Have you ever shared a link to your latest blog post on Facebook then you notice that the image isn’t the one you intended? Instead of Facebook pulling up the featured image, it shows another picture that was also in the blog post.
Then you deleted the Facebook post and tried to reshare the link again only to end up with the same problem.
We feel your frustration. The problem could have been that the picture you used as the featured image of the blog post didn’t meet the minimum size requirements set by Facebook so the algorithm opted for another pic.
If you used the Facebook debugger, you could have identified this issue before sharing the link to the blog post and fixed it immediately.
In this article, you are going to learn how to use the Facebook debugger to avoid any mistakes and share fantastic Facebook posts.
What is a Facebook debugger?
The Facebook debugger tool allows you to see the information Facebook pulls out of a URL such as a link from your site. These pieces of information include the post title, the featured image, and the post description. It is possible that Facebook may pull the wrong information from an article. So the debugger helps you identify the errors and make necessary changes so that the post appears as fantastic as you wanted.
You don’t want the wrong image appearing on a Facebook post when you share a link to an article because Facebook failed to scrape the featured image. Your post will have low engagement rates and few users will visit your website because it doesn’t resonate with their needs.
But with the Facebook debugger, you will avoid such mistakes because the tool enables you to check if everything is right before sharing your blog post on your Facebook Page or Profile. So you will fix any errors found before the Facebook post goes live.
What are Facebook Open Graphs?
Open Graph is an internet protocol that enables the use of metadata to represent the contents of a web page. It was introduced by Facebook in 2010 to enable its users to share links from their websites.
So the metadata includes the page title, the featured image, and the page description. Look at this Facebook post where we shared the link to our latest blog post:
Uniclix Facebook Page
All the features present on this Facebook post make up the meta tags or open graph tags that the Open Graph algorithm scraped from the original article — the page title, the page description, and the featured image.
It is these meta tags that sometimes may not come out as you wanted. For example, the image may not be the right one and the text may not be what you intended. The Facebook debugger enables you to identify these errors before you share the post then you correct what is necessary to make the post as engaging as you wanted.
If Facebook fails to display the right text or image, it means that the Open Graph algorithm failed to scrape the correct metadata from the page. And you end up with a funny-looking Facebook post.
How to use the Facebook debugger
Facebook debugger is easy to use. Even better, it is free! All you need to do is visit the debugger website and paste the URL of the page you want to share and press the “debug” button.
Let me show you the step by step process on how to use the Facebook debugger.
Step 1: Visit the debugger website by clicking this link.
Screenshot showing the debugger website
Step 2: Type in or paste the URL of the page you want to share on Facebook in the box.
Screenshot showing the debugger website
Step 3: Press the “Debug” button on the right to analyze the contents of the link you want to share on Facebook.
If certain meta tags are missing, the Debugger will show them as warnings. The Debugger will also provide information showing the previous time Facebook scraped your page or website.
Debugger indicating that some meta tags are missing
Apart from the warnings about the issues that need to be fixed, the Debugger will also show you how the Facebook post will appear when you share the link.
Screenshot showing the link preview of the web page we intend to share on Facebook
The blog posts debugger also shows you how the Open Graph algorithm reads your URL. There are many meta tags that the debugger provides in the preview process. It is your duty to go through all of the meta tags to ensure that the right information comes out when you share the link.
Screenshot showing the URLs of the link we intend to share on Facebook
If there are any mistakes in the link preview, you will notice them before your audience. Correct those errors to improve engagement rates and connect with your audience at a deeper level. When your followers notice any errors on your Facebook post, they are less likely to interact with it and gradually lose interest in your entire brand.
Step 4: Clear the caches
If the Facebook preview doesn’t show up the way you wanted, then you should begin by clearing the caches. The preview may be defaulting to an older version because your Facebook or WordPress has an outdated version.
If your page is built on WordPress, then should clear all the caches. To do this, visit your WordPress admin dashboard and got to Settings. Locate the WP Super Cache. Press “the delete cache” button located under the Delete Cached pages section.
To clear the Facebook cache, click on the button, “Scrape Again” found at the top of the debugging report.
If after doing these two things the preview is still isn’t right, then move to the step.
Step 5: Change the Open Graph Settings
If after clearing the WordPress and Facebook cache your preview still isn’t as you want, then you may need to scroll down the report to learn more about your issues.
This lower end of the debugger report contains all the issues that the Open Graph algorithm encountered when pulling information from your page. Your team can study the report to identify the source of the problem and correct it before sharing the page with your audience.
Screenshot showing the lower section of the debugger report
You certainly have issues with your open graph tags when the preview still has errors even after clearing the WordPress and Facebook caches.
Once you have fixed the issues your team identified when studying the debugger report, run the debugging tool once again and check the preview.
I hope that this time it would come out as you want with the right text and images.
How do you use a debugger?
The Fb debugger tool is used to identify the issues with your Facebook post when sharing a link. You can correct any mistakes present in the Facebook post preview before sharing the link with the audience.
Using the debugger tool is simple and doesn’t require you to have programming knowledge at all. Here are the steps to using a debugger:
1. Visit the debugger website.
2. Paste the URL of the page you want to share on Facebook in the box.
3. Click the blue debug button on the right side of the box.
4. Analyze the debugger report. Look at the link preview and confirm that the image is exactly what you want to appear on the Facebook post.
5. If there are any errors with the preview, clear the WordPress and Facebook caches. From your WordPress admin dashboard, go to Settings then to WP Super Cache. Press “the delete cache” button located under the Delete Cached pages section. To delete the Facebook Caches just click on the “Scrape Again” button at the top of the debugger button.
6. If the preview still has errors after clearing the caches, then you may have issues with your open graph tags. The way to handle this problem is to study the lower section of the debugger report. Your team will easily identify the source of the errors and correct them immediately.
How do you debug a post on Facebook?
You can use the free Facebook debugger tool to debug a post on Facebook. Here are the steps to repairing Facebook metadata:
1. Paste the URL of the page you want to share on the debugger website.
2. Review the debugger report to identify any issues with the preview of your Facebook post.
3. Clear WordPress cache if there are errors in the debugger report.
4. Clear the Facebook cache by pressing the “Scrape again” button at the top of the debugger report.
5. Review the final preview of the URL including the featured image and the post title. If everything is ok, share the post.
How do I fix blog posts issues with the Facebook debugger?
Facebook uses the Open Graph algorithm to pull information from pages whenever you are sharing a URL. These pieces of information include images, page titles, and descriptions. Sometimes these features are referred to as metadata because they represent the entire content of the page.
The blog posts debugger helps you to identify any errors in the preview before sharing the post with your audience. Here are the steps to fixing blog post issues using the Facebook debugger:
1. Visit the debugger website and paste the URL of the blog post in the box.
2. Click the debugger button to analyze the preview of the blog post and identify any possible errors.
3. Review the debugger report to see if there are any issues with the blog post such as if Facebook will display the right image and text when you share the link.
4. Share your post with your audience if you don’t find any errors.
FAQ Section on Facebook Debugger
Why doesn’t Facebook share my posts correctly?
These are the reasons why your blog posts may not appear as meticulously as you wanted when you share them on Facebook:
1. Incorrect image sizing
Facebook has sizing requirements for every content you intend to share on the platform. If the image you used as a featured image of your blog post doesn’t meet these requirements, then the Open Graph algorithm will find another image within the post that meets the guidelines and use it as the right image.
2. WordPress caches
WordPress caches may confuse the Facebook algorithm pulling information from your site on which page to use. You can install a WordPress caching plug in to keep your pages loading fast and still not confuse the Facebook algorithm on which metadata to pick.
3. Facebook Caches
Have you ever deleted an image in a blog post and replaced it with another one but when your repost the link on Facebook, the old image still appears? Now that is due to Facebook caching.
4. Missing featured image
If your blog post has no featured image, then the algorithm is likely to pull up another image to act as the featured image. To solve this problem, ensure that every blog post you are sharing on Facebook has a featured image uploaded on WordPress.
What are the errors that the Facebook Debugger may identify?
These are some of the errors that the Facebook Debugger may reveal if your link has issues:
1. Extraneous property –
This error means that your website’s open graph tags are depreciated and so the Debugger doesn’t recognize them. Your team will study your site’s open graph tags to see where the problem could be and solve it immediately.
2. Inferred property –
This error means that your blog post has many images and the Open Graph algorithm is having a hard time choosing one to be the featured image.
3. Parser Mismatched Metadata –
This error means that the data extracted by the Open Graph algorithm doesn’t match the original data found in the blog post. Usually, the debugger points out the sources of the error and how to fix it easily.
4. Open Graph errors –
This error will be presented as a list. The debugger report will show you the open graph properties it got and those that the algorithm missed when pulling information from your blog post. You will notice things like og:updatedtime, og:sitename, etc.
5. Share App ID Missing –
You can only see this error when you integrate another app with Facebook. The error indicates that you didn’t set the app id on your website before sharing the blog post.
How do I fix blog posts issues with the Facebook debugger?
Facebook uses the Open Graph algorithm to pull information from pages whenever you are sharing a URL. These pieces of information include images, page titles, and descriptions. Sometimes these features are referred to as metadata because they represent the entire content of the page.
Conclusion
The Facebook debugger tool helps to identify errors in a Facebook post preview when you want to share a URL. It enables you to correct any issues with the Facebook post to increase engagement rates and avoid any mistakes.
Whenever you are sharing a link on Facebook, the Open Graph algorithm pulls information from the URL in the form of metadata to represent the entire content on the page. These metadata include the page title, the page description, and the featured image. Sometimes the algorithm may pull up the wrong image or not pick up the correct title. The Facebook debugger tool helps you notice such errors before you share the post.
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