Overview

The article discusses the challenges faced when a post preview does not auto-populate during post creation, attributing the issue to errors that occur when scraping a URL for preview data using a third-party provider. It highlights that the errors may be related to page content, such as image sizes or design, and accessibility issues like paywalls, which prevent the third-party scraper from accessing the content. The article also mentions unsuccessful attempts to improve the process through manual scraping and advises contacting support for further assistance.

 

Information

This article will explain why the post preview sometimes does not auto-populate. There are times when a preview in post creation will not render - this is expected behavior, and at this time we are unable to make changes without complications.

 

Why does this happen?

For more details on why this issue occurs, please refer to the section linked here.

 

What we have tried to troubleshoot

To understand the troubleshooting steps we have attempted, please see the section linked here.

 

 

 

Why does this happen?

When our platform attempts to scrape a URL for preview data, errors may occur, preventing the completion of the process.

 

Since we utilize a third-party provider to scrape content for the preview, it is challenging for us to identify the exact cause of the error as it occurs outside of our platform.

 

Often, the issue is related to the contents of the page, such as image sizes or the overall design of the page.

 

Additionally, whether the URL is accessible to our third-party provider plays a role. For instance, content behind a paywall is typically inaccessible. While the link may work for the manager or us, our third-party provider, which operates as a scraper, might not be able to access the content of the URL.

 

 

Improving Content Extraction Process

We've tried to improve this process in the past through manual scraping; however, it proved to be an unsuccessful alternative. We encountered many errors. To ensure the quality of the PostBeyond experience, we've decided to avoid methods that introduce errors or distort content.

 

 

FAQ

Why doesn't the post preview auto-populate sometimes?

The post preview may not auto-populate due to errors that occur when a third-party provider attempts to scrape a URL for preview data, which can be related to the page's content or accessibility issues like paywalls.

Can the post preview population issue be fixed by manual scraping?

Manual scraping has been tried as a solution but was found to be unsuccessful as it introduced errors and distorted content, thus it is not a preferred method.

Can changes be made to the platform to prevent post preview population issues?

Currently, making changes to the platform to address post preview issues is not feasible without introducing complications.

Does the design of the page affect the post preview population?

Yes, the design of the page, including elements like image sizes, can affect the scraping process and consequently the post preview population.