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An Open Graph meta image is the URL in an HTML og:image tag. Social networks fetch that image when someone shares the page and use it in the link card. Put it in the document <head> alongside og:title, og:type, and og:url. A practical starting file is 1,200 × 630 pixels (about 1.91:1); LinkedIn’s current help specifies a minimum of 1,200 × 627 pixels. Treat those dimensions as guidance rather than a protocol requirement, and validate the rendered card on every network you target.
What the Open Graph image does
The Open Graph protocol lets a web page appear as a rich object in a social graph. The og:image property identifies the image representing that page or object. It is metadata, not an image displayed in the page body, and it does not replace your normal article images or a favicon.
When a crawler follows a shared URL, it reads the head section, downloads the declared image, and builds a preview with the title, destination URL, and image. The crawler must be able to request the file directly, so use an absolute, publicly reachable HTTPS URL rather than a relative path, localhost address, private asset, or image that requires a browser session.
The four required Open Graph properties
og:title— the title shown for the shared object.og:type— commonlyarticlefor a post.og:image— the absolute URL of the representative image.og:url— the canonical URL of the object.
These properties should describe the same page. A canonical URL in og:url does not need to be the URL currently visible in the browser, but it should be the page you want platforms to associate with the share.
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Recommended dimensions, format, and composition
Start with 1,200 × 630 pixels
For a general-purpose card, create a 1,200 × 630-pixel image. This 1.91:1 canvas is a practical cross-platform baseline, not a universal rule imposed by the protocol. LinkedIn’s official help states a minimum image dimension of 1,200 × 627 pixels, which is close enough that a 1,200 × 630 design normally fits both targets.
Social sites can resize, crop, or select a different image. Keep headlines, logos, faces, and other essential details inside a generous safe area rather than against an edge. Check the final card on a phone-sized preview as well as a desktop share dialog.
Choose a format and file size deliberately
- JPEG: a dependable choice for photographs and gradients; export at a quality that keeps text edges clean.
- PNG: useful for sharp interface screenshots, illustrations, or transparency, but often larger.
- WebP: can reduce bytes, but confirm that every target network accepts and renders it before making it your only variant.
There is no single file-size number that guarantees acceptance. Compress the image without making small type unreadable, serve the correct MIME type, and avoid redirects or authentication on the image URL.
Design for cropping and small screens
Compare candidate designs by aspect ratio, crop tolerance, text legibility on mobile cards, file format and byte size, alt-text usefulness, and brand consistency. A single 1,200 × 630 image may be efficient, but separate variants can be safer when a platform uses a noticeably different crop. Do not put a long paragraph in the artwork; the preview title and description should carry the detail.
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How to add the og:image tag
Insert the following metadata in the page’s <head>. Replace the example URLs and text with values for the specific page.
<meta property="og:title" content="Example article title">
<meta property="og:type" content="article">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/article">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/article-og.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:secure_url" content="https://example.com/images/article-og.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg">
<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 subject">What the structured image properties mean
og:image:secure_urlgives an HTTPS version of the image. Use it when the primary image URL could be non-secure.og:image:typestates the MIME type, such asimage/jpeg.og:image:widthandog:image:heightreport the pixel dimensions.og:image:altdescribes the image content. Write useful alternative text, not a marketing caption or a duplicate of the page title.
These properties are optional in the protocol, but supplying accurate values helps crawlers process the asset and gives accessibility-oriented systems meaningful context.
Using more than one Open Graph image
Repeated og:image properties form an array. The first image is preferred when a platform has to choose one. Put the structured properties immediately after the image root they describe:
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/primary.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="Primary article illustration">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/alternate.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="627">
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="Alternate illustration for the article">When a new og:image root appears, it starts a new image record. Do not place the dimensions for the second image before its root, or a parser may associate them with the first image.
Why a social preview image is wrong
The tag is missing or in the wrong place
View the delivered HTML source, not only the DOM after JavaScript runs. The metadata must be in the document head and use the exact property attribute shown above. A tag injected only after a client-side render may be invisible to a crawler that does not execute that JavaScript.
The URL cannot be fetched
Open the image URL in a private browser window and request it without cookies. Confirm it returns an image, uses HTTPS, has no login wall, and does not depend on a short-lived signed URL. Check that your server sends the matching content type and does not block social crawler user agents.
A different image is being selected
Look for another og:image, plugin-generated metadata, or a theme default. Because the first image generally wins, put the intended image first and remove conflicting tags. Also check whether a platform is falling back to a large in-page image when it cannot read your metadata.
The old card is cached
Social networks cache fetched metadata and images. Correcting the HTML does not necessarily change an already generated card immediately. Use the target network’s current link-preview or debugger tool to request a fresh fetch, then share the canonical URL again. Test the final URL, not a tracking or redirect URL, because each address can have a separate cache entry.
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Rendering rules differ by platform and can change over time. Recheck the 1.91:1 composition, move essential content inward, and test the image at the size at which a mobile card displays it. A correct 1,200 × 630 source can still be cropped by a network’s card template.
A practical validation checklist
- Confirm the four required properties appear once for the page and describe the same object.
- Verify that
og:imageis an absolute, publicly reachable HTTPS URL. - Request the image without a logged-in browser and confirm a successful image response.
- Check the declared MIME type and dimensions against the actual file.
- Ensure the first image is the preferred image and its structured properties follow immediately.
- Read the alt text as a description of what is visible in the image.
- Run the canonical URL through each network’s current preview checker.
- After a correction, refresh the platform’s cache and inspect the new card on mobile and desktop.
Automating a check or capture
If you need a repeatable asset check, an automated browser capture can show exactly what a crawler-facing page returns. ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server; it can capture a URL after the page loads, which is useful for checking a rendered preview page or a test page containing your metadata.
Or skip the browser setup
With ScreenshotNeo, one GET request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools to Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for all options. The following calls capture the example page; replace the URL with your preview test page.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com/article -o shot.webpimport requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com/article"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://example.com/article' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);ScreenshotNeo includes full-page and element capture, device presets, retina scale, custom CSS and JavaScript, waits, request blocking, headers and cookies, resizing, caching with a chosen TTL, signed links, asynchronous webhooks, bulk capture, usage data, and an OpenAPI specification. Every feature is on every plan: 1,000 shots per month are free without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
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Keep the asset stable
Changing the image at the same URL can leave different networks showing different generations while their caches expire. Use a versioned filename when you make a substantial redesign, update the tag, and validate the new canonical page.
Keep metadata server-rendered
Frameworks should emit the tags in the initial response whenever possible. If a page is generated from a template, add automated checks that fail when og:title, og:url, or og:image is empty, relative, or duplicated.
Measure the real card, not just the source file
Image dimensions and a successful HTTP response do not guarantee the visual result. Platform-specific selection, caching, resizing, and cropping happen after your server responds, so maintain a small regression list of representative URLs and inspect each target network after template changes.
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Is og:image required for every page?
The Open Graph protocol lists it among the four required properties for a complete rich object. Pages without it may receive a platform-selected fallback or a plain link card.
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Can I use a relative image path?
Use an absolute HTTPS URL. A relative path does not tell an external crawler which host to request and is a common reason for a missing image.
Should the alt text repeat the headline?
No. Describe the visual subject and important visible information; the title already supplies the headline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing the image immediately update old shares?
Usually not. Platforms cache metadata and images; refresh the URL with the relevant network’s current preview tool and allow its cache to update.
Can I declare several images for one page?
Yes. Repeat the image root and place each image’s structured properties directly after it. The first image is generally preferred.
The Bottom Line
Use a publicly reachable HTTPS image, start at 1,200 × 630 pixels, place complete Open Graph metadata in the head, and validate the actual card on each network. Most “wrong image” problems come from inaccessible URLs, duplicate tags, ordering, or platform cache—not from the image editor.
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