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Use a 1200 × 630 px image (about 1.91:1) as the practical default for a Telegram link preview. It is a widely used Open Graph card size, not a dimension Telegram guarantees for every ordinary link preview. Serve it from a public, absolute HTTPS URL, put the essential content near the center, and include server-rendered Open Graph tags in the page’s initial HTML.
Telegram’s published image guidance for Instant View is a separate case: its checklist recommends 1280–2560 px and warns that images over 5 MB will fail to load in that environment. Those figures are not a universal specification for ordinary Open Graph previews.
What size should a Telegram link preview image be?
For a conventional webpage link, start with a 1200 × 630 px canvas. Its aspect ratio is approximately 1.91:1, a common social-sharing card format. This is a practical interoperability choice rather than a Telegram-certified requirement: Telegram does not publish a fixed ordinary-preview minimum or maximum dimension, or a universal byte limit.
Build the image so it still communicates when displayed as a small thumbnail. Keep logos, faces, and any words you cannot afford to lose in a central safe area; avoid putting key details right against the edges. Telegram clients can present media in different sizes, and the TDLib interface exposes controls called force_small_media and force_large_media. A layout that works only when shown large is fragile.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsDimensions, ratio, and cropping
- Recommended working canvas: 1200 × 630 px.
- Ratio: roughly 1.91:1.
- Safe-area approach: center the subject and essential text, leaving margin around them.
- Important qualification: Telegram may render the preview differently across clients; the dimensions do not guarantee identical cropping or presentation.
Do not interpret “1200 × 630” as a mandatory Telegram upload size. It is a sensible starting point for the image asset, not a promise about how every client will display it.
How to choose a format and file size
Choose the format based on what the image contains. JPEG is a straightforward default for photography. PNG is usually better for logos, diagrams, and graphics with sharp edges or substantial text. WebP can make an image smaller, but JPEG and PNG are safer defaults when you do not know which receiving client will handle the preview.
- Compress the asset enough to keep downloads reasonable, but check that small text and fine details remain legible.
- Keep the file comfortably below 5 MB as a practical precaution, not because Telegram documents that as a universal ordinary-preview cap.
- Use a direct image URL that returns the image itself rather than a page that requires scripts, a login, or a cookie-dependent redirect.
The 5 MB figure has a narrower official context: Telegram’s Instant View checklist says images larger than 5 MB will fail to load in Instant View. It also gives an optimal resolution range of 1280–2560 px for Instant View image handling. Do not transfer those Instant View rules to ordinary Open Graph previews as if they were the same specification.
Add Open Graph metadata to the page
Put the metadata in the initial HTML document’s <head>. A crawler may not execute the JavaScript that your page uses to add tags later. Use absolute URLs for the page and image, and ensure the values describe the page the user will actually open.
<meta property="og:title" content="Your page title">
<meta property="og:description" content="A concise description">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/page">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/telegram-preview.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">Replace the example values with your real title, canonical page URL, and publicly accessible image URL. The width and height tags communicate the asset’s dimensions; they do not force Telegram to use a particular display size. Telegram’s Instant View model also includes preview properties named image_url, description, and site_name. Those are Instant View fields, distinct from the Open Graph tags above.
Server-rendered tags matter
Render the Open Graph tags in the HTML response returned for the page, rather than relying only on client-side JavaScript. This makes the metadata available to a crawler that reads the initial response without running your application. For a page that varies by route, verify that each route returns its own correct title, description, canonical URL, and image.
Use an image URL a crawler can fetch
The og:image value should be an absolute HTTPS URL. The image should be reachable without a user session, cookies, or browser interaction. A URL that redirects to a login screen, relies on a JavaScript challenge, or returns HTML instead of an image can defeat preview generation even when the tag itself is correct.
How to diagnose a missing Telegram preview
Work from the page metadata outward: first establish what the server returns, then check whether the image can be fetched, and only then consider Telegram’s crawling and caching behavior.
- Inspect the initial HTML. Fetch the page as a crawler-like client and confirm that the Open Graph tags are present in the returned document, not injected only after JavaScript runs. Check for a correct title, description, canonical URL, and absolute image URL.
- Fetch the exact image URL. Request the URL used in
og:image. Confirm that it returns HTTP 200 and an actual image content type, and that it does not require authentication or lead through blocked redirects. - Check URL consistency. Make sure the canonical page address and
og:urlrefer to the same intended page. If you changed the image file but reused its URL, try a fresh image URL so the changed asset is distinguishable from a cached one. - Allow for caching. Telegram may retain a previously fetched page or image. A correct change may not appear immediately; allow time for caches to refresh before concluding that the tags are still wrong.
- Compare clients. Test the same link in more than one Telegram client. Presentation controls and backend behavior can differ.
- Separate validity from delivery. Telegram’s public bug tracker records cases where valid 1200 × 630 JPEG or PNG files were fetched successfully but no preview appeared. A technically correct asset therefore cannot guarantee that Telegram will show a preview.
Common symptoms and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| No preview or an incomplete preview | Tags are missing from the initial response, or a required field is incorrect. | Inspect the returned HTML and correct the server-rendered Open Graph values. |
| Image does not load | The image URL is inaccessible, redirects unexpectedly, requires authentication, or returns something other than an image. | Fetch the exact URL without a browser session and check its response status and content type. |
| An old image remains visible | Telegram or another layer may still have a cached page or image. | Use a fresh image URL for the updated file and allow time for cache refresh. |
| The image appears differently across clients | Clients may choose different media presentation sizes or handle delivery differently. | Keep important content central and test in more than one client. |
| A valid image still gets no preview | Preview crawling or cache behavior on Telegram’s side may be involved. | Recheck the page and image responses, then retest later; valid dimensions alone cannot force a preview. |
Telegram’s Instant View manual says that when Telegram needs to display a link preview for a URL, it also checks whether an Instant View template exists for that domain. Its checklist recommends a photo when a suitable image or document exists and calls for a description. The checklist’s warning that meta-tag images are not recommended is specifically about Instant View extraction: meta-tag images may be designed for sharing widgets and may not work well in the Instant View environment. It is not a blanket statement that ordinary Open Graph images cannot be used for normal link previews.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check what a shared page looks like
Once the tags and image URL are correct, a browser screenshot can help you inspect the rendered page or a sharing-debug page in a repeatable way. It does not prove that Telegram’s crawler will accept the metadata or that Telegram will generate a preview; use the fetch checks above for that. If you are making screenshots yourself, configure a browser capture to load the target URL and inspect the output at the same viewport and appearance you care about.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo can capture a page with one GET request. For example, this cURL command saves a screenshot of a target page; change the URL to your page when using it. See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for request options.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo removes cookie/consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents use screenshot tools, and the free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Those captures help inspect the page visually, but they do not replace checking the HTML tags or guarantee a Telegram preview. Learn more at ScreenshotNeo.
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What to remember when preparing the image
- Start with 1200 × 630 px, while treating it as a practical default rather than an official ordinary-preview rule.
- Use a public absolute HTTPS
og:imageURL and put server-rendered metadata in the initial HTML. - Keep essential content central and choose JPEG for photos or PNG for logos, diagrams, and text-heavy graphics.
- Telegram’s 1280–2560 px and over-5-MB guidance is for Instant View image handling, not a universal ordinary link-preview limit.
- If a correct page and image still produce no preview, caching or Telegram-side crawling behavior may be responsible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Telegram officially require a 1200 × 630 link preview image?
No fixed ordinary Open Graph dimension is established in Telegram’s published guidance. 1200 × 630 is a practical interoperability recommendation, not a Telegram-certified requirement.
Can I use a WebP image for a Telegram preview?
WebP can reduce file size where the receiving client supports it. JPEG or PNG is the safer default when client support is uncertain.
Does an Open Graph image guarantee that Telegram will show a preview?
No. Telegram-side crawling and cache behavior can prevent a preview even when an image is valid and fetchable.
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