Metadata Checklist
Strong titles, descriptions, Open Graph images, alt text and heading structures ensure content is discoverable, shareable and aligned with Purdue’s voice. For more on why this matters and how it connects to broader visibility efforts, see the SEO and GEO Guidance page. Use the checklists below to add and verify metadata in either Cascade or WordPress. Always finish with a Siteimprove check to validate compliance and quality.
Note: If your unit does not yet have Siteimprove access, contact Purdue Brand Studio to get set up.
Troubleshooting Metadata Issues
- OG image not showing on social platforms
- Clear your platform cache using tools like Facebook’s Sharing Debugger or Twitter’s Card Validator.
- Confirm your OG image is at least 1200 × 630 px and properly set in Cascade or WordPress.
- Metadata changes not appearing in Google
- Search engines can take time to recrawl pages. Submit your URL in Google Search Console to request faster indexing.
- Remember, Google may rewrite titles or descriptions depending on the query.
- Alt text warnings in Siteimprove
- Check whether flagged images are truly decorative. If so, use
alt="". - If they are meaningful, write alt text that explains their role in the content.
- Check whether flagged images are truly decorative. If so, use
- Heading structure flagged
- Confirm only one H1 exists.
- Use headings in sequential order (H2 → H3) and avoid skipping levels for style reasons.