Use a 1200 × 630 pixel image (about a 1.91:1 landscape ratio) for a Facebook shared-link preview. Put its publicly reachable HTTPS URL in the page’s Open Graph og:image tag. This is the consistent recommendation in current third-party guides, not a confirmed statement of Meta’s present enforcement rules. It is for a link card attached to a shared URL—not for a Facebook Page or profile cover.
The correct Facebook link-preview size
Design the share image at 1200 × 630 px. The ratio is approximately 1.91:1, which gives Facebook a wide landscape canvas suitable for a shared article, product page, video, or landing page.
Current guides from FreeOGImage (published June 19, 2026) and PostSize (verified August 11, 2026) converge on this practical default. A larger master file can be useful for future reuse, but export a 1200 × 630 version for the page metadata and test the actual card before publishing.
What this recommendation does—and does not—mean
- It describes the image associated with a URL shared on Facebook.
- It is not the correct dimension for a Page cover, profile cover, group banner, or an image uploaded directly to a post.
- It does not guarantee an identical crop in every Facebook surface or device.
- It is a design recommendation from current third-party references; the Meta developer page was not available for verification here.
Link preview versus Page or profile cover
| Placement | Purpose | How you provide the image | Recommended shape in this article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared-link preview | Represents a web page when someone shares its URL | Open Graph metadata, especially og:image |
1200 × 630 px, about 1.91:1 |
| Page or profile cover | Persistent branding at the top of a Facebook identity | Facebook’s cover-image upload interface | Different proportions and cropping; not interchangeable with a link card |
Uploading a 1200 × 630 file as a cover does not make it a link-preview image. Conversely, setting og:image does not change your Page cover.
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Build the image so Facebook can crop it safely
Use a wide, readable composition
Start with a 1200 × 630 canvas. Place the headline, logo, product screenshot, and faces in the central area rather than against the outermost edges. Facebook may crop a nonmatching ratio or display the card differently in feed, messaging, or another surface. Edge-safe spacing protects the information that matters when that happens.
Design for small previews
- Use a short headline with strong contrast against its background.
- Keep logos large enough to recognize at card size.
- Avoid placing critical text in corners where interface elements or a crop may cover it.
- Check the image at a reduced size; fine print that is readable in your editor may disappear in the feed.
Treat these as robust-preview practices, not promises about every placement. The only dependable way to judge the result is to inspect the rendered card for the specific URL.
Add Open Graph metadata to the page
The image is selected from the HTML of the page being shared. Add the core Open Graph properties in the document’s <head>:
<meta property="og:title" content="Page title">
<meta property="og:description" content="Short page description">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/share-image.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/page">
<meta property="og:type" content="website">Use an absolute, public image URL
Set og:image to an absolute HTTPS URL. The image must be fetchable by a crawler without a login, session cookie, paywall, or expiring authorization token. A relative path such as /images/share.jpg, a private object-storage URL, or a URL that has expired can leave the card without an image.
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Keep metadata aligned
Make og:url the canonical URL you expect people to share. The title and description should describe that same page. If several templates generate tags, check the final raw HTML rather than relying on a CMS preview; duplicate or conflicting og:image tags can produce an unexpected selection.
Check a missing or outdated preview
- Inspect the raw HTML. Search for
og:image, confirm the URL is absolute and HTTPS, and verify the width and height values. - Fetch the image without authentication. Check that the response is the intended JPEG, PNG, or WebP image and that the URL remains valid.
- Check the page URL. Make sure redirects, canonical settings, and
og:urlall point to the page you actually shared. - Request a fresh scrape. Use Meta’s Sharing Debugger to inspect the URL and request a re-scrape after changing the tags or image. The tool is useful for refreshing a stale card, but no fixed cache lifetime is established here.
- Share again after the scrape. A previously generated post can retain its old card; test a new share or preview after the debugger reports the updated values.
File size, format, and limits: what is established
Third-party guides disagree about a maximum file size: one cites 5 MB and another 8 MB. They also differ on format and minimum-dimension claims. Because a current official Meta specification could not be verified, do not present either number as a definitive Meta requirement. Keep the asset reasonably compressed, use a common web image format, and validate the real preview instead of designing around an unconfirmed limit.
Common problems and fixes
The card shows no image
- Cause: the URL is relative, HTTP-only, private, expired, or blocked from crawlers.
- Fix: publish a stable HTTPS URL, test it without a login, and request a new scrape in the Sharing Debugger.
The old image keeps appearing
- Cause: Facebook has cached an earlier scrape.
- Fix: confirm the new tags in raw HTML, then use the debugger’s scrape-refresh action. Do not assume that changing the filename alone updates an already cached card.
The headline or logo is cut off
- Cause: the source ratio differs from 1.91:1, or important content touches an edge.
- Fix: create a 1200 × 630 version, move critical elements inward, and preview the actual card.
The wrong image is selected
- Cause: duplicate Open Graph tags, a template-generated default, or a redirect to another URL.
- Fix: leave one intended
og:image, inspect the final HTML served to an unauthenticated request, and alignog:urlwith the shared URL.
The image works in a browser but not in Facebook
- Cause: browser cookies or JavaScript satisfy an access check that a crawler cannot pass.
- Fix: host a directly retrievable asset and remove authentication or anti-hotlink requirements from that image URL.
Preview the finished page before publishing
A reliable review checks both the source and the rendered result:
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- Inspect the image at a small display size for legibility.
- Read the raw page HTML and verify one correct
og:image. - Open the image URL without an authenticated session.
- Run the URL through Meta’s Sharing Debugger and inspect the card after a fresh scrape.
- Test a new share after correcting any warning.
Or skip the browser setup
For automated checks of the page you intend to share, ScreenshotNeo can capture the rendered URL through one request. Its cleanup step accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot; each step can be disabled. Only clean shots are billed: bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status.
Use the API documentation at https://screenshotneo.com/docs/ for options such as a full-page capture, a CSS-selected element, custom CSS or JavaScript, a wait for a selector or network idle, and a chosen viewport. These options let you inspect the page whose Open Graph tags you just changed; ScreenshotNeo does not replace the need to check Facebook’s own card rendering.
cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com/article -o shot.webpPython
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com/article"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://example.com/article' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);ScreenshotNeo also provides an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. Plans include 1,000 shots per month free without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. You can sign up for the free plan to inspect your pages programmatically.
Cost, performance, and reliability considerations
Keep the share asset fast to fetch
Use a stable CDN or image host, avoid unnecessary redirects, and do not require JavaScript to reveal the image. A crawler should receive the binary image directly from the URL in the metadata.
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When replacing an image, a versioned filename can help your own cache strategy, but it does not eliminate Facebook’s existing preview cache. Always confirm the new URL in the debugger.
Best Value
Separate page testing from Facebook validation
A screenshot service can show what an unauthenticated browser receives, while the Sharing Debugger shows what Facebook’s scraper currently sees. Use both when a page looks correct to you but the shared card is wrong.
Practical checklist
- Canvas: 1200 × 630 px, approximately 1.91:1.
- Composition: landscape, with key content away from edges.
- Metadata: one correct
og:imageplus aligned title, description, URL, type, and dimensions. - Hosting: absolute HTTPS URL, publicly fetchable without login.
- Validation: raw HTML, unauthenticated image request, Sharing Debugger, and a new test share.
- Terminology: call it a link-preview image, not a cover image.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1200 × 630 an official Meta requirement?
It is the consistent recommendation in current third-party guides. The current official Meta page was not available for verification, so treat it as a practical default rather than a guaranteed enforcement rule.
Can I use the same image for several pages?
Yes, technically, if the image accurately represents each URL. Page-specific images usually give people a clearer preview.
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Should the image URL require a login?
No. The crawler needs to fetch it without an authenticated session or other access restriction.
Will changing the image immediately update old Facebook posts?
No. Existing posts can retain their previously scraped card. Refresh the URL in the Sharing Debugger and create a new test share.
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