Guide
How to Fix Missing Preview Images on Shared Links
Troubleshoot missing social preview images with a clear step-by-step Open Graph workflow.
When a shared link shows no image, the issue is usually metadata, image access, or cache behavior. A short debugging sequence can solve most cases quickly.
Check required OG tags first
Confirm your page outputs og:title, og:description, and og:image in the HTML head.
Missing or malformed og:image is the most common cause of blank previews.
Verify the image URL is usable by crawlers
The og:image value should be an absolute HTTPS URL, not a relative path.
Open the image URL in an incognito window to ensure it is public and not blocked by auth, hotlink protection, or robots rules.
Validate image format and size
Some previews fail because the image is too small, too large, or in an unusual format.
Use a standard size like 1200×630 and common formats such as JPG or PNG for safer compatibility.
Handle cache and recrawl
Social platforms cache previews. Even after fixing tags, old results can remain.
Use platform debugger tools or your OG checker to trigger a fresh scrape.
Quick troubleshooting checklist
Run this short list before publishing.
- og:image exists in page source.
- Image URL is absolute, HTTPS, and public.
- Image is not blocked by headers or robots settings.
- Dimensions are social-preview friendly.
- Preview re-scrape has been requested.
Common situations
- A new page shows only text in previews.
- Old image keeps showing after an update.
- Preview works in one app but fails in another.
- Team needs a repeatable QA checklist.
Debug in order, not by guesswork
Check tags, image URL, and cache in sequence. This prevents random fixes and saves publishing time.