Status: Link Preview and Image Settings

Link Previews are how each social network displays the status, based on the Post, Page or Custom Post Type that is being shared.  For example:

When defining a status message, there are six possible Link Preview settings available:

• No Image (i.e. No Link Preview)
• Use OpenGraph Settings
• Use Feat. Image, Linked to Post
• Use Feat. Image, not Linked to Post
• Use Text to Image, Linked to Post
• Use Text to Image, not Linked to Post

Not all social networks support all options, as detailed below.

WordPress to Buffer Pro also provides an option to attach multiple images to a status.  The number of images that will be included in a social media status depends on both:

• The image setting defined on the status,
• The social network the status is for

No Image

Use Case:

• You do not want any Link Preview and Image to be included in the status update

You do not need to specify the {url} tag in your status text, unless you want to include a link within the status text itself.  Inclusion of a {url} will not produce a Link Preview.

Here’s how statuses will look when using this setting, along with the status text = {title}

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Here’s how statuses will look when using this setting, along with the status text = {title} {url}

Facebook

LinkedIn

Use OpenGraph Settings

Requires {url} tag in status text: Yes

Use Cases:

• You have an SEO or Open Graph Plugin
• You want the Link Preview’s Image, Title and Description to be defined by your SEO or Open Graph Plugin
• You want the Link Preview’s Image, Title and Description to look the same as if a visitor directly shared the Post’s URL to social media

Buffer will attempt to read the Open Graph / social metadata for the Page, Post or Custom Post Type that’s being shared, to find an image to include when publishing to social networks.

This Open Graph / social metadata is not controlled or produced by WordPress to Buffer Pro.  Therefore, to ensure that your site contains the necessary Open Graph / social metadata output, you’ll need to use either a free SEO Plugin or Open Graph plugin:

• Yoast SEO
• Open Graph

It’s good practice to have one of the above plugins installed and activated on your WordPress installation, as it will also ensure URLs that are directly shared on social networks by visitors include an image.

Depending on your SEO Plugin or Open Graph plugin, here’s how statuses will look when using this setting, along with the status text = {title} {url}

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Mastodon

Use Feat. Image, Linked to Post

Requires {url} tag in status text: No

Use Cases:

• You do not have an SEO or Open Graph Plugin
• You want the Link Preview’s Title and Description to be defined by WordPress to Buffer Pro
  • The Title will be the Post’s Title
  • The Description will be the Post’s Excerpt
• You want to explicitly define the precise image to be used with the status update on your social media profiles

With this setting chosen, WordPress to Buffer Pro will use the following, in order:

1. WP to Buffer Pro: Featured Image and Additional Images.
   1. If defined, the first image will be used as the image on the status update.  This overrides the Post’s Featured Image, even if it is also supplied.
   2. If additional images are defined, they will also be included on the status update.  Please note the limits outlined at the start of this Documentation regarding the maximum number of images in total that can be assigned to a status, depending on the social network.
      
   3. To remove an image, click the cross icon next to the image
   4. To change the order of images, drag and drop them within the above grid
   5. To add or change images, click the Select Images button, and then click the applicable image(s) in the Media Library modal selector to select or deselect them:
      
2. Featured Image.  If your Post, Page or Custom Post Type supports Featured Images, this image will be used as the image on the status update.
   
   
   Depending on your WordPress site, not all Posts, Pages or Custom Post Types register a Featured Image option.  In this case, use the WP to Buffer Pro: Featured Image option above and ensure that your status settings do not use Use OpenGraph Settings.

You do not need to specify the {url} tag in your status text, unless you want to.  The social media update will be linked to your Post automatically.

Here’s how statuses will look when using this setting, along with the status text = {title}

Facebook

LinkedIn

Use Feat. Image, not Linked to Post

Requires {url} tag in status text: No

Use Cases:

• You do not have an SEO or Open Graph Plugin
• You want to explicitly define the precise image to be used with the status update on your social media profiles
• You want to specify more than one image for a status update for Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram (Pinterest and LinkedIn do not support multiple images)
• You do not want a Link Preview to be displayed, therefore clicking the image will display the full size image instead of linking to the Post

With this setting chosen, WordPress to Buffer Pro again use the following options, in order:

1. WP to Buffer Pro: Featured Image and Additional Images.
   1. If defined, the first image will be used as the image on the status update.  This overrides the Post’s Featured Image, even if it is also supplied.
   2. If additional images are defined, they will also be included on the status update.  Please note the limits outlined at the start of this Documentation regarding the maximum number of images in total that can be assigned to a status, depending on the social network.
      
   3. To remove an image, click the cross icon next to the image
   4. To change the order of images, drag and drop them within the above grid
   5. To add or change images, click the Select Images button, and then click the applicable image(s) in the Media Library modal selector to select or deselect them:
      
2. Featured Image.  If your Post, Page or Custom Post Type supports Featured Images, this image will be used as the image on the status update.
   
   
   Depending on your WordPress site, not all Posts, Pages or Custom Post Types register a Featured Image option.  In this case, use the WP to Buffer Pro: Featured Image option above and ensure that your status settings do not use Use OpenGraph Settings.

You do not need to specify the {url} tag in your status text, unless you want to include a link within the status text itself.  Doing this will not link the Featured Image to the Post’s URL.

Here’s how statuses will look when using this setting, along with the status text = {title} 

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Mastodon

Here’s how statuses will look when using this setting, along with multiple images and the status text = {title} 

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Mastodon

Use Text to Image, Linked to Post

Requires {url} tag in status text: No

Use Cases:

• You do not have an SEO or Open Graph Plugin
• You do not have a Featured Image specified on the Post
• You want to supply an image to be used with the status update on your social media profiles, based on the text you supply.

With this setting chosen, WordPress to Buffer Pro will use the Text to Image Status Text defined in the status, generating an image from it, and using that image with the status update.

Styling of the generated image (text font, size, color, background) is defined in the global Text to Image Settings.

You do not need to specify the {url} tag in your status text, unless you want to.  The social media update will be linked to your Post automatically.

Here’s how statuses will look when using this setting, along with:

• Status Text = {title} 
• Text to Image = Text to Image Example: {title}

Facebook

LinkedIn

Use Text to Image, not Linked to Post

Requires {url} tag in status text: No

Use Cases:

• You do not have an SEO or Open Graph Plugin
• You do not have a Featured Image specified on the Post
• You want to supply an image to be used with the status update on your social media profiles, based on the text you supply.
• You do not want the generated Text to Image to link to the Post (therefore, clicking the image would simply display its full size version within that social network)

With this setting chosen, WordPress to Buffer Pro will use the Text to Image Status Text defined in the status, generating an image from it, and using that image with the status update.

Styling of the generated image (text font, size, color, background) is defined in the global Text to Image Settings.

You do not need to specify the {url} tag in your status text, unless you want to include a link within your status text.  Doing this will not link the Featured Image to the Post’s URL.

Here’s how statuses will look when using this setting, along with:

• Status Text = {title} 
• Text to Image = Text to Image Example: {title}

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Mastodon

[]

WebP Image Support

Since August 2023, Buffer supports WebP images.  Automatic conversion of WebP to JPEG images is therefore no longer required, and removed in WordPress to Buffer Pro 5.0.5, available Thursday August 17th 2023 23:59 UTC.

Auto Cropping

To ensure an image directly schedules to Instagram, WordPress to Buffer Pro may crop the image to meet the required dimensions, storing the converted JPEG image(s) in the Media Library.

As a result, you may see ‘duplicate’ image(s) in your Media Library.  These are temporary, and WordPress to Buffer Pro will automatically delete these, usually within 24 hours.

If images are not deleted, be sure to check that your WordPress Cron is running smoothly, making use of WP Crontrol to confirm that the wp_to_buffer_pro_media_cleanup_cron event exists and runs successfully.

Some image optimization Plugins may attempt to optimize these cropped images.  This is fine, however if you’d prefer Plugin generated images to be excluded from image optimization, be sure to exclude images containing wp-to-social-pro in the filename:

• ShortPixel: Navigate to Settings > ShortPixel > Advanced tab > Exclude Patterns, and enter name:wp-to-social-pro