I created a generic news image for our site with photo of satellite dish and site name

Google… open graph tags… that is what facebook uses to capture the correct content

It won’t read comments from FB plugin, Disqus, or similar plugins; only built-in WP comments system. I usually edit the template to remove that myself.

Make sure you have your open graph tags setup properly, and always have an excerpt in your story excerpt box.

Note that Google News may skip images which are not photographic enough; such as gif images, 32 color png images, animated gifs, jpeg images under 20kb, logo grpahics, ad banner images with too much text, etc.

Look at your Google News site map XML — nothing to do with JetPack — and look at it in text editor, or view source in web browser — check to see WHICH image is actually there as the image for Google News, as THAT is what you need to make sure is a “good” image.

Not a lot else you can do. They do randomly skip images for no good reasons. Sometimes I go back and change the headline by one word, and it pops in (but NOT changing the permalink); sometimes image pops in after a couple more stories are live; sometimes it’s hours later it’s suddenly there. No rhyme or reason.

It’s all automated — you can’t “force” them to do anything at all; only “hint” them with the correct file types, sizes, content and whatnot.

Also – they may skip image if your story headline is identical to story they already captured; so “unique” headlines a must for GN.

That’s about all I can suggest.

Your home page has no ‘name’ — it’s the “index” which loads for your main front page of site; so has no actual name. The name shown under ‘pages’ when editing your static home page can be anything (I usually do ‘homepager’ or whatever). There is no home page URL slug — your home page should always simply load as “yoursite.ooo” (.com or whatever).

Theme does not control that in any way.

You might want to review the user guides for WordPress and the subject of permalinks at wordpress.org in the ‘codex.’

Not sure that helped – just some feedback.

TWO ISSUES:

FIRST — Once in awhile Google has issues with some advertisers whose content is loaded from off Google’s own platform … meaning, Google tries to show ad in spot – system pulled from times out, your spot times out; blank spot … only way to permanently cure that is to have a “text only” ad spot without graphics or multimedia like animations/video, etc.

On one of our news sites this past couple of weeks, we’ve had that happen where one spot always renders, then banner across top does not.

SECOND — However, in addition to the *normal* time out issues, there has been a specific on/off issue, which started last week, which times out *all* ad units. Has nothing to do with your site, your content, any supposed warning from Google about compliance or other b.s. — totally issue with Google’s system.

One so-called ‘expert’ on the Google forum is claiming it’s because your page doesn’t meet Google’s content requirements which is totally wrong. It is happening to *all* sites, regardless of i.p. or content type, location, etc. for our sites in the U.S.

On the other hand — it is bizarre that “some” pages refuse to load ads, on 10 visits, while next door pages on same site, load ads every time. Looking at the page and running audit, there is no bad code, bad link, bad content (e.g., a mortgage pro winning an industry award from magazine = no ads; gov of NY awarding grant to schools = ads).

Only thing you can do is just live with it, really.

Google *will* warn you about content like promoting software that allows you to steal/download YouTube videos, or warez, or nazi propaganda, or whatever. But that is common sense.

Not sure that helps – just feedback.

You can keep using visual composer for posts and pages. Just deactivate tagdiv composer. See the theme docs.

Probably a function you could come up with. Maybe use the common function for removing the slug but wrap in an if id is xx loop.

If that makes no sense you might need to hire developer.

Download the ‘all files’ zip; unzip on your PC/Mac — inside is the changelog, plugins, and the actual theme zip.

Theme has nothing to do with Google News image selection.

a) check your Google News sitemap to see what images are in the sitemap XML
b) check your meta data for proper open graph tags with og:image for featured image
c) Google News will normally pick the largest image in post “automatically” (if not first one after first paragraph), if there is no featured image in your meta data
d) check your search console account for any ‘errors’ in your Google News sitemap/feed

Generally Google News needs an image large enough to be considered ‘main image’ (696px minimum for AMP; 600px minimum for featured image — we’ve found for our sites). If you have four images in post, and featured image smallest one; it might not be chosen for featured image.

However — normal behavior is to choose the ‘featured image’ as specified in your meta data *and* in your Google News specific sitemap XML.

(My sites have been in GN since the 2005 beta, so I speak with some authority.)

You can download from your Themeforest account under downloads.

And yes, best to update via FTP, as you can also do safety site backup same time. 🙂

Be sure to read changes first, as updates to themes not “required” unless security issue.

Check you max file upload size for php in your hosting panel, as good first test.
I usually upload large files via FTP, as safer way to upload audio and video files to my sites. I prefer not to clog my media manager with audio and video files, but that’s me.

Theme has no control over your permalinks.

There is a well known solution to add a custom function to your functions.php file; or if you’re using an SEO plugin like Yoast or All-in-One, I think they both have option to strip the /category/ slug from the permalink 🙂

Did you add content to sidebars from appearance >> widgets

You need to turn ‘on’ the option to show social icons in the header from the theme panel, if you *do* want them to show up in headers.

I don’t think they do, I had asked about this previously; since all licenses are purchased via ENVATO/ThemeForest – you likely need to contact them.

Each time you add to your post thread – it pushes it to BACK of the queue, not front !
They were also closed for the holiday.

I don’t work here; but posted reply to your other thread 🙂

• This reply was modified 8 years by simchris.

I don’t work here, but you might try learning to do custom CSS — basically, use the console view in Chrome to inspect your page, then use the inspector to select an element on page — then figure out the CSS to over-ride..

e.g.,
<li class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home current-menu-item page_item page-item-19 current_page_item menu-item-first td-menu-item td-normal-menu menu-item-26"><i class="icon-017-cross"></i>Home

Limit number of queries. Simply start with simpler design. Stuff like ‘related posts’ or ‘more from author’ or random elements, or using 5 modules per page, vs choosing ONE module for sidebar on posts, as one example.

I use max of three module types on home page, and no modules in footer, and only ONE module type in sidebar on posts.

Don’t use mega menu unless you absolutely need to.

Also, consider disabling XMLRPC, disabling comments, and using a security plugin like “Limit Login Attempts” to help cut down on bad actor system overloads.

@Marolynx
Most themes don’t have captcha. It’s an add-on depending on what type of comments being used. For example how would the theme add a captcha code to Facebook comments system, or DisQus ? So, for example most people use AKISMET as starting point, included with theme; then tune the default WP settings under ‘discussion’ — such as blocking certain terms; you can also use third party captcha plugins, for simple captcha, or hook in Google’s system (‘I am not a robot’), etc. — and of course many sites choose not to have comments anymore at all due to 90% being spam and not adding anything to posts except troll comments — ahem, much like yours 😉

• This reply was modified 8 years by simchris.

Adsense wasnt working on my sites consistently today

Open the actual page to edit in wordpress for static page, and note the yoast seo options bottom of edit page… if not visible, use the visibility tab top right of your page

Caching issue. I have to clear my safari history from time to time, esp on ipad

Caching issue. Clear cache in Quantum.