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An Open Graph (OG) image is the image a webpage declares to represent it when a service creates a link preview. Add its URL in the page’s og:image metadata, then check the actual page preview on the services where you plan to share it. The Open Graph Protocol defines the metadata; individual platforms decide how they read it, crop it, display it, and cache the result.
What is an Open Graph image?
An OG image is a representative image associated with a webpage or other object through its metadata. The page does not embed the image in the og:image tag; it provides a URL that a service can use to retrieve the image. In the protocol’s terms, og:url identifies the object’s canonical URL, while og:image identifies an image representing it.
This is metadata, not a special image format. The image itself is an ordinary web image, and the protocol does not create it, host it, or guarantee how a destination will render it. A social service may use the declared image when making a preview, but the exact result depends on that service.
Which Open Graph tags should you add?
Start with the four basic properties: title, type, canonical URL, and image. Add an image description with og:image:alt. Here is a minimal example to place in the HTML document’s <head>:
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<meta property="og:title" content="Page title" />
<meta property="og:type" content="website" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/page" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/share-image.jpg" />
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="A concise description of the image" />Replace the example values with information for the page being shared. The image URL should identify the actual image file, and the title and canonical URL should describe the page accurately. The Open Graph Protocol defines these basic properties and describes og:image as the image URL representing the object.
Write useful image alt metadata
og:image:alt should describe what is visible in the image. The protocol distinguishes this description from a caption: it is not a place to repeat the page title or add promotional copy unrelated to the visual. Keep it concise and meaningful, such as “Blue electric bicycle parked beside a brick wall.”
Keep optional image metadata accurate
The protocol supports structured image properties, including a secure image URL, MIME type, pixel width and height, and alt description. Add these only when you can keep them consistent with the actual asset. For example, do not declare a width or MIME type that belongs to an earlier version of the image. The protocol’s image properties are metadata; they do not resize or convert the file.
What size should an Open Graph image be?
There is no single size in the protocol that guarantees the same result on every social service. Choose dimensions based on the destinations that matter, and check the relevant platform’s current guidance. A documented LinkedIn requirement is a useful concrete case, but it is not a universal rule.
| Destination or scope | Verified image guidance | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn sharing module | At least 1200 pixels wide by 627 pixels high; no more than 5 MB | These are the requirements listed by LinkedIn Help for its sharing module. The cited help page is recruiter-focused, so treat the figures as LinkedIn sharing guidance, not as a specification for every LinkedIn product. |
| Other services | Not established here as a current official requirement | Check the destination’s own documentation for current dimensions, formats, and file limits instead of assuming LinkedIn’s figures apply. |
Designing one image for multiple destinations can involve trade-offs: a crop that works in one card may not work in another. Keep essential text and visual elements away from the edges when a crop is possible, and validate the image in each important destination. This is practical risk reduction, not a promise of a particular crop.
How to add and verify an OG image
- Prepare the image. Export a web-accessible image in a format and size allowed by the destination you care about. For LinkedIn’s sharing module, the cited LinkedIn Help guidance calls for at least 1200 × 627 pixels and a file no larger than 5 MB.
- Publish it at a stable URL. The URL in
og:imagemust lead to the intended image. Confirm that the published asset is the final version and that its actual dimensions and format match any structured metadata you add. - Add the tags in the page head. Set
og:title,og:type,og:url, andog:image; add a conciseog:image:alt. Ensureog:urlis the canonical page URL, not the image URL. - Check for competing image tags. If the page has multiple
og:imageproperties, put the intended default first. The protocol allows multiple values and specifies that the first tag in document order is preferred. - Test the real page on target services. Inspect the preview where the link will actually be shared. A correct tag does not ensure identical metadata interpretation, crop, card layout, or cache behavior across services.
- Correct the source and test again if needed. If a preview is wrong, first check the metadata and image URL served by the page. Then consult that destination’s current help for its own preview inspection or cache-refresh process; do not assume another service’s process applies.
Why link previews differ between platforms
The protocol defines metadata conventions, but it does not dictate every platform’s preview design. Services can read metadata differently and render different crops or card layouts. A third-party guide discussing Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Discord describes such differences, but it is not a platform specification. The reliable operational rule is to test the real URL on each destination important to your audience rather than treating one preview as proof of how all others will look.
Likewise, a preview that appears stale may involve that service’s handling of previously fetched information. The material available here does not establish current cache-refresh instructions for Facebook or X. Use their own current documentation or tools for destination-specific diagnosis instead of relying on a generic refresh recipe.
Common OG image problems and fixes
- The wrong image appears. Check that the intended URL is in
og:image, that the page actually serves that metadata, and that another image tag is not first. When multiple image values are present, the protocol gives the first one preference. - The image does not load in a preview. Verify the exact image URL in the page source and confirm it resolves to the intended published asset. Check the target service’s own requirements and guidance; a URL in metadata alone does not prove that a particular service can retrieve or display it.
- The preview crop looks different than expected. The protocol identifies the representative image but does not control a service’s card layout or crop. Review the preview on that destination and adjust the composition if necessary, keeping important content away from areas likely to be cropped.
- The image is too large for LinkedIn sharing. The cited LinkedIn Help guidance sets a 5 MB maximum for its sharing module. Export a smaller file while preserving an appropriate image, and verify the resulting file size before publishing.
- Declared dimensions or type do not match the file. Update the metadata to match the published image, or publish the correct asset. Width and height properties describe pixels; they do not alter the image.
- A change does not appear in an existing preview. Confirm the updated page source first, then consult the destination’s current cache or preview guidance. Different services may handle previews and cached data differently.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a screenshot of a rendered page—for example, to inspect how a page looks before sharing—ScreenshotNeo can return an image or PDF from one GET request. This is a page screenshot, not a replacement for writing an accurate og:image tag or checking the final social preview. Its consent-banner, popup, chat-widget, and failed-page handling is designed to make screenshots cleaner and clarify which results are billed.
cURL:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com/page -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com/page"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://example.com/page' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie and consent banners are accepted and removed before capture, along with supported newsletter popups and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify page verdict and billing status in headers. An MCP server provides screenshot tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots monthly with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. See ScreenshotNeo for the service and sign up free.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to remember when publishing
Treat the OG image as one declared input to a platform-specific link preview, not as a guarantee of a fixed display. Publish an accurate image URL, describe the image with alt metadata, order multiple candidates intentionally, and verify the link on the destinations that matter. Apply each platform’s own current requirements rather than assuming one size or rendering rule applies everywhere.
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