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Use JPEG for most photographic Open Graph images and PNG for graphics that contain sharp text, logos, flat colors or transparency. Both are conservative choices for link-preview compatibility. GIF is accepted by LinkedIn’s sharing guidance but should not be selected solely to make a preview animate. Do not rely on WebP or SVG for broad Open Graph crawler support unless you have verified every target platform.
The short answer
An Open Graph image is a publicly reachable image URL assigned to og:image. The Open Graph Protocol’s example uses JPEG metadata, while LinkedIn’s website-sharing guidance lists JPG, PNG and GIF. In practice, choose the format according to the artwork:
| Format | Best use | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG/JPG | Photographs and photo-heavy designs | Usually the simplest compact default; the protocol example declares image/jpeg. |
| PNG | Text-heavy graphics, logos, flat colors and transparency | Listed by LinkedIn for its sharing module; the design advantages are general image-format guidance. |
| GIF | A static preview when a GIF is already your available asset | LinkedIn lists GIF, but the cited guidance does not promise animation in a link preview. |
| WebP | Only when every destination has been checked | LinkedIn’s general media table shows device-dependent WebP support, not proof of WebP support for link-preview scraping. |
| SVG | Source artwork that you will export to a raster image | The official material reviewed does not establish SVG support for Open Graph link previews. |
What og:image actually contains
The property is not an uploaded file embedded in your page. It is an absolute URL that a crawler requests when it builds a preview. The protocol describes it as “An image URL which should represent your object within the graph.” Put the URL in the document’s <head> and make the response available without a login or browser-only interaction.
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<meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="627">
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="A developer comparing JPEG and PNG Open Graph images">The protocol documents og:image:type, og:image:width, og:image:height and og:image:alt. Supplying dimensions helps a consumer understand the asset before downloading it, and descriptive alt text provides an accessible textual description where the platform uses it.
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When JPEG is the right choice
Photographs and gradients
JPEG is efficient for continuous-tone content: photographs, screenshots with photographic backgrounds and designs with smooth gradients. It is the conservative choice when the image is mostly visual rather than typographic.
Keeping the file practical
Export at a quality setting that preserves readable details, then inspect the result at the size used in a preview. Excessive compression can produce halos around text and blocky gradients; an unnecessarily large file can violate a platform limit. The correct setting depends on the image, so judge the exported file rather than assuming a universal quality number.
When PNG is better
Small type and hard edges
PNG preserves crisp edges in logos, diagrams, interface screenshots and title cards. It is usually preferable when a JPEG would create ringing or muddy lettering around high-contrast shapes.
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Transparency
If the design needs an alpha channel, PNG is the conservative raster choice. Check the destination platform’s treatment of transparent pixels: a preview service may place the image on a colored background or flatten it. If the result must look identical everywhere, export a version with the intended background color instead of depending on transparency.
Platform rules are not universal
Open Graph defines metadata fields, but each social network decides how it fetches and displays them. LinkedIn’s website-sharing guidance specifies a minimum of 1200 × 627 pixels, recommends a 1.91:1 ratio, sets a 5 MB maximum, and names JPG, PNG or GIF for its sharing module. Those figures are LinkedIn-specific requirements, not protocol-wide rules.
LinkedIn separately publishes a general media-format table showing JPEG, PNG and GIF on desktop, iOS and Android, with WebP support varying by device. That general upload table should not be treated as evidence that WebP will work when LinkedIn scrapes a website link.
Why WebP and SVG need extra caution
WebP
WebP can be a sensible format for applications you control, but support for a general media upload does not establish support for a link-preview crawler. If a preview must work across unknown networks, provide JPEG or PNG as the primary og:image. Use WebP only after checking the exact sharing destinations and their current behavior.
SVG
SVG is a vector document, not a universally accepted raster preview. The official Open Graph and LinkedIn material cited here does not establish SVG support for link previews. Export the vector source to JPEG or PNG, then point og:image at that raster file.
Animated GIF
LinkedIn lists GIF as an accepted sharing-module type, but the guidance does not promise that a crawler will animate it. Treat a GIF as a still preview asset unless the destination explicitly documents animation. Do not choose GIF merely to deliver motion.
Design and export checklist
- Start with the destination. If LinkedIn is a required channel, design for at least 1200 × 627 pixels, the recommended 1.91:1 ratio and a file no larger than 5 MB.
- Choose the raster format. Use JPEG for photos; use PNG for text, logos, flat colors or transparency.
- Keep essential content inside the crop. Put the title, logo and key subject away from the edges so a platform’s card layout does not obscure them.
- Export an absolute URL. The URL should resolve directly to the image, not to an HTML page, redirect chain that requires a session, or protected directory.
- Send the right metadata. The server should return the matching MIME type, such as
image/jpegorimage/png, and the page should include dimensions and usefulog:image:alttext. - Check the published response. Request the image without logging in and confirm it is not blocked by robots, access controls, hotlink protection or a firewall rule.
How to diagnose a missing or wrong preview
The image does not appear
Open the page source and confirm that og:image is in the initial HTML, not injected only after JavaScript runs. Paste the image URL into a private browser window and verify that it returns the image directly. LinkedIn’s guidance notes that retrieval can fail when a site blocks access or the image is stored in a protected directory.
The old image keeps appearing
Social networks cache link previews. After changing the file, use the destination platform’s own inspection or debugging facility to request a fresh fetch. Ensure the URL and dimensions are correct before repeatedly resubmitting; changing only the visible artwork while retaining a cached URL may not force an immediate refresh.
The preview is cropped badly
Check the source aspect ratio against the target platform’s card layout. For LinkedIn, begin with 1200 × 627 and keep the important text in the central safe area. A technically valid image can still be visually cropped by a consumer’s card design.
Text looks soft
Re-export a text-heavy design as PNG. If JPEG is required, increase export quality and avoid repeatedly recompressing an already compressed file.
The crawler receives an error
Check HTTPS, DNS, redirects, status codes, authentication and firewall rules. A browser session that succeeds does not prove that an unauthenticated crawler can fetch the same URL. Also confirm that the response’s MIME type matches the file.
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- View the page source and locate every
og:imagedeclaration. - Copy the first image URL and open it in a private window.
- Confirm the response is a direct JPEG, PNG or GIF file with the expected dimensions and size.
- Use the target network’s preview inspector to force a fresh fetch, then compare the rendered crop with the original.
If the inspector shows an older image, treat that as cache state rather than evidence that the new file format is invalid. If it reports a fetch failure, fix public accessibility before changing formats.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo can capture the published page through one API request, which is useful for checking how your Open Graph artwork looks in the real page context. Its clean-shot process accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the page verdict and billing status in X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.
See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for all options. A one-call cURL example is:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com/article -o shot.webpThe same request in Python:
import 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)And in Node.js:
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 also provides an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. One thousand screenshots per month are free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots, and every feature is included on every plan. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account to test your page.
Final decision
For the broadest practical compatibility, publish a raster image: JPEG for photographs and PNG for crisp graphics or transparency. Follow each network’s own dimensions and size limits, expose the file at a public absolute URL, declare accurate metadata, and verify the fetched preview. Keep WebP and SVG as conditional choices rather than your only Open Graph asset.
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