Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Use curl to inspect the HTML a server returns for a shared URL, then check the Open Graph properties, redirect chain, and—if needed—the response for the target platform’s documented crawler User-Agent. Start with curl -sS -D response-headers.txt -L 'https://example.com/page' -o response.html. This follows HTTP redirects, saves the final response body, and records response headers so you can distinguish a markup problem from a redirect or HTTP error.

Fetch the page HTML and inspect its Open Graph tags

Run the command against the exact URL you share, including its path and query string:

curl -sS -D response-headers.txt -L 'https://example.com/page' -o response.html

Here, -sS suppresses the progress meter but still shows errors, -D writes response headers to a file, -L follows HTTP redirects, and -o saves the response body. Open response-headers.txt to see the status and headers, then search response.html for the tags:

grep -i 'property="og:' response.html

For a quick look without saving the body, use:

curl -sS -L 'https://example.com/page' | grep -i 'property="og:'

These commands are inspection examples; they do not imply that any particular URL has been fetched or tested. The Open Graph protocol says each page should provide og:title, og:type, og:image, and og:url as metadata in the page head. og:description is optional but generally recommended. The protocol defines og:url as the permanent ID of the object. Open Graph protocol

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Elebase USB to USB C Adapter for iPhone 18 Pro Max,USBC Car Charger Adapter
  • Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
  • Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
  • Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
  • Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
  • 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.

Check that each property has the intended content value, especially the image URL and canonical URL. If the page specifies og:image, the protocol says it should also specify og:image:alt; that value describes the image, rather than acting as its caption. Image metadata can also include structured properties such as og:image:width and og:image:height.

Check HTTP status and redirects

By default, curl does not follow HTTP Location redirects. Without -L, you may inspect the redirect response instead of the page a visitor or crawler ultimately reaches. The curl project documentation explains that curl displays such a response unless told to follow it. curl documentation

Rank #2
Anker USB-C Hub, 5-in-1 USB Hub for Laptops, 4K HDMI Multiport Adapter
  • 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
  • 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
  • Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
  • 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
  • What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.

To review the response headers in a redirect chain while discarding the body, run:

curl -sS -D - -L 'https://example.com/old-path' -o /dev/null

-D - sends response headers to standard output. Review each status and Location header, not just the final status. If the destination is unexpected or serves different content, inspect both the original URL’s redirect and the final HTML. A successful final response does not by itself show that the intended page was served.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #3
Sale
Anker USB C Hub, 7in1 Multi-Port USB Adapter, 4K@60Hz USBC to HDMI Splitter
  • Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
  • Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
  • Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
  • Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
  • What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.

Compare the default and crawler User-Agent responses

A server may vary its response based on the request’s User-Agent. First inspect curl’s default response, then—if the platform documents a crawler identifier—make a second request with that exact published string:

curl -sS -L -A 'DOCUMENTED_CRAWLER_USER_AGENT' 'https://example.com/page' -o crawler-response.html

Replace DOCUMENTED_CRAWLER_USER_AGENT with the target platform’s documented identifier; do not treat that example text as a real universal crawler string. Compare crawler-response.html with the default response for different status codes, redirects, or missing tags. The curl documentation establishes how to set a User-Agent, but there is no single crawler string that can safely be assumed for every social platform. curl documentation

Rank #4
Sale
UGREEN USB to USB C Adapter Combo 4-Pack, 10Gbps USB C Converter Space Gray
  • Dual Converters, Infinite Potential:Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
  • Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
  • Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
  • Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
  • Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft

This comparison shows what your server returns to those requests; it does not prove that a platform will parse the page identically. Access controls, network reachability, caches, and platform-specific parsing may still affect the preview.

Find duplicate properties and check image metadata

Do not stop at the first matching tag. Search for every occurrence of the important properties:

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Best Value
Anker USB C Hub, 5-in-1 USBC to HDMI Splitter with 4K Display
  • 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
  • Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
  • Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
  • HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
  • What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
grep -inE 'property="og:(title|type|image|url|description|image:)' response.html

Repeated properties can be intentional, including when a page supplies multiple images. When values conflict, however, the Open Graph protocol gives precedence to the first value from top to bottom. For image metadata, place structured properties after the image they describe, such as og:image followed by og:image:width and og:image:height. With multiple images, check that each image’s structured values correspond to the right image entry. Open Graph protocol

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Understand what curl cannot verify

curl retrieves HTTP responses; it does not execute page JavaScript or follow browser-style meta-refresh navigation. If a script inserts Open Graph tags only after the page loads in a browser, those tags will not appear in the raw HTML curl fetched. Likewise, a redirect expressed through a meta-refresh element is not an HTTP Location redirect for -L to follow. Check whether the tags are present in the server-delivered HTML and whether any navigation is an HTTP redirect.

If the remaining question is how a particular platform parses or caches a page, use that platform’s own preview or debugging workflow. The Open Graph protocol page identifies Facebook’s Object Debugger as Facebook’s official parser and debugger, but the available information here does not establish its current access requirements or detailed workflow. Open Graph protocol

Troubleshoot common Open Graph inspection problems

  • No tags appear in the search: Check the saved response body, not only the browser’s rendered page. The tags may be absent from server-delivered HTML or inserted only by JavaScript.
  • You see an unexpected page: Inspect the status and Location headers. Use -L to follow HTTP redirects and verify the final URL and HTML.
  • The crawler response differs from curl’s: Compare requests using the platform’s documented crawler User-Agent. A User-Agent match alone cannot reproduce every platform condition or prove how its parser behaves.
  • The wrong title or image seems to win: Search for all repeated properties. Under the protocol’s conflict rule, the first value takes precedence.
  • The page looks correct in a browser but not in raw HTML: Browser rendering can include JavaScript changes that curl does not execute. Ensure the metadata is available in the server response or use the target platform’s own debugging workflow to investigate its interpretation.
  • The command reports a connection or transfer error: Keep -sS so curl still prints errors, verify the requested URL, and inspect the available headers or output before concluding that the HTML itself is at fault.

Or skip the browser setup

If you need a rendered screenshot to inspect how a page appears, ScreenshotNeo can return an image or PDF with one GET request. It is not a substitute for checking raw HTML or a social platform’s parser, but it can help inspect the rendered page without setting up a browser locally.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

cURL:

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com/page -o shot.webp

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before capture; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. An MCP server provides screenshot tools for AI agents, and the Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, with no card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does curl follow redirects automatically?

No. Add -L or --location to follow HTTP redirects.

Can curl show Open Graph tags added by JavaScript?

No. curl does not execute JavaScript, so it only shows tags included in the HTTP response it retrieves.

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.