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To share a website link with a thumbnail preview, paste the URL into the app’s message or post composer and check whether it creates a preview card before you send. The app usually builds that card from information published by the website, including its title, description and image. If you own the site, you can provide those details with Open Graph metadata in the page’s HTML head. If you do not own it, you generally cannot correct its published metadata yourself.
What a link preview is—and what controls it
A link preview is a card that a messaging or social app may display for a shared URL. The card can include an image, a title and a description. Those are distinct pieces of information: the image is not automatically the page title, and the card is not simply a miniature screenshot of the page.
The website can publish information that helps an app build the card, but the destination platform decides whether and how to render it. Open Graph is a standard for placing this kind of metadata in a page’s HTML <head>. It defines four required properties for a page: og:title, og:type, og:image and og:url; og:description is optional and commonly useful. The protocol is documented at ogp.me.
That distinction matters in practice: adding metadata gives platforms information to use; it does not guarantee that every app will show the same card, or show one at all.
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If you are sharing someone else’s website
- Paste the URL into the destination app. Use the message or post composer where you intend to share it. Some apps show a preview while you are composing; inspect the result before sending.
- Check the card, not just the link. Confirm that the image and text correspond to the page you mean to share. If the preview is absent or misleading, the site’s published metadata or the app’s handling of that page may be the cause.
- Decide whether to share it as-is. If you do not control the website, you generally cannot edit its Open Graph metadata. You can share the URL without a card or ask the site owner or publisher to correct the page information.
For Microsoft Teams website previews, Microsoft says the page should include a thumbnail image or both a title and description, and recommends including all three. A URL that requires authentication will not receive a Teams preview. This is a Teams-specific requirement, not a universal rule for every sharing service.
If you own the website: add Open Graph metadata
Put the metadata in the page’s HTML <head>, using information that represents that particular page. For example:
<head>
<meta property="og:title" content="Page title">
<meta property="og:type" content="website">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/share-image.jpg">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/page">
<meta property="og:description" content="A short description of the page.">
</head>Replace the example values with the title, page type, image URL, canonical page URL and description that fit your page. The Open Graph protocol specifies og:title, og:type, og:image and og:url as required properties; the description is optional. The og:url value should identify the canonical page URL, while og:image should identify an image that represents the page.
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Choose image metadata carefully
The protocol supports optional image details including dimensions, MIME type, a secure URL and og:image:alt. The alt value describes the image; it is not a caption. If you specify og:image, the protocol says to specify og:image:alt as well. Choose an accurate description rather than repeating the page title or using promotional copy as if it were image text.
Keep the image and text aligned with the page. A card for a product page should not advertise a different product; a page-specific article image is more informative than an unrelated site-wide graphic. The cited protocol defines the metadata fields, but it does not promise a universal image size or identical rendering across platforms, so do not assume one image presentation will look the same everywhere.
Where to make the change
The edit belongs in the HTML head for the page being shared. Depending on how your site is built, that may mean updating a page’s metadata fields in your publishing system or changing a page template. If a shared template supplies the values, verify that it outputs the correct values for individual pages rather than repeating one title, image or URL across the whole site.
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After publishing, inspect the rendered page HTML and confirm that the metadata is in the head and describes the intended page. Then try the URL in the specific app where you plan to share it. Seeing tags in the source confirms what the page publishes; it does not establish how a third-party app will display them.
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- The page does not publish the relevant metadata. Check its HTML head for the Open Graph properties, especially the title, image and page URL.
- The app does not display a card in the composer. Preview behavior varies by destination. Check the app’s current behavior rather than assuming every service renders cards alike.
- The page requires authentication. Microsoft states that a URL requiring authentication will not receive a Teams website preview. That limitation is documented for Teams; do not generalize it into a rule for every app.
- The card uses unexpected information. Compare the page’s published metadata with the image and text shown in the destination app. If the page is not yours, ask its owner to review the metadata.
- The app may be using previously fetched information. The sources cited here do not establish a universal cache-refresh procedure. Follow the current guidance for the particular service rather than relying on an assumed refresh trick.
When reporting a bad card to a site owner, include the shared URL, the destination app and what appeared versus what you expected. That gives the publisher enough context to check both the page’s metadata and the service-specific result.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What a screenshot can—and cannot—do
A screenshot is a captured image of a rendered page. Open Graph metadata is information a website publishes for link-preview systems. These are different things: taking a screenshot does not by itself add or repair og:image, and setting Open Graph tags does not guarantee a platform will render a preview. For a preview card, make sure the website publishes the metadata and check the intended destination app.
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If your separate task is capturing a page image—for example, to inspect a page’s appearance—ScreenshotNeo offers a website screenshot API and MCP server. It is not a replacement for publishing Open Graph metadata or a guarantee that a social app will use an image. A one-call cURL example is:
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 documentation for the API details. The service can accept cookie or consent banners and remove supported consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; those steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.
The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.
Before you share: a quick check
- Paste the URL into the intended app and inspect the preview before sending, if the app offers one.
- If you own the page, publish accurate Open Graph metadata in its HTML head.
- Use a page-specific title, representative image, canonical URL and concise description.
- Test in the destination where the link will be shared; behavior is platform-dependent.
- If you do not control the page, contact its owner rather than assuming you can repair its metadata from the sharing composer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Open Graph image alt field describe?
It describes the image itself, not a caption for the link card. The Open Graph protocol says a page specifying og:image should also specify og:image:alt.
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