Use 1200 × 630 pixels for a broadly useful Open Graph (OG) image. That canvas is about 1.91:1 and works as a practical default across many link-sharing contexts. It is a recommendation, not a size required by the Open Graph protocol. If LinkedIn is your exact target, its guidance specifies a 1200 × 627-pixel frame at the same 1.91:1 ratio.
The short answer: 1200 × 630 pixels
Create your general-purpose social preview at 1200 pixels wide by 630 pixels high. Keep important text, logos and faces away from the outer edges so a service can crop or resize the card without removing essential information.
The ratio matters as much as the pixel count. A 1200 × 630 canvas is approximately 1.91:1. LinkedIn’s official sharing guidance uses 1200 × 627 pixels, also a 1.91:1 frame. The three-pixel height difference is normally harmless, but use LinkedIn’s dimensions when you are designing specifically for that service.
| Use case | Recommended dimensions | What the number means |
|---|---|---|
| General-purpose OG image | 1200 × 630 px | Practical cross-platform default; not an Open Graph protocol mandate. |
| LinkedIn website sharing | 1200 × 627 px | LinkedIn’s documented preview frame at a 1.91:1 ratio. |
| Open Graph metadata | Match the actual file | If you declare width and height, they must describe the image you serve. |
LinkedIn also lists a 5 MB maximum for website-sharing images and says images narrower than 401 pixels display as thumbnails. Those are LinkedIn rules, not universal OG limits. Check the current documentation for any platform whose exact rendering is business-critical.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchDoes the Open Graph protocol mandate a particular size?
No. The Open Graph protocol defines metadata that describes a page, including og:image and optional og:image:width and og:image:height. It does not prescribe one universal pixel canvas for every social network.
That distinction prevents a common documentation error: saying “the OG protocol requires 1200 × 630.” Instead, describe 1200 × 630 as a practical recommendation and cite a platform’s own requirements when you need exact compliance. The image URL, dimensions and file type are ultimately interpreted by the crawler and service rendering your link.
How to design a reliable OG image
Start with a safe area
Place the title, brand mark and other critical elements near the center. Leave a generous margin around all four edges. Different clients can crop, letterbox or scale the same source image, and a centered composition survives those changes better than edge-aligned text.
Use readable typography
At 1200 × 630, a headline should be short enough to read in a small card. Use strong contrast and avoid thin type over a busy photograph. Treat the image as a visual summary rather than a page-length headline.
Choose an appropriate format
- JPEG: usually efficient for photographs and gradients; export at a quality setting that keeps text edges clean.
- PNG: useful for sharp type, flat graphics and transparency, but can create larger files.
- WebP: often compresses well, but confirm that every target platform accepts it before making it your only asset.
Whatever format you choose, serve the file from a stable, publicly reachable HTTPS URL. A crawler cannot create a preview from an image that requires a login, expires immediately or is blocked by robots or firewall rules.
Add the image to your page correctly
Put the tags in the document’s <head>. The URL in og:image should be the real image URL, not a local path. If you include dimensions, keep them synchronized with the file itself.
<meta property="og:title" content="Your page title">
<meta property="og:description" content="A concise description of the page.">
<meta property="og:type" content="website">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/article">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/article-og-1200x630.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="Short description of the image">The protocol reference documents the image properties at ogp.me. The width and height values are metadata; they do not force a platform to display the card at that exact size.
LinkedIn-specific limits and behavior
For LinkedIn sharing, follow its official website-sharing guidance: design around 1200 × 627 pixels and keep the file within the documented 5 MB ceiling. LinkedIn says an image under 401 pixels wide is shown as a thumbnail, so a small fallback may look materially different from a full-size card.
Recommended Free Tools
Do not generalize those values to every network. A platform may impose its own byte limit, crop, cache duration or accepted formats. When a campaign targets one service, that service’s current documentation takes precedence over a cross-platform default.
Implementation checklist
- Create a 1200 × 630 master, or a 1200 × 627 master for a LinkedIn-only workflow.
- Keep important content inside a central safe area and test the image at card-sized display.
- Export a web-friendly JPEG, PNG or an explicitly supported WebP, keeping the file below any target-platform limit.
- Upload it to a stable HTTPS URL that can be fetched without authentication.
- Add
og:image; add width and height only when they match the delivered file. - Set a useful
og:image:altvalue and ensure the page’s title and description are also present. - Share a newly updated URL after caches expire or use the target platform’s preview/debug workflow to request a fresh fetch.
Common problems and fixes
The preview is blank or uses the wrong image
Check that the image URL returns the image itself with a successful HTTP response, rather than an HTML error page or a redirect to a login screen. Confirm that only one intended og:image is being emitted by your CMS and that the tag is in the server-rendered HTML.
The card is cropped awkwardly
Move text and logos inward, simplify the composition and test the 1.91:1 ratio. A service can apply a different crop even when the source dimensions are correct.
The image is rejected or appears as a thumbnail
For LinkedIn, verify the 5 MB maximum and make sure the width is not below 401 pixels. For other services, consult their current limits rather than assuming LinkedIn’s rules apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWidth and height metadata do not match
Re-export the file or update the two meta values so they describe the actual pixel dimensions. Mismatched metadata can confuse crawlers and image pipelines.
An old preview persists
Social platforms cache fetched images. Change the asset URL when you publish a materially different design (for example, add a version suffix), then request a fresh scrape through the platform’s supported debugging or inspection tool.
Preview a page without building a browser-capture stack
For a developer who wants to inspect how a page—including its OG image and rendered layout—looks in a real browser, ScreenshotNeo is the first service to try: it removes consent banners, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture, bills only clean shots, and has the lowest paid plan.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo’s API can capture a URL with one request. The response can be PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF; options include full-page capture, a chosen viewport or device preset, waiting for a selector or network idle, custom headers and cookies, hiding selectors, dark mode and more. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the page verdict and billing status in headers.
Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients, so an AI agent can inspect a page without custom browser orchestration.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://freedom251.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo documentation for authentication and options.
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://freedom251.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://freedom251.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots; every feature is included on every plan, and yearly billing gives two months free. Sign up for the free plan.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Cost, caching and operational notes
An OG image is normally a static asset, so the main operational concerns are delivery reliability and cache invalidation rather than image-generation cost. Keep a stable canonical URL when you want long-lived sharing, or version the filename when you need crawlers to fetch a replacement immediately. If you use a screenshot service for QA, configure a cache TTL deliberately: caching speeds repeated checks, while a short TTL helps validate a newly deployed design.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
FAQ
Is 1200 × 630 better than 1200 × 627?
Neither is universally “required.” Use 1200 × 630 as the practical general default; use 1200 × 627 when LinkedIn’s documented frame is your specific target.
Best Value
- Facebook addiction humor design. The Straight Outta FB Jail design is a fun gift for all the social media addicts in your life.
- You know someone who only looks at their smartphone and addicted to FB and Co. . Then this graphic is the perfect gift!
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Can I use one OG image for every social network?
Often, yes, if you use the 1200 × 630 default and keep the composition inside a safe area. Exact limits, crops and format support still vary, so verify a platform that is especially important to your distribution.
Do the metadata dimensions resize the image?
No. og:image:width and og:image:height describe the file; they do not transform it. The values should match the actual asset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should the OG image include text?
Yes, if the text remains brief, high-contrast and inside a central safe area; do not rely on tiny copy that is unreadable in a link card.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
What happens if my image is larger than 5 MB?
LinkedIn may reject it under the limit in its sharing guidance. Compress or resize it while preserving the 1.91:1 composition, then verify the result in the target platform.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
