For WhatsApp link previews in India, use a 1200 × 630-pixel image as a practical default. That size is a third-party cross-platform recommendation, not a dimension mandated by Meta. Meta’s documented constraints are different: the image URL must be absolute, the file must be under 600 KB, the image must be at least 300 pixels wide, and its width-to-height ratio must not exceed 4:1. Those rules are general; the documentation reviewed does not specify a separate India-only size.
Recommended WhatsApp link-preview image size
A 1200 × 630-pixel canvas has an aspect ratio of about 1.91:1 and is a useful general-purpose Open Graph image for WhatsApp and other social platforms. OG Image Design recommends this size for cross-platform use; it is not an official WhatsApp requirement. OG Image Design’s sizing guide was updated in July 2026.
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Meta’s stated minimums and limits are less prescriptive: an image must be at least 300 pixels wide, under 600 KB, and no wider than a 4:1 width-to-height ratio. It also needs an absolute image URL. A smaller image can therefore meet the documented minimums, though that does not make it as reusable as the 1200 × 630 recommendation.
Does WhatsApp use a different size in India?
The guidance reviewed gives general WhatsApp link-preview constraints and does not identify a separate pixel size for India. Use the same practical 1200 × 630 recommendation and platform constraints; do not treat either as an India-specific rule.
Set the Open Graph image in your page
Add Open Graph metadata inside the page’s HTML <head>. Use a publicly reachable, absolute HTTPS URL for the image, not a relative path such as /images/share.jpg. Meta’s guidance says the metadata should appear within the first 300 KB of HTML, and that og:title, og:description, and og:url should be nonempty.
<head>
<meta property="og:title" content="Your page title">
<meta property="og:description" content="A concise description of the page.">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/article">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/whatsapp-share.jpg">
</head>For the 1200 × 630 design, check that the final exported file is below 600 KB. Dimensions alone do not determine file size: compression and image content matter. The cited Meta guidance here establishes the size, width, ratio and URL constraints, but not a universal image-format rule.
Design for cropping across platforms
If the same image will appear on multiple platforms, keep essential text and logos toward the center rather than close to the edges. OG Image Design suggests a central safe area of roughly 87% as general cross-platform design advice, not as a WhatsApp requirement. Leave enough space around key elements to tolerate differences in cropping.
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A valid URL can be sent in WhatsApp without a preview card. Meeting the image constraints does not guarantee that WhatsApp will display a title, description and thumbnail in every send context or client. Meta’s developer documentation explicitly notes that a message can contain a working URL without showing a card. See Meta’s WhatsApp developer documentation.
- No card appears: The documented constraints are not a guarantee of display. Confirm the page has Open Graph metadata in the head and that the image URL is absolute and reachable.
- The thumbnail is missing or wrong: Check that
og:imagepoints directly to the intended image and that it meets the stated width, ratio and file-size limits. - Text or logos are cut off: Move key content inward; cross-platform clients may crop image edges differently.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need to inspect how a page renders as an image, ScreenshotNeo offers a one-request screenshot API. For example, this cURL request captures a page as WebP:
Quick Recap
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com/article -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for setup and options. ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages and failed loads are not billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Learn about ScreenshotNeo or sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month with no card.
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