Add Twitter Card metadata to the page’s HTML <head>. To request a prominent image preview, set twitter:card to summary_large_image and point twitter:image to an absolute URL for an image that represents that page. These tags describe the page to a social-platform crawler; they do not attach an image to an individual post.
Set the image and card type in the page head
Place the metadata in the HTML served for the page you want to share. Replace the sample account names, text and image URL with values appropriate to your site and that specific page.
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<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@youraccount">
<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@author">
<meta name="twitter:title" content="A concise page title">
<meta name="twitter:description" content="A concise description of this page.">
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://example.com/images/page-image.jpg">twitter:cardrequests the card layout. Usesummary_large_imagefor a large image presentation.twitter:imagesupplies the image URL. Use an absolute, publicly reachable URL, not a relative path.twitter:titleandtwitter:descriptionprovide concise page-specific text.- The legacy reference describes
twitter:siteas account attribution for Card analytics and includestwitter:creatorfor the author. The current status and requirements for these attribution fields are not confirmed by the accessible current X documentation.
If your site is generated by a CMS or framework, add the equivalent metadata through its page-level SEO or social-sharing settings, or its document-head template. Check the final HTML delivered to visitors rather than assuming that a setting saved in the editor is present in the rendered page.
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Choose an image that fits the page
Use an image that represents the particular article or page, rather than repeating a site logo, author portrait or generic image across unrelated pages. The detailed legacy guidance advised a minimum width of 280 pixels, a minimum height of 150 pixels and a file size below 1 MB. Treat these as historical specifications, not verified current X requirements: the old detailed X Developer pages now redirect to the general developer overview.
Choose an image with a clear subject and composition that still makes sense when shown as a preview. Before publishing, confirm that its URL loads publicly and that it is the intended asset. Consult current X documentation for any image dimensions, formats or size limits you need to enforce.
Pair Twitter metadata with Open Graph carefully
A legacy tag reference lists og:title, og:description and og:image as fallbacks for the corresponding Twitter-specific title, description and image fields. You can include Open Graph tags alongside Twitter tags for compatibility with other preview consumers, but do not rely on this legacy fallback description as a guaranteed current platform contract. When you specifically want the large-image card, keep twitter:card set explicitly to summary_large_image.
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Check the published page
- Publish the page and open its served source or inspect its rendered HTML. Confirm that the metadata appears inside the document head and that values match the page.
- Open the exact
twitter:imageURL in a browser or another suitable fetch tool. Check for a typo, an unexpected redirect, an access restriction or a missing file. - Confirm the image is specific to the page and that the live HTML—not just a CMS preview—contains the intended card type and image URL.
- If the preview is absent or stale, check current X documentation and platform tooling for the crawler’s current requirements and cache-refresh procedure. The legacy documentation mentioned a Twitter Card Validator, but its present availability and current refresh behavior are not confirmed.
Troubleshoot a missing or incorrect preview
- No image appears: Verify that the live head contains
twitter:imagewith the correct absolute URL and that the asset can be fetched without a sign-in or other access barrier. - The wrong card layout appears: Check that the live page explicitly declares
twitter:cardassummary_large_image. Open Graph image metadata alone does not select that layout in the legacy example. - The title or description is wrong: Inspect the page’s served metadata and update the page-level values. If Twitter-specific fields are omitted, legacy documentation described Open Graph fields as fallbacks, but current behavior is not guaranteed.
- The preview remains old after an update: First verify the live HTML and image URL. Then consult current X tooling or documentation for its cache and recrawl process; a working validator or particular refresh method cannot be assumed from the old instructions.
- The image is rejected or cropped differently than expected: The old 280 × 150 pixel minimum and under-1-MB limit are historical only. Check the current platform requirements rather than treating those figures as definitive.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server from Yorker Media. A screenshot can help you inspect what a page visibly renders, though it does not replace checking the page’s metadata or guarantee how X will display a card. One GET request returns an image or PDF; this example saves a WebP screenshot of a page:
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups and chat widgets are removed before capture; bot checks, blank pages and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Learn about ScreenshotNeo or sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month, with no card.
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