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Open Graph images create the visual part of a social preview card: when someone shares a URL, a platform crawler reads the page’s metadata and uses og:image as the card image, alongside fields such as og:title, og:description and og:url. A 1200 × 630-pixel image is a practical cross-platform starting point, but each platform can interpret metadata, crop images and cache previews differently.
How Open Graph metadata becomes a preview card
The Open Graph protocol lets a web page be represented as a rich object in a social graph. When a URL is shared, the platform’s crawler fetches page metadata, typically from the document’s <head>, and uses it to construct a link preview. The og:image value points to the image used for the card’s visual area; other properties provide context about the page. The Open Graph protocol defines the core properties as og:title, og:type, og:url and og:image.
The image tag does not itself create a card or guarantee a particular layout. The receiving service decides which supported metadata to use, how to render it, and whether to show a large image, a smaller thumbnail or another format.
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What the main tags do
og:title: the page title displayed in the preview.og:description: a short description that may appear with the title.og:url: the page URL represented by the metadata, usually its canonical URL.og:type: the kind of object represented, such as a website.og:image: the image URL used for the visual part of the preview.
Use this Open Graph image markup
Put metadata in the server-rendered HTML head so crawlers can read it when they fetch the page. This example declares one image and its dimensions and descriptive alt text:
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<meta property="og:title" content="Page title">
<meta property="og:description" content="Short description">
<meta property="og:type" content="website">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/page">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/share-card.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="Descriptive text for the share image">
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">Replace the example page and image URLs and write a title, description and alt value that accurately describe your page and image. The image URL should be absolute, use HTTPS, and be fetchable by the platform crawler without a login. Open Graph defines structured image properties including width, height, type, secure URL and alt; its documentation says that if a page specifies og:image, it should specify og:image:alt. See the protocol’s image properties.
Include image properties in the right order
Structured properties belong immediately after the og:image they describe. For example, place og:image:width, og:image:height and og:image:alt after that image tag. If you declare multiple og:image tags, each begins a new image entry. The first image has preference when values conflict, so put the intended primary image first.
You can also provide og:image:type, such as the media type for the image, and og:image:secure_url when supplying a secure image URL. These properties describe the asset; they do not make an inaccessible or incorrectly served file available to a crawler.
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Which tags Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Slack and Discord use
Do not assume every service reads or displays exactly the same fields. An implementation guide describes Facebook as reading the main Open Graph fields, X as using Twitter card metadata with possible fallback to Open Graph fields, and Slack as combining Open Graph and Twitter card data. Treat those behaviors as implementation guidance rather than a permanent guarantee: parsers and layouts can change. The current implementation guide discusses platform differences.
The available guidance does not establish a separate, definitive field-by-field parser contract for every version of LinkedIn or Discord. The safest baseline is complete Open Graph metadata, a reachable image, and platform-specific inspection of the resulting card rather than assuming a particular fallback rule.
Choose the X card type deliberately
For an X large-image layout, include <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">. The card type distinguishes a large-image card from a small summary card. X may also use Open Graph values as fallbacks, but include the Twitter card tag explicitly when that presentation is intended.
Choose dimensions and design for cropping
A 2026 cross-platform guide recommends 1200 × 630 pixels, approximately a 1.91:1 aspect ratio, as a practical single canvas for major platforms. The same guide reports 1200 × 627 for LinkedIn and approximately 1200 × 600, or 2:1, for X large cards. These are useful design targets, not a promise that each client will show the whole image unchanged. The 2026 OG Image Design guide gives these platform dimensions.
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|---|---|---|
| General cross-platform starting point | 1200 × 630 px | Practical common canvas, about 1.91:1. |
| LinkedIn figure in the 2026 guide | 1200 × 627 px | Close to the common canvas; inspect the published preview. |
| X large-card figure in the 2026 guide | Approximately 1200 × 600 px | About 2:1; set the large-image card type when desired. |
Keep important text, logos and faces near the center rather than against the edges, because platforms can crop or resize the image. Use a composition that still makes sense if part of the sides or top and bottom are trimmed. Add meaningful og:image:alt metadata to describe the image for accessibility and metadata completeness; it is not a substitute for readable text in the image itself.
Why a preview is missing, cropped or stale
The image or tags are not visible to the crawler
If tags are inserted only by client-side JavaScript after the initial response, a crawler that reads the server-rendered HTML may not see them. Likewise, an image URL that requires authentication or cannot be fetched will not serve as a reliable card image. Verify the raw HTML head and test that the exact image URL is publicly reachable over HTTPS.
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The platform renders a different crop or layout
Services can use different card types, image ratios and layouts. X’s twitter:card setting affects whether a large-image card is requested; a 1200 × 630 image may also be resized or cropped by a service whose layout differs. Inspect the actual target-platform preview and adjust the composition or card metadata when needed.
The old image or title remains cached
Social services commonly cache fetched metadata and assets. After changing tags or replacing an image, use the relevant platform debugger or inspector to request a re-scrape where available, then allow for cache delay. If the old asset remains cached, changing the image URL can prompt a fresh fetch. See the implementation guidance on preview refreshes and Facebook Sharing Debugger.
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- Inspect the initial HTML response. Confirm that the Open Graph tags appear inside the document head in the HTML returned by the server, not only after a browser runs JavaScript.
- Check the primary image URL. Open the exact absolute HTTPS URL without being logged in. Confirm that it resolves to the intended image and is accessible to a crawler.
- Verify tag values and order. Ensure the first
og:imageis the intended one, then place its width, height, type or alt properties immediately after it. - Check the canvas and composition. Start around 1200 × 630 pixels, keep essential content central, and inspect any platform-specific crop.
- Set the intended card type. If you want X’s large-image presentation, include
twitter:cardwithsummary_large_image. - Request a fresh scrape. Use the target service’s debugger or inspector after metadata changes; if the image remains stale, try a changed image URL.
Capture and inspect a page while debugging
A screenshot can help compare what a page looks like in a browser with the image and metadata you expect to share. ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server from Yorker Media. Its capture options include custom viewport and device settings, waiting for selectors or network idle, custom CSS and JavaScript, and hiding selected elements—useful when checking a page state, though a browser screenshot does not replace checking the actual metadata returned to a social crawler. Learn more at ScreenshotNeo.
Or skip the browser setup
One GET request returns an image or PDF. This cURL example saves a WebP screenshot of the page:
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Common troubleshooting cases
- No image appears: Check that
og:imageis present in the fetched head and its absolute HTTPS URL is publicly fetchable. - The wrong image appears: Check for multiple
og:imagetags; the first has preference when image entries conflict. - The image is clipped: Move essential text and logos toward the center, then check the card on the platform where the crop occurs.
- X shows a small card: Add
twitter:cardset tosummary_large_imagefor the intended large-image layout. - The old preview persists: Request a re-scrape with the platform’s debugger or inspector; consider a new image URL if the old asset remains cached.
- Metadata differs between browser and preview: Check the server-rendered response rather than relying on tags injected after page load.
What Open Graph images do—and do not—guarantee
A well-formed og:image gives crawlers a declared visual asset for the link object, while title, description and URL provide its surrounding context. Correct metadata improves the odds of a coherent preview, but it cannot force every service to render the same crop or refresh its cache immediately. The cited guidance does not establish a general percentage increase in clicks or engagement from adding an Open Graph image, so no quantified lift should be assumed.
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