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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The practical default is 1200 × 630 pixels, an aspect ratio of about 1.91:1. It is a widely used recommendation for social previews, not a ratio required by the Open Graph Protocol. The protocol defines how a page declares an image with og:image; Facebook, LinkedIn, X and other platforms then decide how that image is displayed or cropped.
What is an Open Graph image aspect ratio?
Aspect ratio is the relationship between an image’s width and height, written as width:height or as a decimal. Calculate it by dividing width by height:
1200 ÷ 630 = 1.9047, commonly rounded to 1.91:1.
An image at 1200 × 630, 1200 × 628 or 600 × 315 is therefore close to the same wide format. The ratio describes shape, not image quality or file size.
Why 1.91:1 is called the “OG ratio”
Platform-oriented image guides frequently recommend 1200 × 630 pixels (approximately 1.91:1) because the wide rectangle fits many social-link preview layouts. A current sizing guide recommends that exact size, and Facebook-focused guidance lists 1200 × 630 as recommended with 600 × 315 as a minimum. Those are practical publishing recommendations, not requirements in the protocol itself.
What the protocol actually requires
The Open Graph Protocol documentation defines og:image as the URL of an image representing a page or other object. It also documents optional properties for pixel width, pixel height and alternative text. It does not say that every image must be 1.91:1.
In other words, a square, portrait or unusually wide image can still be valid Open Graph metadata. The risk is presentation: a network may crop or letterbox it inside its own preview container.
Recommended dimensions and ratios
| Use case | Dimensions | Approximate ratio | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad social-preview default | 1200 × 630 px | 1.91:1 | Widely repeated practical recommendation; a good starting canvas. |
| Smaller Facebook-oriented image | 600 × 315 px | 1.90:1 | Listed as a minimum by the Facebook-focused guide at og-image.org. |
| Custom ratio | Any valid image dimensions | Varies | Permitted by the protocol, but the receiving platform may crop it. |
Use the 1200 × 630 canvas when you do not have a platform-specific reason to choose another size. Exporting at a larger size does not force a network to display more of the image; it mainly gives the preview system more pixels to reduce during resizing.
How to design a 1200 × 630 image that survives cropping
Keep essential content inside a safe area
Place the headline, logo and key subject toward the center rather than tight against an edge. Leave comfortable margins on all sides. A platform can trim the left and right edges, the top and bottom, or both when its card shape differs from 1.91:1.
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Preview cards are often shown at a fraction of the source dimensions. Use a short headline, a simple hierarchy and a high-contrast foreground/background combination. Avoid putting a long sentence in small text that becomes illegible after downscaling.
Choose the file format for the artwork
JPEG is suitable for photographic backgrounds; PNG is useful for crisp text, illustrations and transparency; WebP can reduce transfer size where the consuming platform accepts it. The metadata still points to one image URL, regardless of the source format.
Do not confuse ratio with file weight
Two images can both be 1200 × 630 while having very different byte sizes. Compress the file without introducing visible artifacts, and check the final image dimensions after export.
Open Graph tags to publish
Put the tags in the document’s <head>. The URL in og:image should be absolute and publicly retrievable over HTTPS.
<meta property="og:title" content="Your page title">
<meta property="og:description" content="A concise description of the page.">
<meta property="og:type" content="website">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/article">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/article-og.webp">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="Description of what appears in the image">Why width, height and alt matter
og:image:width and og:image:height tell parsers the intrinsic dimensions before they download or process the file. They are optional protocol properties, but useful when they accurately match the asset.
The protocol describes og:image:alt as “A description of what is in the image (not a caption).” If a page specifies og:image, the protocol says it should also specify og:image:alt. Write a concise description of the visual content, not promotional copy and not a duplicate of the page title.
Multiple images
You may declare more than one og:image. The order can matter to consumers, so put the preferred preview first and keep its width, height and alt properties adjacent in your markup. Multiple images do not make a nonstandard ratio display identically on every network.
How platforms handle a matching ratio
A 1.91:1 source reduces the chance of obvious mismatch with a wide preview container, but it is not a guarantee. Each service controls its card dimensions, text overlays, maximum file size, caching and crop rules. A platform can still crop a perfectly sized 1200 × 630 image, especially in mobile feeds, messaging clients or alternate card treatments.
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Check the preview in the networks and devices that matter to your audience. If a logo or person is repeatedly clipped, move that element inward and regenerate the asset rather than assuming the metadata is invalid.
Testing and troubleshooting checklist
The preview shows an old image
- Confirm that
og:imagepoints to the new URL or add a versioned filename when you replace the asset. - Inspect the page source, not only a browser extension, to verify the rendered tags.
- Allow for the platform’s cache; changing the image file at the same URL may not trigger an immediate refresh.
The image is cropped
- Measure the source dimensions and confirm the ratio is close to 1.91:1.
- Move text and logos away from all four edges.
- Test the same URL in the target platform’s current preview or debugger, because crop behavior is platform-specific.
The preview is blank or missing
- Open the image URL in a private browser window. It must respond without a login, session cookie or referrer requirement.
- Check that the server returns an image content type and a successful HTTP response.
- Remove accidental robots, firewall or hotlink rules that block crawler requests.
- Ensure the HTML uses
propertyattributes for Open Graph tags and that quotation marks and URLs are complete.
The image looks soft
- Start with 1200 × 630 or larger source pixels and let the platform scale down.
- Export text and line art at a quality setting that avoids ringing or compression blocks.
- Do not enlarge a small 600 × 315 file repeatedly; regenerate from the original artwork.
The wrong image is selected
Remove stale duplicate tags, put the intended image first, and check templates, plugins and server-side rendering. A crawler may read the first valid og:image it encounters rather than the image you expected from a browser-only script.
Generating and capturing OG images programmatically
For a static design, export one 1200 × 630 asset and reference it from your template. For dynamic cards, render a page or HTML template at a controlled viewport, then save the result as an image. Keep the text inside a central safe area and validate the resulting pixel dimensions before publishing.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. It can render a URL as PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF, accept custom CSS and JavaScript, wait for a selector, delay or network idle, capture a selected element, use device presets or a custom viewport, and load lazy images. It can also remove cookie-consent banners, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; each step can be disabled.
A basic GET request is:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo documentation for all 63 options, including output format, transparent backgrounds, hiding selectors, custom headers and cookies, blocking requests, caching, signed links, asynchronous webhooks and bulk capture.
Python:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);ScreenshotNeo reports X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed; only clean shots are billed. Its MCP server includes take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
Performance, reliability and cost considerations
Choose an appropriate capture strategy
Pre-rendered images are fastest and most predictable for stable pages. Dynamic rendering is useful when the headline, author, price or branding changes per URL, but it introduces font-loading, animation and network timing concerns. Wait for a known selector or network idle instead of relying only on an arbitrary short delay.
Control external resources
Third-party fonts, advertisements and analytics can change layout or delay a capture. Blocking unnecessary requests, supplying deterministic CSS and hiding selectors can make generated images repeatable. If a page requires authentication, pass the needed cookies or headers through a trusted capture service and avoid exposing secrets in a public image URL.
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Use caching deliberately
Cache an image until its content changes, then invalidate it with a new URL or a chosen time-to-live. Caching reduces repeated rendering, but a cached result can also explain why a social preview appears unchanged.
Best Value
Frequently asked questions
Is 1.91:1 mandatory in Open Graph?
No. The protocol defines the image URL and optional metadata fields; 1.91:1 is a practical cross-platform recommendation.
Can I use a square OG image?
Yes, but expect some preview containers to crop it or display it with padding. Test the networks where the link will be shared.
Should the alt text repeat the title?
No. Describe the visual content, such as “Blue dashboard illustration with a white analytics chart,” rather than writing a caption or sales slogan.
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Parsers use those values as declared intrinsic dimensions. Incorrect numbers can produce misleading previews or processing errors, so update them whenever the asset changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Open Graph image ratio for most sites?
Use 1200 × 630 pixels, approximately 1.91:1, as a practical default while keeping important content away from the edges.
Is 600 × 315 pixels acceptable?
Facebook-focused guidance lists 600 × 315 as a minimum; 1200 × 630 provides a larger source at the same nearly 1.9:1 shape.
Does changing the ratio fix every social-preview problem?
No. Access restrictions, crawler caching, duplicate tags and platform-specific crop rules can cause problems even when the dimensions are correct.
The Bottom Line
Publish a publicly accessible 1200 × 630 image, declare matching og:image:width, og:image:height and descriptive og:image:alt values, and keep essential artwork inside a safe central area. Treat 1.91:1 as a dependable starting format—not a protocol requirement or a promise of identical rendering everywhere.
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