Image chosen for Reader publish and Facebook publicize
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I am not happy with the image that pops up automatically for a post when it appears in the Reader and when I share on FB. I tried to set a featured image, but that wasn’t the one that showed on either Reader or FB. I even tried to update the post by deleting the image I didn’t want to see, but the old image still comes up when I try to share my post on FB. How can I customize this? Is there a way to preview what a post will look like in Reader before it publishes?
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hey there, Becca!
Let’s address Facebook first. Take a look at this page that describes how thumbnails are grabbed from your WordPress.com site and published to Facebook:
https://en.support.wordpress.com/facebook-image-thumbnail/Let me know if those suggestions shed some light on the issue for you. If I can help along the way, please let me know.
Next, the Reader:
I took a look at your latest post on your site, and in the Reader. I am seeing the same image displayed for both:
https://cloudup.com/cPBkasVm-DFHave you fixed the issue, or are you still having trouble? If you upload an image directly to your post (rather than grabbing it from your Media Library), it may help in the future.
I even tried to update the post by deleting the image I didn’t want to see, but the old image still comes up when I try to share my post on FB.
Once a post is published, editing it will not impact the way it displays in Facebook. You can, however, delete the post from Facebook, make changed to your post, run the Facebook debug tool, then share the post on Facebook again using your Facebook sharing button.
Here’s a link to the Facebook debug tool, which is also described in the first link I gave you.
https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/Here’s a link to information about your sharing buttons:
http://en.support.wordpress.com/sharing/I hope this helps! If you have any other concerns, drop me a note. Thanks much!
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Got this message when I tried to run the debug:
Error parsing input URL, no data was cached, or no data was scraped.
I have no idea what it means and, despite updating a new version of the post without the photo that I don’t want, and the featured image of the one I do want, FB continues to post an enlarged version of the photo I don’t want and have tried to erase. -
Hey Becca,
Please send me a link to your post, and a screenshot of the way it is appearing on Facebook. You can simply upload the screenshot to your Media Library, like any other image, and I’ll be able to access it from there.
The page at the following link has some helpful tips for taking screenshots:
Just me know when there’s something I should look at.
Got this message when I tried to run the debug:
Error parsing input URL, no data was cached, or no data was scraped.That’s fine. Basically, what you’re doing when you run that debug is you’re clearing your cache at Facebook. So, any data it might have saved as a result of your old Facebook publicize would be cleared for subsequent posts.
Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks very much.
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After repeated attempts, I got the debugger to work. Now when I try to post to Facebook, it shows my headshot from gravatar. Is there any way I can choose which picture I want to show?
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Hi Becca,
What post in particular are you sharing that you want a different image to display on Facebook shares?
It looks like earlier you mentioned that a Featured Image was set, so if the Debugger Tool went through that should be the first choice from Facebook — after that it should move onto images within the body of the post. Your Gravatar is one of the final options provided.
If you could provide the link to the post that will help us figure out what’s going on. :)
-Alex G.
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This is the post: https://readyforthenewworld.wordpress.com/2015/02/27/speaking-from-experience-the-importance-of-relationships/
I want the picture of me with the two students to show when I post it.That picture isn’t set as the featured image right now because I took that off since it wasn’t making any difference and forced me to put the image centered at the top when I prefer it where it is.
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Hi Becca,
Thanks for the link! So basically what’s happening here is that your site is trying to tell Facebook to use the image with you and the two students, however, your image in the About.me widget is so much larger that Facebook is basically disregarding it.
I did a manual share with that URL and Facebook gave me both options to use for the thumbnail, showing it thinks they’re equal in importance, but it puts the About.me image first because of size.
Do you still have the original file of that preferred image? Would it be possible to upload it at a larger size, perhaps 350 pixels wide? I think that size change, then rescraping in the Facebook debugger, will clear this up.
-Alex G.
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Oh, ok. I can do that. I wish in future upgrades to WordPress there would be more options to preview and customize the way the post appears in Reader and Publicize.
Thanks for your help.
Becca -
Help. I have just tried another post in this same series and am having the same problems. I made sure I set a featured image that was larger than the thumbnail of my face that I want to add as a marker for the series. The thumbnail appeared as a giant picture when I posted to Reader. Is there any way I can take that off? I think it is off-putting to readers to see a giant image of my face. Also, my gravatar image continues to come up when I try to share to Facebook. At least I get to preview this so I did abort the posting, but I would like to be able to post on Facebook and have it look the way I want.
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This is the post I am talking about
https://readyforthenewworld.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/speaking-from-experience-special-education-teacher-retention/ -
Hi Becca,
There are 2 reasons you’re seeing this right now.
The first is that while you’ve resized the thumbnail of your face to be very small, the source image you’re using is actually pretty large ( https://readyforthenewworld.wordpress.com/wp-admin/upload.php?item=1256 ).
It will help if you use a smaller image instead. I’ve placed one in your Media Library that you can use: https://readyforthenewworld.wordpress.com/wp-admin/upload.php?item=1407
The second reason is that the Reader looks for a featured image that is 660 pixels wide or larger. The featured image that you chose was only 307 pixels wide. I’ve placed a larger version in your Media Library that you can use: https://readyforthenewworld.wordpress.com/wp-admin/upload.php?item=1409
I’ve made both of these changes to the post you mentioned. Your other posts in that series will probably also have the same issue.
I know this is not intuitive – but following the guideline of making the featured image large and the other images small (the source images, not just their appearance in the post) is the best way for you to get the results you want in both the Reader and on Facebook.
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