Why share previews matter

The moment someone shares your link on a social network, a small card appears. Its title, description, and image are not pulled from your page automatically - they come from Open Graph (og:) meta tags. Get them right and every share looks intentional; get them wrong and the platform shows a bare URL or the wrong thumbnail. First impressions for most content arrive through this card.

The core tags that matter

  • og:title - the card's headline. Keep it under 60 characters so it is not truncated.
  • og:description - a one-to-two sentence summary, roughly 120–155 characters.
  • og:image - an absolute URL to the preview image, ideally 1200x630 pixels.
  • og:url - the canonical URL; use one stable version of every page.
  • og:type - usually website or article; helps platforms render the card correctly.

Absolute URLs only

Every value must be a full absolute URL, not a relative path like /images/cover.png. Platforms fetch the image directly, and they cannot resolve a relative path declared on your page. Use the complete https:// origin for the image, URL, and any other links.

Images: get these right

Two images look best in share cards: wide 1200x630 (exactly 1.91:1), which most platforms use for link previews. Keep important text inside the safe central area, because some networks crop the top or bottom. Upload the largest crisp version you have; downscaling is fine, upscaling never is.

Redirects break canonicalization

Set og:url to the final, canonical address. If your page redirects (trailing slash, www vs non-www, UTM variants), the card may log a different URL and reviews may not match. Choosing one canonical url and mirroring it across og:url and your canonical link tag keeps everything consistent.

Test and refresh the cache

Social networks cache previews aggressively, so 'nothing changed' is usually a cache problem. After releasing updated tags, open the platform's sharing debugger for the URL (Facebook and X both provide one) and ask it to refresh. Preview one representative page per template, not just the home page.

Generate, don't guess

Once your templates are defined, produce the tags per page so title, description, and image always match the actual content - a generic home-page description on every article is the classic mistake. A meta-tag generator can produce the exact block iteratively until the set feels right.