Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for a screenshot to appear?
Screenshots are generated via WP-Cron, which fires on site visits. On an active site they typically appear within a few minutes of publishing. You can also trigger an immediate attempt from the block editor sidebar using the Regenerate Now button.
What happens while a screenshot is being generated?
Depending on your Image Source setting, the post emits its Featured image, a Custom image you chose, or no og:image at all until the screenshot is ready. If no source is set and your SEO plugin has a default, that default takes over until the screenshot lands.
Can I use a different image on specific pages?
Yes. Open any page or post in the block editor and find the OG Image panel in the sidebar. Pick Auto-screenshot, Featured image, Featured image with screenshot fallback, Custom image, or Off for that specific post - this overrides the content-type default set under OG Images > Settings.
Does it replace my SEO plugin?
No. It only handles og:image and twitter:image. Your SEO plugin continues to manage all other meta tags. When the resolved image is ready (screenshot, Featured image, or Custom image), the plugin supplies it through your SEO plugin's own image filter hooks.
Does it work without an SEO plugin?
Yes. Without an SEO plugin, the plugin emits a complete og:image block directly into your page head.
Does it work with WooCommerce product pages?
Yes, on Premium. Custom post type coverage extends the Image Source picker and the auto-screenshot pipeline to WooCommerce products (and any other public CPT). The free plan covers Posts and Pages.
What is the screenshot size?
All screenshots are output at 1200x630 pixels (WebP format), which is the standard Open Graph image size recommended by Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
How often do screenshots refresh?
By default, every 30 days. You can change this in OG Images > Settings under Refresh interval. You can also enable Regenerate on post update to re-capture whenever a post is saved.
What happens if I switch an Image Source away from Auto-screenshot?
The plugin gives you a 14-day grace window before cleaning up cached screenshots that are no longer needed. If you flip the source back inside that window (for example you switched to Featured image, then changed your mind), the existing screenshot is preserved and no quota is burned re-capturing. After 14 days the orphaned cache is purged automatically by a weekly background sweep.
What happens if a screenshot fails?
The post status shows as Failed in the block editor sidebar with details about the error. You can retry from the sidebar. Common causes are listed in Troubleshooting.
What happens when my quota is exhausted?
Posts that cannot be captured due to quota limits are queued and will be captured automatically when your quota resets on your next billing date. Existing screenshots continue to be served normally in the meantime. Featured-image and Custom-image sources are not affected - they do not consume quota.
How do I handle large sites?
The monthly screenshot allowances are sized for sites up to roughly 1,000 pages of fresh captures per month at the default 30-day refresh interval. Bigger sites - large WooCommerce stores, programmatic-SEO content, property listings - need selective coverage to stay within their plan. The four levers are setting the Image Source to Featured image or Off for the high-volume content type, extending the refresh interval, per-post overrides for individual exceptions, and the bulk Image Source actions on the Posts / Pages list screens. See Capacity planning for the full guide.