The Open Graph image is declared in a page's head as og:image, and it is what WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Slack, iMessage and the rest display when the link is pasted. Without it, a shared link is a bare blue string that nobody clicks.
What to ship.
| Recommended size | 1200 × 630 pixels |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 1.91:1 for the large card treatment |
| Minimum for a large card | 600 × 315 pixels |
| Below 600 × 315 | Platforms fall back to a small square thumbnail |
| Absolute URL | og:image must be a full URL, not a relative path |
| Accompanying tags | og:title, og:description, og:image:alt |
Text inside the image should survive being displayed at about a third of its size in a chat list. Anything under roughly 40 pixels tall in the source is unreadable by the time it reaches a phone.
Where this shows up.
A public page is judged on the preview before it is judged on the page. When somebody pastes your handle into a group chat, the image is the whole first impression, and a missing one reads as a broken or untrustworthy link.
The common mistake.
Changing the image and expecting the preview to change. Platforms cache aggressively — often for days — so a redesigned image needs a new file URL or a pass through the platform's own cache-clearing tool.
Sources.
Every figure above is from one of these. They are the standard, the registry or the platform’s own documentation — read them rather than take our word for it.
- The Open Graph protocol ogp.me
- Sharing images: sizes and best practices Meta for Developers
- About X Cards X Developer Platform
- Post Inspector, which clears the cached preview LinkedIn