Meta tags present information about a page to web browsers and other digital agents. Most meta tags contain a "name" attribute and a "content" attribute. Some types of meta tags are defined by HTML standards, while others are defined by third-party services such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
Add a custom meta tag to any page by using the options in the "SEO, Custom Meta Tags" settings box. This box is located lower on the page when editing in the WordPress dashboard. If you don't see this settings box, click "Screen Options" in the top right corner of the WP dashboard to ensure you have the settings panel enabled.
To create a Custom Meta Tag:
- Find the SEO, Custom Meta Tags settings box and click Add Meta Tag
- Select Name (or Property) from the menu
- Enter the appropriate value for the Name (or Property)
- Enter the appropriate value for the Content
- Update/Publish the page
A few common uses for Custom Meta Tags are detailed in the sections below.
Custom Meta Tags for Facebook
You can use these tags on pages/posts you expect will share well on Facebook, and you can also add them after-the-fact if your page/post gains popularity. These tags allow you to craft exactly how your content will appear when someone links to it from Facebook. Facebook uses Open Graph tags. You can designate a title, description, and preview image (in addition to URL and type).
Note that Open Graph uses Property, not Name. Learn more about Facebook Open Graph markup.
| Property |
Content |
| og:image |
The full URL to your image file that you want to appear on Facebook. |
| og:url |
The full URL to your page or post. |
| title |
The title you want to appear on Facebook. |
| og:type |
The content type. |
| og:description |
The description of your page/post you want to appear on Facebook. |
Open Graph can use images up to 1200 pixels wide x 630 pixels tall for best display on high-resolution devices. At a minimum you should use images at least 600 x 315 pixels. Images can be up to 8MB in size.
You can preview how your page/post will appear on Facebook using Facebook's Debugger. (Note: your page/post *must* be published in order for Facebook to access it for preview.)
Custom Meta Tags for Twitter Cards
You can use these tags on pages/posts you expect will share well on Twitter. Learn more about Twitter Cards.
| Name |
Content |
| twitter:card |
summary_large_image |
| twitter:image |
The full URL to your image file that you want to appear on Twitter. |
| twitter:title |
The title you want to appear on Twitter. (70 characters max.) |
| twitter:site |
Your Twitter handle (e.g. @BU_Tweets) |
| twitter:description |
The description of your page/post you want to appear on Twitter. (200 characters max.) |
Twitter Card images must be less than 1MB in size and at least 280 pixels wide x 150 pixels tall.
You can preview how your page/post will appear on Twitter using Twitter's Card Validator. (Note: your page/post *must* be published in order for Twitter to access it for preview.)
Verify Site Ownership with Google
You can use this tag on your home page to verify site ownership for Google Webmaster Tools and other Google services. See Verify Your Site Ownership in Google's Help Forums for details.
| Name |
Content |
| google-site-verification |
The code or string of text Google provides to you. |
