Guide
Why Open Graph Images Look Wrong on Social Media
Identify the most common Open Graph image issues and fix previews that look cropped, outdated, or missing.
Social previews can look broken even when your page works perfectly in a browser. Most problems come from image size, metadata mismatch, or caching behavior on social platforms.
Use a predictable OG image spec
Create one standard image size for share previews and use it consistently.
Non-standard dimensions often cause unexpected crops on different platforms.
Confirm OG tags point to the right URL
Check og:image, og:title, and og:description in the live HTML source.
Make sure og:image is an absolute URL that returns status 200 and is publicly accessible.
Watch for cache delays
Platforms cache preview data and may keep old images for hours or longer.
After updating metadata, use each platform's debug or re-scrape tool when available.
- Update image URL when replacing files.
- Avoid reusing one filename for many versions.
- Re-check after cache refresh.
Validate file quality and format
Very small files, unusual formats, or blocked image hosts can fail silently.
Use commonly supported formats and verify the image loads without authentication.
Test before posting at scale
Preview links in an OG tool before launching campaigns.
Early validation prevents broken previews across multiple channels.
Useful when
- Your shared image is cropped badly.
- An old thumbnail keeps showing.
- Different platforms show different previews.
- A link shows no image at all.
Fix the root cause, not just the symptom
Most OG issues are predictable. If you standardize image specs and metadata checks, your previews become far more reliable.