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SharePoint Document Issues

How to Fix the Wrong Thumbnail on a SharePoint News Post

Phi Hung VoPhi Hung Vo Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to correct the displayed thumbnail image on a SharePoint news post.

How to Fix the Wrong Thumbnail on a SharePoint News Post
Product
SharePoint
Device & OS
not provided
Scenario
Publishing or updating a news post on a SharePoint site.
Observed behavior
The news post incorrectly displays an image from a Quick Links or File and Media web part instead of the intended cover image due to caching or thumbnail synchronization issues.
Before you start

Ensure you have edit permissions for the specific SharePoint news page and have your preferred cover image ready to use.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Change the Thumbnail via Page Details

Use this method to override SharePoint's automatic image selection and explicitly set the correct thumbnail for your news post.

SharePoint sometimes automatically pulls images from Quick Links or other web parts instead of the main banner. Manually setting the thumbnail prevents this behavior and ensures the correct image is always displayed.

1
Edit the News Page

Open the specific news page on your SharePoint site and click 'Edit' at the top right to enter edit mode.

2
Open Page Details

Click on 'Page Details' from the top command bar to open the properties pane on the right side.

3
Change the Thumbnail

In the Page Details pane, locate the thumbnail section and click 'Change thumbnail' to select or upload the correct image.

4
Republish the Page

Click the 'Republish' button to save your changes and apply the new thumbnail.

Manually Change the Thumbnail via Page Details
Cache Refresh: If the correct thumbnail does not immediately appear on the site's main news feed, you may need to republish the SharePoint home page as well to clear the synchronization cache.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint automatically select the wrong thumbnail?

By default, if a custom thumbnail isn't explicitly set, SharePoint attempts to auto-generate one by grabbing an image from the page's content. It often mistakenly prioritizes images from a Quick Links or File and Media web part over your main banner image.

How long does it take for the new SharePoint thumbnail to sync?

The thumbnail should update as soon as you republish the page. If it doesn't, this is usually due to browser or server-side caching. Clearing your browser cache or republishing the main SharePoint home page will force the synchronization.

What is the recommended size for a SharePoint news post thumbnail?

For optimal display across various web parts and news feeds, it is highly recommended to use an image with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a high resolution.