- You’re probably trying to link a YouTube video on Facebook
- But it doesn’t work…
- The thumbnail isn’t visible like it’s supposed to
No big deal. We’ll fix that!
How To Make Facebook Show YouTube Thumbnails
The most reliable way to fix this issue is to run your YouTube video’s link through the Facebook Debugger. It should soon be visible again.
Method 1: Use Facebook Debugger
Facebook might not have grabbed the thumbnail yet. If it’s taking too long, use Facebook’s Sharing Debugger:
- Copy your YouTube video’s link
- Paste it in the Debugger Search Bar
- Click “Debug“
- Then click “Scrape Again”
This forces Facebook to refetch the info and hopefully show the thumbnail.
Method 2: Clear Browser Cache
Clear your cache and cookies, then try sharing the video link again. Outdated data in your browser’s cache can cause issues.
- Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + Delete -> Select “Cached images and files” -> Clear data
- Firefox: Click menu (three lines) -> Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Clear Data… -> Check “Cached Web Content” -> Clear
- Edge: Click menu (three dots) -> Settings -> Privacy, search, and services -> Clear browsing data -> Choose what to clear -> Select “Cached images and files” -> Clear now
- Safari (Mac): Preferences -> Privacy tab -> Manage Website Data… -> Remove (specific sites) or Remove All
- Safari (iOS): Settings app -> Safari -> Clear History and Website Data -> Clear History and Data
Closely Related: How to remove cache on your browser — our list above is just a shortlist for the most popular web browsers.
Method 3: Remove Faulty Extensions
If you have many browser extensions, one might be interfering. Temporarily disable all extensions and see if the thumbnail appears.
Access your Chrome extensions here: chrome://extensions
If the thumbnail appears again, re-enable extensions one by one to identify the troubling one.
Why doesn’t Facebook show my YouTube thumbnail?
Answer: It might not show because the video is still processing, or there’s a caching issue.
Use the Facebook Sharing Debugger to refresh the link information or clear your browser’s cache and try again.
Possible Causes & Fixes
1. YouTube’s side
- Facebook fetches information from YouTube when you first share the link.
- If the video is new, YouTube might still be processing the thumbnail, especially for HD quality.
- Solution: Wait a few hours and try sharing the link again.
2. Facebook’s side
- This tool forces Facebook to refresh the information it has about your link.
- Solution: Go to the Facebook Sharing Debugger, paste your YouTube video link, and click “Debug.” Then, click “Scrape Again.”
3. Browser issue
- Outdated cache or cookies can sometimes cause glitches with how Facebook displays content.
- Solution: Clear your web browser’s cache and cookies, then try sharing the link again.
4. Unhappy extensions
- Rarely, a browser extension might interfere with Facebook’s functionality.
- Solution: Try temporarily disabling your browser extensions and see if that resolves the issue.
Thank you for reading this,
ThumbnailTest
