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Use a 1200 × 630 pixel image (about 1.91:1) as the safest general-purpose size for social link previews. Save it as JPEG or PNG, keep important content away from the edges, publish it at an absolute HTTPS URL, and declare its dimensions in your Open Graph tags. For X’s wide card, add twitter:card=summary_large_image. The same asset can still be cropped or resized differently by each service.
The practical answer: 1200 × 630 pixels
A 1200 × 630 image is the broad-compatibility starting point for Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Slack, Discord, Apple Messages and WhatsApp link previews. Its aspect ratio is approximately 1.91:1, so it fits the shape expected by Facebook and LinkedIn while requiring only a small crop on X’s 2:1 large image card.
- Export at 1200 × 630 px.
- Use JPEG or PNG for the widest compatibility; WebP is reported for X but is not a universal assumption.
- Keep headlines, logos, faces and other essential details inside a generous safe area rather than against an edge.
- Serve the file from a public, absolute
https://URL. - Include
og:image:widthandog:image:height. - For X’s wide presentation, set
twitter:cardtosummary_large_image.
These dimensions are a practical shared default, not a guarantee that every network uses the same canvas. A preview service may crop, scale or omit an image even when the pixels are correct if its crawler cannot see the metadata or fetch the file.
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The following values are reported by URLpipe’s cross-platform guide, updated September 2026. That guide identifies platform documentation as its underlying source layer; the figures below should therefore be treated as current guidance rather than a promise of permanent limits. Slack and Discord do not publish exact link-preview image dimensions in that guide.
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| Platform | Reported size, ratio or limit | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| At least 1200 × 630 recommended; 600 × 315 for a large layout; 200 × 200 absolute minimum; reported 8 MB limit. | Use 1200 × 630 and declare width and height. | |
1200 × 627 minimum, 1.91:1; reported 5 MB limit; reads og:image. |
A 1200 × 630 file is close to the reported dimensions. | |
| X, large image card | 300 × 157 minimum, 4096 × 4096 maximum; 2:1; under 5 MB; JPG, PNG, WebP and the first frame of GIF are reported. | Use summary_large_image and expect a slight crop from 1200 × 630. |
| Slack | No exact dimensions or file limit documented by the guide; reads Open Graph, Twitter Card and oEmbed data. | Start with 1200 × 630 and inspect an actual unfurl when layout matters. |
| Discord | No exact public dimensions identified by the guide. | Use the shared default and protect the outer edges. |
| Apple Messages | At least 900 px wide according to the guide; page, image and icon budgets also apply. | A 1200 px-wide image exceeds the reported minimum. |
| At least 300 px wide, 4:1 or narrower, under 600 KB; metadata must be within the first 300 KB of HTML, according to the guide. | Compress aggressively and put metadata near the beginning of the document. |
Why the same image looks different
Aspect-ratio cropping
Facebook and LinkedIn are close to 1.91:1, while X’s large card is 2:1. A 1200 × 630 file is 30 pixels taller than a 2:1 crop at that width. Put text and faces toward the center so the narrow crop does not remove meaning.
Responsive display sizes
Preview cards are rendered at many widths. A large source gives a sharper result when a service displays the card on a high-density screen, but it does not force a large card. The platform chooses the presentation.
Unknown Slack and Discord rules
Because no exact public dimensions are identified for Slack and Discord in the reviewed guide, do not describe an observed card width as a guaranteed specification. Test the real URL in the workspace or channel where appearance matters.
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Build the metadata correctly
Place these tags in the server-rendered <head> of every page. Crawlers may not execute client-side JavaScript, so tags inserted only after hydration can be missed.
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<meta property="og:type" content="article">
<meta property="og:title" content="Your page title">
<meta property="og:description" content="A concise description of the page.">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/article">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/article-social.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Your page title">
<meta name="twitter:description" content="A concise description of the page.">
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://example.com/images/article-social.jpg">Use an absolute, fetchable URL
https://example.com/images/article-social.jpg is valid. A relative value such as /images/article-social.jpg can fail because a crawler needs to resolve it against the page, and a path that works in your browser may still be blocked to automated fetchers. The image should load without a login, bot challenge, hotlink restriction or session cookie.
Declare dimensions explicitly
og:image:width and og:image:height tell consumers what they are about to fetch and help them reserve the correct space. Keep the numbers synchronized with the actual file; declaring 1200 × 630 for a different canvas creates an avoidable mismatch.
Do not rely on JavaScript-only head changes
For server-side rendered sites, put the tags in the initial response. In a single-page application, configure the framework’s server-side or static metadata generation rather than waiting for browser hydration.
Design and export checklist
- Safe area: leave visible padding around typography and logos because X may crop slightly and other clients may use different card shapes.
- Readable type: design for a small card, not just a full-size desktop image. One short headline is usually safer than a paragraph.
- Contrast: verify text against the actual background, including dark and light interface contexts.
- Per-page relevance: use an image that reflects the linked article rather than a generic site logo whenever practical.
- Format: JPEG is efficient for photographic artwork; PNG is useful for sharp type, flat graphics or transparency where supported.
- File size: the guide suggests under 300 KB as a practical cross-platform target. WhatsApp’s reported limit is under 600 KB, while LinkedIn and X have reported limits of 5 MB and under 5 MB respectively.
- Accessibility: keep the page’s normal title and description metadata accurate; the preview image is not a replacement for text alternatives or page content.
How to test a preview that is missing or stale
- View the page source or the raw HTTP response and confirm that the Open Graph tags are present before any client-side code runs.
- Copy the exact
og:imageURL into a private browser window. Confirm it returns the image over HTTPS without authentication, a redirect loop or a challenge page. - Check the response headers and file itself. Make sure the content is an actual JPEG or PNG, not an HTML error document saved with an image extension.
- Confirm the declared width and height match the asset and that the file is not needlessly oversized.
- Use the Facebook Sharing Debugger or LinkedIn Post Inspector to request a fresh scrape after changing metadata.
- For Slack, Discord, Apple Messages or WhatsApp, send a newly edited URL or otherwise trigger their normal re-fetch behavior; each service can retain cached data on its own schedule.
Troubleshooting common failures
The preview shows no image
Most often the crawler cannot reach the image or cannot see the tag. Replace relative URLs with an absolute HTTPS URL, remove authentication and bot protection from the image path, and verify the tag in initial HTML rather than only in browser developer tools after hydration.
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An old image keeps appearing
Preview data is cached independently of your site. Re-scrape with the relevant platform debugger where available. If you changed the image at the same URL, a cache may continue serving the old bytes; publishing a versioned filename can help, provided the new URL is also public.
The image is cropped badly
Rework the composition with a central safe area. A 1200 × 630 source will not prevent a 2:1 crop on X or a different responsive treatment elsewhere. Move critical text and faces inward rather than shrinking everything until it is unreadable.
The image is rejected for size
Export a quality-appropriate JPEG, remove unnecessary metadata and resize to the required canvas. Aim below 300 KB when quality permits, and pay particular attention to WhatsApp’s reported under-600-KB budget.
Metadata exists in the template but not in the response
Your framework may be adding it in the browser. Enable server-side rendering, static generation or an equivalent head-management feature so crawlers receive the tags in the first HTML response.
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The URL works for me but not for a crawler
Check redirects, robots or firewall rules, user-agent handling, geographic restrictions, expiring signed URLs and required cookies. A clean browser session is not proof that an unauthenticated crawler can fetch the same bytes.
Or skip the browser setup
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Operational and cost considerations
Generate once, reuse deliberately
For a stable article, generate the social asset during publishing and store it at a durable HTTPS URL. Regenerating on every page request adds latency and can produce inconsistent artwork when the underlying page changes.
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Use caching with care
Preview crawlers cache independently, and screenshot services can cache according to a TTL. Set a cache lifetime that matches how often the source page changes. When an immediate visual correction is required, use a new image URL and re-scrape the platform.
Separate screenshot cost from preview delivery
A screenshot API charge, if any, occurs when the image is generated; social networks then fetch and cache the resulting file. Keep the generated file on storage or a CDN that can serve repeated crawler requests without regenerating it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1200 × 630 mandatory for every social network?
No. It is the most practical shared default. Platforms can crop or resize it, and Slack and Discord do not publish exact dimensions in the reviewed September 2026 guide.
Should I use one image for every page?
You can, but a page-specific image usually gives a more useful preview. Keep the same 1200 × 630 canvas while changing the artwork and text for each important URL.
Does changing the image file automatically refresh old previews?
Not necessarily. Networks cache preview data. Request a re-scrape with the platform’s available debugging tool or publish a new image URL.
Can an SVG be my social preview image?
Do not assume it will work everywhere. A raster JPEG or PNG is the safer cross-platform choice; the reviewed X guidance reports JPG, PNG, WebP and the first frame of GIF, but not SVG.
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