A compelling featured image can be the difference between a visitor clicking on your blog post or scrolling right past it. This single image acts as the cover for your content, appearing on your blog page, in social media shares, and search engine results. Getting the WordPress featured image size right, especially when using a powerful theme like Divi, is crucial for a professional look and optimal performance.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know. We’ll cover why featured images are so important, how to set them in WordPress, and the ideal dimensions for your Divi website.
What is a WordPress Featured Image?
A WordPress featured image, also known as a post thumbnail, is the main image that represents your post, page, or custom post type. When you set a featured image, WordPress and your theme can use it in various places across your site. It’s the visual ambassador for your content.
Think of it as the cover of a book. It grabs attention, sets the tone, and gives a preview of what’s inside. A well-chosen featured image makes your content more shareable and visually appealing.
Why Your Featured Image Matters
Neglecting your featured image is a missed opportunity. Here’s why it deserves your attention:
- Boosts Engagement: Humans are visual creatures. Articles with images get 94% more total views. A strong featured image entices users to click and read.
- Improves SEO: While the image file name and alt text have a more direct impact on SEO, a good featured image can reduce your bounce rate. When users click from search results and see a professional site, they are more likely to stay. This signals to search engines that your content is valuable.
- Enhances Social Sharing: When you or your readers share your blog post on platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or LinkedIn, the featured image is automatically pulled to create a rich, clickable preview. Without one, you get a plain link that is far less engaging.
- Creates a Professional Look: Consistent and correctly sized featured images give your blog archive and homepage a clean, organized, and professional appearance. Mismatched or blurry images can make your site look amateurish.
How to Set a Featured Image in WordPress
Adding a featured image to your blog post is a straightforward process in the WordPress editor.
- Open Your Post: Navigate to the post or page where you want to add the image.
- Locate the Featured Image Panel: In the right-hand sidebar of the editor, look for the “Featured image” section. If you don’t see it, make sure you are in the “Post” tab at the top of the sidebar.
- Click “Set featured image”: This will open your WordPress Media Library.
- Choose Your Image: You can either select an image you’ve already uploaded or click the “Upload files” tab to add a new one from your computer.
- Add Alt Text: Before clicking the final button, take a moment to fill in the “Alt Text” field. This is important for accessibility and SEO. Briefly describe what is in the image.
- Set the Image: Click the “Set featured image” button. You will now see your chosen image appear in the panel.
That’s it! Once you save or publish your post, the image will be set as your featured image.
Understanding Divi and Image Sizes
The Divi theme by Elegant Themes is incredibly flexible, which also means it handles images in a specific way. Divi uses different image sizes depending on where the featured image is displayed. For example, the image size in a full-width blog post layout will be different from the size in a three-column grid on your blog page.
The key is to upload an image that is large enough to look great in the biggest possible format, while also being optimized for speed.
What is the Best WordPress Featured Image Size for a Divi Blog Post?
For most standard Divi blog layouts, a good rule of thumb for your featured image is 1200 x 675 pixels. This is an aspect ratio of 16:9, which is the standard for widescreen displays and works beautifully across most devices.
Why this size?
- High Quality: At 1200px wide, your image will look crisp and clear on most desktop screens, even in full-width layouts.
- Flexible: A 16:9 aspect ratio is versatile. Divi can easily crop it for different modules (like grid or masonry layouts) without cutting off important parts of the image.
- Performance-Friendly: While large enough for quality, it’s not so large that it will drastically slow down your site, provided you optimize it correctly.
Tips for Optimizing Your Divi Featured Images
Uploading a 1200 x 675 pixel image is only half the battle. You also need to ensure it’s optimized for web performance. A large, unoptimized image file can severely slow down your page load times, which hurts user experience and SEO.
- Compress Your Images: Before uploading to WordPress, always compress your images. Use a tool like TinyPNG or Squoosh to reduce the file size without sacrificing much quality. Aim for a file size under 150 KB.
- Choose the Right File Format: Use JPEG for photographs and images with lots of colors. Use PNG for images that require a transparent background, like logos or graphics.
- Use Descriptive File Names: Name your image file something descriptive before uploading. Instead of
IMG_12345.jpg, usewordpress-featured-image-guide.jpg. This provides context to search engines.
Managing Featured Images in Different Divi Modules
Divi’s Blog Module allows you to display your posts in various layouts, such as “Fullwidth” or “Grid.” Divi automatically resizes your featured images to fit these layouts.
If you upload an image with a 16:9 aspect ratio (like 1200 x 675px), it will look great in most cases. However, if you find your images are being cropped in an awkward way, you can create images with a different aspect ratio. For example, a square image (1:1 ratio, like 1080 x 1080px) works well for certain grid layouts. The most important thing is to be consistent with the size and aspect ratio you choose for all your blog posts.
Take Control of Your Featured Images
Your WordPress featured image is a powerful tool for capturing attention and driving engagement. By understanding the ideal size and optimization techniques for the Divi theme, you can ensure your blog looks professional, loads quickly, and provides a great experience for your visitors.
Start today. Go back to your most recent blog posts and check their featured images. Are they high-quality? Are they sized correctly? Take a few minutes to optimize them and see what a difference it makes for your website’s visual appeal and performance.