Chykalophia Docs

Learn how to set, change, and remove featured images on WordPress posts and pages, and why they matter.

A featured image is the main representative image for a post or page. Depending on your theme and plugins, it can appear in blog post lists, at the top of the post, and in the preview when someone shares the link. Setting a good featured image is a quick but important finishing touch.

Quick summary

Open the post or page you're editing. In the right sidebar, click Set featured image. Select an existing image from your media library or upload a new one. Click Set featured image to confirm, then save the post or page.

What you'll need

Editor or Administrator access to WordPress
An image ready to use (JPG or PNG; we recommend at least 1200 × 630 pixels, the size Facebook recommends for link previews)

How to set a featured image

Open the post or page you want to edit in the WordPress editor.

Find the featured image box in the right sidebar, on the Post (or Page) tab. It sits near the top and reads Set featured image. If you don't see the sidebar at all, click the Settings icon (looks like a panel layout) in the top-right toolbar. If there's no featured image option anywhere, your theme may not support featured images. Ask us.

Click "Set featured image." The media library opens.

Choose your image. Click an existing image in the Media Library tab, or open the Upload files tab to add a new one from your computer.

Add alt text if the image doesn't have any yet. The Alt Text field appears in the attachment details panel on the right of the media library. Write a short description of what the image shows — this is important for accessibility. See Alt text explained.

Click "Set featured image" in the bottom-right corner of the media library. The library closes and you'll see a thumbnail of your image in the sidebar.

Click Save (or Publish if the post isn't published yet) to save the post. Older versions of WordPress label the button Update.

You're done

The featured image is set. You can preview the post to see how it looks.

How to change or remove a featured image

To change a featured image:

Hover over the image in the sidebar and click Replace (or click the image itself).

Select a different image in the media library.

Click Set featured image to confirm.

To remove a featured image:

Hover over the image in the sidebar. The Remove button appears over the bottom of it.
Click it. The image is removed from this post but not deleted from your media library.

Where featured images appear

Featured images show up in different places depending on your theme and configuration:

Blog post listings — Many themes show the image next to each post title in a blog feed
Single post header — At the top of the post itself (some themes display it; others don't)
Social media — When someone shares your post on Facebook, LinkedIn, or X, the preview usually shows the image named in the page's social sharing tags. WordPress doesn't add those tags itself; SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO do. If you haven't set a separate social image in the plugin, it may use the featured image.
Google search results — Google sometimes shows an image from the page next to a result. Google picks the image it finds most relevant, so it may not be the featured image.

What if no featured image is set?

If a post has no featured image, social media shares may show a random image from the post, your site logo, or nothing at all. This looks unprofessional. Make a habit of setting featured images on all published posts.

Choosing a good featured image

Size: Aim for at least 1200 × 630 pixels. Facebook recommends at least this size for link previews on high-resolution screens, and it works well as a general standard. Larger is fine; smaller may look blurry.

Format: JPG works best for photographs. PNG is better for graphics with text or transparent areas. For tips on image formats, see Image formats explained.

Subject: The image should be relevant to the post. Generic stock photos work in a pinch, but original photos or custom graphics are more engaging.

Compression: Large uncompressed images slow your site down. If your site has an image optimization plugin (like ShortPixel), it can compress new uploads automatically. Otherwise, compress the image before uploading. See How to compress images.

Common questions

My featured image isn't showing on my post — why?

Some themes or page templates don't display the featured image on the post itself. This is a theme setting, not a WordPress problem. The image may still appear in blog listings and link previews, depending on your theme and SEO plugin. If you want it shown at the top of the post, ask us and we can check your theme settings.

Can pages have featured images too?

Yes — you can set a featured image on pages the same way as on posts. Whether it displays depends on your theme and how the page is laid out.

Social networks cache link previews. After updating the featured image, use the platform's own tool to refresh it: Facebook has the Sharing Debugger, LinkedIn has the Post Inspector. Paste your URL there and ask it to fetch the page again.

How is the featured image different from images inside the post content?

Images you add inside the post body (via an Image block) are separate from the featured image. The featured image is metadata — a designated representative image for the whole post. It doesn't automatically appear inside the content unless your theme places it there.

Need a hand?

If you're stuck, email support@chykalophia.com and we'll help. Include your website address and a screenshot if you can.

Learn more

Featured image (Page/Post Settings sidebar) — official WordPress documentation

Setting featured images