the Scrape Again button so that Facebook regenerates the plugins for your site. Reload the Facebook page, and if the thumbnail is still wrong, click the button again.
Conclusion:
By now you should know how to prevent and fix the Facebook Incorrect Thumbnail Error for your blog’s posts. Simply follow the instructions for either plugin depending on which one you chose, and your work is done!
Now that this issue is solved, you can get back to writing more interesting blog posts for your readers.
