Having a share button on your website or blog pages allows visitors to easily share your content on social media. This can help increase traffic and engagement. However, there are a few reasons why you may not have a visible social share button on your pages:
You have not added one
The most obvious reason is that a share button has simply not been implemented on the page. Social share buttons are not a default feature on most websites. You need to actively install and add code for a share button to appear.
There are a few ways to add share buttons:
- Use a content sharing plugin if you have a WordPress or other CMS site. Popular plugins include AddThis, ShareThis, and Easy Social Share Buttons.
- Manually add HTML code for share buttons from networks like Facebook and Twitter.
- Use a social sharing service like ShareThis or AddThis to generate custom share button code.
So if you want visitors to be able to share your content, you need to take the extra step to implement share button code. If you don’t see buttons, it likely means you simply haven’t added them yet.
Technical or plugin issues
If you previously had share buttons showing but they have disappeared, it could be due to a technical glitch or plugin conflict. Some potential issues include:
- Share button plugin is deactivated or removed.
- Outdated plugin version causing conflicts.
- JavaScript errors preventing proper loading.
- Caching issues.
- Theme compatibility problems.
- Share counters breaking the sharing code.
- Accidental removal of the sharing code.
Debugging and troubleshooting can help identify and resolve the specific problem. Common fixes include:
- Reactivating a disabled share button plugin.
- Updating plugins to latest versions.
- Clearing caches and hosts.
- Adding JavaScript fixes.
- Switching to a more compatible theme.
- Removing counter code.
- Re-adding missing sharing code.
Share buttons are strategically excluded
There are some cases where website owners intentionally exclude share buttons, such as:
- Specific pages: Sharing may be disabled on certain pages like contact or pricing.
- Simplified design: Share buttons can add clutter so they’re removed for clean layouts.
- Security: Share buttons can be avoided due to privacy or security concerns.
- Performance: Too many social plugins can slow down page loading.
So if share buttons aren’t showing up on any of your pages, it could be an intentional choice rather than an oversight. Evaluate whether excluding sharing aligns with your goals for that content.
Share buttons don’t work on localhost
Social sharing requires content to be publicly accessible online. Share buttons typically won’t work if you’re previewing a site on a localhost environment or non-public development server.
For share buttons to function, content needs to be live on the public internet and have a proper URL. Once your site is live, share buttons should begin working as intended.
Scripts are blocked
Modern websites rely heavily on scripts, but sometimes these get blocked from loading. If share button JavaScript is blocked, the buttons won’t appear. Potential causes include:
- Browser extensions blocking scripts.
- Scripts disabled completely in browser.
- Website firewalls or filters.
- Script errors preventing loading.
Unblocking the required scripts can help get share buttons to load properly. You may also be able to switch to simple link-based sharing that doesn’t require scripts.
Custom coded buttons
If you have developers who have built custom social sharing buttons, they may require specialized code to function properly. Some issues that could occur include:
- Missing IDs or improper markup.
- Broken image links.
- CSS styling issues.
- Lack of proper Open Graph meta tags.
- Errors in custom JavaScript.
Reviewing the custom code thoroughly and debugging errors can help get hand-coded share buttons working again.
How to add share buttons
If you’ve determined that share buttons are not currently implemented for your site, here are some tips for adding them:
Choose networks
Decide which social networks you want to include buttons for. Common options are:
Limit to the 3-5 networks most relevant to your audience and content goals.
Select placement
Determine the best place to put buttons so they are visible but don’t distract from content. Popular placements include:
- Above or below post content
- In sidebar
- Floating bar on side or bottom
- Within content as text links
Choose button size and style
Pick appropriately sized button images and customize colors to match your brand. Keep styles consistent across networks.
Use a social sharing plugin
Social sharing plugins like AddThis and ShareThis make adding buttons easy. Find one compatible with your platform, install, and configure.
Insert individual network code
Add the official share button code from each network one by one. This takes more work but allows greater customization.
Implement Open Graph tags
Meta tags like og:title and og:image improve how content is displayed when shared.
Test and optimize
Preview how buttons look, confirm sharing works, check mobile layouts, and tweak as needed. Track performance over time.
With the right approach, you can successfully add social sharing capabilities to boost engagement.
Reasons to exclude share buttons
While share buttons can provide benefits, there are also reasons site owners may choose to exclude them. These include:
Cluttered appearance
Too many visible buttons can make pages look cluttered and distract from content itself.
Slow page loads
Loading share button scripts from multiple networks can impact site performance.
Lack of control over placement
Some share buttons force predefined placement, hindering design.
Privacy concerns
Networks may track visitors in unintended ways when sharing pages.
Lack of value for some sites
Sharing may not benefit content not heavily shared or discussed.
Prefer organic shares
Some prefer visitors to share more authentically rather than prompted.
Don’t want to encourage off-site actions
Many sites want users engaged on-site rather than leaving.
Think critically before adding buttons everywhere. While they can boost visibility, sharing may not be appropriate or valuable everywhere.
Alternatives to share buttons
If you don’t want visible social buttons, some alternatives include:
Text links
Add text-based sharing prompts within content instead of buttons.
Floating share bar
Use a fixed share bar at the bottom or side with minimal footprint.
On-hover buttons
Display buttons only when a user hovers over an area to keep clutter down.
Pop-up share prompt
Open a sharing pop-up when a visitor tries to leave a page.
Share icons in navigation
Add small share icons in header or footer rather than content.
Social follow widgets
Focus just on social follow buttons in sidebar rather than sharing.
Share landing pages only
Add prominent sharing only to key landing pages rather than all content.
Get strategic with sharing to promote it while maintaining site aesthetics and performance.
Conclusion
There are many potential reasons share buttons may not be showing up on your site, from simple oversights to technical problems. Evaluate whether lack of visible sharing aligns with your goals and if adding buttons could increase traffic and engagement.
If you need help troubleshooting or implementing social sharing, don’t hesitate to reach out to a developer for assistance. With some strategic planning, you can incorporate effective sharing that makes sense for your particular site and audience.
