What are the minimum required Open Graph tags?

The four essential Open Graph tags you should always include are: og:title (the title of your page), og:description (a brief description), og:image (the preview image URL), and og:url (the canonical URL of your page).

What size should my Open Graph image be?

The recommended size is 1200×630 pixels with a 1.91:1 aspect ratio. This size works great across all major social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. The minimum size is 200×200 pixels, but using the recommended size ensures your images look sharp and professional everywhere.

Do I need separate Twitter Card tags or do Open Graph tags work?

Twitter can fall back to Open Graph tags, but for optimal results you should include Twitter Card tags. At minimum, add to tell Twitter to display your Open Graph image in a large card format instead of a small thumbnail.

I updated my tags but social platforms still show the old preview. Why?

Social platforms cache your Open Graph data to improve performance. When you update your tags, you need to clear the cache using platform debugging tools: Facebook Sharing Debugger (click "Scrape Again"), Twitter Card Validator, and LinkedIn Post Inspector.

Can I generate Open Graph images dynamically?

Yes! You can generate OG images dynamically using server-side rendering or image generation services. Common approaches include using HTML Canvas on the server, Puppeteer to screenshot HTML templates, or specialized services like Cloudinary or Vercel OG. This is especially useful for blogs where each article needs a unique social image with the article title overlaid.

How can I test my Open Graph tags before publishing?

Use OGPreview.io validator to test your tags. For live URLs, you can also use Facebook Sharing Debugger (shows exactly how Facebook will render your preview), Twitter Card Validator (validates Twitter Card implementation), and LinkedIn Post Inspector (tests LinkedIn preview). These tools will tell you if your tags are correct and show you a preview of how your content will appear.

Can I have multiple og:image tags for different platforms?

You can add multiple og:image tags, and platforms will typically use the first one. However, it's usually better to use one universal 1200×630px image that works everywhere, and then add a specific Twitter image if needed using twitter:image to override for Twitter only.

Complete Open Graph Guide - OGPreview.io

What is Open Graph Protocol?

Open Graph Protocol is a set of meta tags that control how URLs are displayed when shared on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Slack.

Created by Facebook in 2010, Open Graph has become the de facto standard for controlling social media previews. When someone shares your link, social platforms read these meta tags from your HTML to generate a rich preview with an image, title, and description.

Key Benefit: Without Open Graph tags, social platforms will guess what to display—often resulting in broken images, generic titles, or missing information. With proper Open Graph tags, you control exactly how your content appears.

Essential Open Graph Tags

These four tags are the foundation of every Open Graph implementation:

og:title

The title of your content as it should appear in social feeds.

<meta property="og:title" content="Your Page Title" />

Best Practice: Keep between 60-95 characters. Facebook truncates around 88-100 characters.

og:description

A brief description of your content, displayed below the title.

<meta property="og:description" content="Your page description" />

Best Practice: Aim for 155-200 characters. Most platforms truncate after 200 characters.

og:image

The URL of the image that represents your content.

<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/image.jpg" />

Best Practice: Use 1200×630 pixels (1.91:1 ratio). Minimum 200×200px. PNG or JPG format.

og:url

The canonical URL of your page.

<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/page" />

Best Practice: Use the full canonical URL with protocol (https://).

Optimal Image Sizes for Social Media

Different platforms have different image requirements. Here's what works best:

Platform	Recommended Size	Aspect Ratio	Minimum Size
Facebook	1200 × 630px	1.91:1	200 × 200px
Twitter	1200 × 675px	16:9	120 × 120px
LinkedIn	1200 × 627px	1.91:1	200 × 200px
WhatsApp	1200 × 630px	1.91:1	200 × 200px

Pro Tip: Using 1200×630px works great across all platforms. This "universal" size is what we recommend for most use cases.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

❌ Using Relative Image URLs

Problem: /images/photo.jpg

Solution: Always use absolute URLs with protocol: https://example.com/images/photo.jpg

❌ Image Too Small or Wrong Aspect Ratio

Problem: Using images smaller than 200×200px or with extreme aspect ratios results in poor display quality or cropping.

Solution: Use 1200×630px images. If you must use a different size, keep the 1.91:1 aspect ratio.

❌ Forgetting to Update Tags After Changes

Problem: Social platforms cache your Open Graph data. Updating tags doesn't immediately change how links appear.

Solution: Use debugging tools to clear cache:

Facebook: Sharing Debugger
Twitter: Card Validator
LinkedIn: Post Inspector

❌ Missing Twitter Card Tags

Problem: Twitter uses its own "Twitter Card" meta tags alongside Open Graph.

Solution: Always include Twitter Card tags for Twitter/X:

<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Your Title" />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="Your description" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://example.com/image.jpg" />

❌ Title or Description Too Long

Problem: Text gets truncated with "..." and important information is cut off.

Solution: Keep titles under 95 characters and descriptions under 200 characters.

Self-Audit Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure you've covered all the common mistakes. Check off each item as you verify your implementation:

✓ Using absolute URLs for images

All og:image URLs start with https:// (not relative paths like /images/photo.jpg)

✓ Image size is optimal (1200×630px)

Images meet the recommended 1200×630px size and 1.91:1 aspect ratio

✓ Cleared platform caches after updates

Used Facebook Debugger, Twitter Validator, and LinkedIn Inspector to refresh cached data

✓ Added Twitter Card meta tags

Included twitter:card, twitter:title, twitter:description, and twitter:image tags

✓ Title and description are proper length

Title is 60-95 characters, description is 155-200 characters

All checked? Great! Use our validator to verify everything is working correctly. Validate your tags now →

Platform-Specific Requirements

Facebook & Meta Platforms

Requires og:title, og:image, og:url at minimum
Images must be at least 200×200px
Recommended size: 1200×630px
Use og:type to specify content type (website, article, video, etc.)
Add og:site_name for branding

Twitter / X

Uses twitter:card in addition to Open Graph tags
Two card types: summary (small image) and summary_large_image (big image)
Recommended: summary_large_image for most content
Can fall back to Open Graph tags if Twitter tags are missing
Add twitter:site and twitter:creator for attribution

LinkedIn

Uses standard Open Graph tags
Image size: 1200×627px recommended
Minimum image size: 200×200px
Professional content performs better—keep it business-appropriate

WhatsApp

Uses Open Graph tags just like Facebook
Shows preview in chat bubbles
Works best with 1200×630px images
Title and description are both displayed

Using Video Open Graph Tags

Beyond images, Open Graph supports video content. When you share a video URL, social platforms can embed and play the video directly in the feed.

When to Use Video OG Tags

Sharing video content hosted on your own server
Creating rich video previews on Facebook and LinkedIn
Embedding promotional or educational videos in social feeds
Providing alternative video formats for different platforms

Essential Video Tags

og:video

The URL of the video file. Should be a direct link to the video file (MP4, WebM, etc.).

<meta property="og:video" content="https://example.com/video.mp4" />

Best Practice: Use HTTPS URLs. Some platforms may not load videos over HTTP.

og:video:type

The MIME type of the video file.

<meta property="og:video:type" content="video/mp4" />

Common types: video/mp4, video/webm, video/ogg, application/x-shockwave-flash

og:video:width & og:video:height

The dimensions of the video in pixels.

<meta property="og:video:width" content="1280" />

<meta property="og:video:height" content="720" />

Recommended: Use standard video resolutions like 1280×720 (720p) or 1920×1080 (1080p).

og:video:duration (Optional)

The duration of the video in seconds.

<meta property="og:video:duration" content="120" />

Example: 120 = 2 minutes, 300 = 5 minutes

Complete Video Example

Here's a complete example of video Open Graph tags:

<meta property="og:type" content="video.other" />
<meta property="og:title" content="Product Demo Video" />
<meta property="og:description" content="See how our product works in action" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/demo" />

<!-- Video tags -->
<meta property="og:video" content="https://example.com/videos/demo.mp4" />
<meta property="og:video:type" content="video/mp4" />
<meta property="og:video:width" content="1280" />
<meta property="og:video:height" content="720" />
<meta property="og:video:duration" content="180" />

<!-- Fallback image if video doesn't load -->
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/video-thumbnail.jpg" />

Important: Always include a fallback og:image tag. Some platforms may not support video embedding and will display the image instead.

Platform Support Notes

Facebook: Supports native video playback with og:video tags
LinkedIn: Supports video tags but may show thumbnail only
Twitter: Prefers Twitter Player Card for video content
WhatsApp: Usually shows thumbnail, not embedded video

Debugging Tools & Validators

Use these official platform tools to test your Open Graph tags, clear cache, and see exactly how your content will appear when shared.

Facebook Sharing Debugger

Test how your page appears on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Shows exactly what Facebook sees and lets you scrape new data to clear cache.

Open Facebook Debugger

Twitter Card Validator

Preview how your Twitter Cards will look and validate that all required tags are present. Essential for Twitter/X sharing optimization.

Open Twitter Validator

LinkedIn Post Inspector

See how your content will appear when shared on LinkedIn. Helps ensure professional presentation for business content.

Open LinkedIn Inspector

OGPreview.io Validator

Our comprehensive validator checks your tags, validates images, and provides actionable recommendations all in one place.

Use Our Validator

💡 Pro Tip: Always Clear Cache

Social platforms cache your Open Graph data aggressively. After updating your tags, always use these debugging tools to force a fresh fetch. Otherwise, your changes won't appear immediately when shared.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Open Graph Protocol and social media previews.

Twitter can fall back to Open Graph tags, but for optimal results you should include Twitter Card tags. At minimum, add:

<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />

This tells Twitter to display your Open Graph image in a large card format instead of a small thumbnail.

Complete Guide to Open Graph Protocol