Summary:
Facebook OpenGraph Meta Tags are HTML snippets that control how your webpages appear when shared on Facebook. They let you define the title, description and image shown in link previews in Facebook posts, improving visibility and engagement. WordPress users can add them via plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math, helping boost click-through rates, branding and website traffic.
When you or someone else shares any of your website’s pages on Facebook, if what is called ‘Facebook OpenGraph Meta Tags’ are set up, a greater number of people will take note of your shared webpapges in their Facebook feeds. If they are not used, a greater majority of people will overlook your shared pages.
Facebook OpenGraph Meta Tags are snippets of HTML code that are added to each webpage. If your website is using WordPress, you can add them using the Yoast SEO Plugin or the Rank Math plugin or other similar plugins.
OpenGraph tags let you define exactly what displays when each of your webpages are shared on Facebook. The most important tags are:
- og:title – The headline of your page
- og:description – A short summary
- og:image – The image that appears in the preview
- og:url – The canonical page URL
- og:type – The content type (e.g. website, article)
To add them, place the meta tags inside thesection of your webpage’s HTML. For example:
The benefits of Facebook OpenGraph Meta Tags
The many benefits of Facebook OpenGraph Meta Tags include:
- Better click-through rates
- Stronger brand presentation
- Improved social sharing
- More control over how your webpages preview (appear) when shared on Facebook
If you want your pages to look professional when shared on Facebook, and if you want to help drive traffic to your website, Facebook OpenGraph tags are essential.
The below video shows how to set them up when using the Yoast SEO Plugin.
Tip: Use the Facebook OpenGraph Debugger Tool to test the Facebook OpenGraph Meta Tags you create for each webpage.