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How to Use og:image:alt for Accessible Link Previews

Add og:image:alt beside og:image in the document head and describe the image itself—not the link caption. Platform handling is not guaranteed.
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Add og:image:alt to the HTML <head> beside og:image, and describe what the image shows in concise, plain language. The Open Graph Protocol recommends the property whenever a page specifies an Open Graph image. It is good metadata practice, but it does not guarantee that every sharing platform will show the description or make it available to assistive technology.

What og:image:alt means

The Open Graph Protocol defines og:image:alt as “A description of what is in the image (not a caption).” It describes the visual content of the image associated with og:image; it is not the link preview’s title, description, or promotional message. The protocol recommends specifying it when og:image is present. Open Graph Protocol: The Open Graph protocol

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How to add og:image:alt

Put both properties in the document’s <head>. Use an absolute URL for the image and make the alt value accurate for the image actually selected for that page.

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<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/preview.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="A red bicycle leaning against a brick wall">

The URL and description above are illustrative. Replace them with the page’s real preview image and a description of what it depicts. If the image varies by page or locale, its description should vary with it.

How to write the description

  • State the meaningful visible content in plain, concise language.
  • Describe the image rather than repeating the page title, sales pitch, or link caption.
  • Match the description to the exact image referenced by og:image.

The protocol’s own example is “A shiny red apple with a bite taken out.” That describes the image rather than trying to caption the linked page.

What the tag can—and cannot—do for accessibility

og:image:alt gives platforms metadata describing the preview image. Open Graph metadata can contribute to rich link previews: Apple’s guidance says websites can use Open Graph metadata to provide images and meaningful captions in Messages previews. That guidance does not specifically establish how Messages handles og:image:alt. Apple Developer Documentation: TN3156, Create rich previews for Messages

Do not treat the property alone as proof that a preview is accessible. The cited documentation does not provide a current platform-by-platform account of whether services read the field, display its value, or expose it to screen readers and other assistive technologies. The tag is worthwhile metadata, but actual presentation depends on each consumer.

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Check the implementation

  • Confirm both tags are present in the rendered page’s <head>, not merely in an unrendered template or page body.
  • Check that og:image points to the image you intend to share and that og:image:alt describes that same image.
  • Review pages with locale- or page-specific images to ensure the description changes alongside the image.
  • When evaluating a platform, check separately whether it reads the property, shows the description, and makes it available to assistive technology; support in one respect does not establish support in the others.
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Capture the page to inspect its metadata

A screenshot can help you inspect the rendered page, but a visual capture does not by itself verify the text of a meta property. Inspect the rendered document’s head when checking the exact og:image:alt value. For visual captures of a page, ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server; its clean-shot handling removes known consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture.

Or skip the browser setup

Request a screenshot with one GET call. Replace the illustrative target URL with the page you want to capture; see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webp

Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot. Bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. An MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo free.

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