A featured image and excerpt can control how a post appears in listings, depending on the active theme and templates.
Steps
- Edit the post and open its post settings sidebar. Locate Featured image and select or upload an appropriate image.
- Check the selected media item’s alternative text and image quality. Use an image that still makes sense when cropped.
- Find Excerpt if the post type and interface expose it. Write a short, useful summary rather than repeating an unfinished first sentence.
- Save the post and preview both its individual page and the archive or homepage where it is listed.
- If the image or excerpt does not appear, inspect the listing’s theme or block settings before replacing the content repeatedly.
Check the result
Confirm that the listing shows the intended summary and a sensible image crop at desktop and phone widths.
Before you continue
These fields do not guarantee a particular search-engine description or social-media preview. A theme can omit them, and separate SEO or sharing tools may define other values.
Official documentation: WordPress guide.
