This is Why LinkedIn is Not Picking Up Your WordPress Site's og:image
As a WordPress site owner, you've likely encountered the frustration of your content not being displayed correctly when shared on LinkedIn. One of the most common issues is LinkedIn not picking up the correct open graph (og:) image from your WordPress site.
This can be a major problem, as the og:image is a critical element for driving engagement and conversions on social media. A visually appealing, high-quality image can significantly improve the click-through rate and overall performance of your LinkedIn posts.
In this article, we'll explore the common reasons why LinkedIn may not be displaying the right image from your WordPress site, and provide step-by-step solutions to ensure your og:image is properly configured and recognized by the LinkedIn platform.
Understanding Open Graph (og:) and Why it Matters
Open Graph (og:) is a protocol developed by Facebook that allows web pages to become rich objects in a social graph. When a web page is shared on social media platforms like LinkedIn, the og: tags embedded in the page's HTML provide critical information about the content, including the title, description, and most importantly, the image.
The og:image tag is particularly important, as it's the primary visual representation of your content on social media. A well-optimized og:image can significantly improve the visibility and engagement of your LinkedIn posts, leading to more clicks, shares, and ultimately, conversions.
Common Reasons Why LinkedIn Isn't Picking Up Your WordPress Site's og:image
There are several potential reasons why LinkedIn may not be displaying the correct image from your WordPress site. Let's explore the most common issues and how to address them:
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Incorrect og:image URL: One of the most frequent problems is that the URL specified in the og:image tag is not correct or accessible. This could be due to an incorrect file path, a broken link, or the image being blocked by your WordPress site's security settings.
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Conflicting Open Graph Data: WordPress sites often have multiple plugins or theme settings that can generate open graph data, leading to conflicting or incorrect information being presented to LinkedIn.
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Image Size and Format: LinkedIn has specific requirements for the size and format of images that it will accept. If your og:image doesn't meet these specifications, LinkedIn may not be able to display it correctly.
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Caching Issues: LinkedIn may cache the open graph data from your WordPress site, which can prevent updates to the og:image from being recognized. This can be especially problematic if you've recently updated your site's content or design.
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LinkedIn's Scraper Not Accessing Your Site: In some cases, LinkedIn's web scraper may have difficulty accessing your WordPress site, preventing it from properly retrieving the og:image and other open graph data.
Fixing the LinkedIn og:image Issue on Your WordPress Site
Now that we've identified the common reasons why LinkedIn may not be picking up your WordPress site's og:image, let's dive into the step-by-step solutions to address each problem.
1. Verify the og:image URL
The first step is to ensure that the URL specified in the og:image tag is correct and accessible. You can do this by following these steps:
- Locate the og:image tag in your WordPress site's HTML. This is typically added by your theme or a plugin, and may look something like this:
<meta property="og:image" content="" />
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Copy the URL specified in the content
attribute of the og:image tag.
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Paste the URL into your web browser to ensure the image is loading correctly. If the image doesn't load, you'll need to update the URL or check the file location on your WordPress server.
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If the image is loading correctly, try sharing your content on LinkedIn to see if the og:image is now being displayed properly.
2. Resolve Conflicting Open Graph Data
As mentioned earlier, multiple plugins or theme settings on your WordPress site can generate open graph data, leading to conflicts and incorrect information being presented to LinkedIn.
To resolve this issue, you'll need to identify the plugins or theme settings that are generating open graph data and ensure they are properly configured.
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Disable any open graph-related plugins or theme settings that you're not actively using. This will help eliminate potential conflicts.
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If you're using a plugin like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack, ensure that the open graph settings are configured correctly and that the og:image is being properly generated.
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Check your WordPress theme's settings to see if there are any open graph-related options that need to be adjusted.
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Once you've made the necessary changes, test your content on LinkedIn again to see if the og:image is now being displayed correctly.
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3. Ensure Image Size and Format Compliance
LinkedIn has specific requirements for the size and format of images that it will accept. To ensure your og:image meets these specifications, follow these steps:
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LinkedIn recommends an image size of 1200×628 pixels (a 1.91:1 aspect ratio) for optimal display.
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The image format should be either JPEG, PNG, or GIF. LinkedIn does not support SVG or other image formats.
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Ensure that the image file size is under 5MB, as LinkedIn has a file size limit.
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If your og:image doesn't meet these requirements, you'll need to resize, crop, and/or convert the image to the correct format and size.
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Once the image is properly optimized, update the og:image tag in your WordPress site's HTML and test the content on LinkedIn again.
4. Clear LinkedIn's Cache
LinkedIn may cache the open graph data from your WordPress site, which can prevent updates to the og:image from being recognized. To address this, you can try clearing LinkedIn's cache:
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Share your content on LinkedIn, but don't wait for the post to go live.
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Go to the LinkedIn post preview page and click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
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Select "Inspect" to open the browser's developer tools.
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In the developer tools, go to the "Network" tab and look for the request that corresponds to your shared content.
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Right-click on the request and select "Clear" to remove the cached data.
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Refresh the page, and the updated og:image should now be displayed correctly.
5. Ensure LinkedIn's Scraper Can Access Your WordPress Site
In some cases, LinkedIn's web scraper may have difficulty accessing your WordPress site, preventing it from properly retrieving the og:image and other open graph data.
To ensure LinkedIn's scraper can access your site, you can try the following:
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Check your WordPress site's robots.txt file to ensure it's not blocking LinkedIn's scraper. The robots.txt file should allow access to the root domain, as well as any specific pages or directories that contain your content.
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Ensure your WordPress site is not behind a firewall or using a security plugin that could be blocking access to LinkedIn's scraper.
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If you're using a content delivery network (CDN) or a caching plugin, make sure these are not interfering with LinkedIn's ability to access your site's content.
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Consider submitting your site's URL to LinkedIn's website crawler tool to help ensure it's properly indexed and recognized by the platform.
By following these steps, you should be able to identify and resolve the issue of LinkedIn not picking up the correct og:image from your WordPress site. Remember, maintaining a well-optimized og:image is crucial for driving engagement and conversions on the LinkedIn platform.
If you're still experiencing issues, consider using a tool like Flowpoint.ai to help identify and fix any technical errors that may be impacting your website's performance on social media