An Open Graph checker reads the social meta tags on a page and shows the link preview platforms will build from them. This one previews Facebook, LinkedIn and X and checks the key tags. Marketers and developers use it before a page goes out.
- How to use the Open Graph checker
- Open Graph tags the checker looks for
- How social platforms build a link preview
- Getting the share image right
- Common Open Graph mistakes and fixes
- FAQ
- Related tools
How to use the Open Graph checker
- Enter the full URL of the page you plan to share. It must be public, since our server fetches it the same way a social platform does.
- Run the check. The tool reads the page's Open Graph and Twitter Card tags from the HTML.
- Look at the three previews. You see how the link card is likely to appear on Facebook, LinkedIn and X.
- Work through the tag checklist. Each tag shows as present, missing or a problem, with a short note on what to change.
- Fix the page in your CMS or theme, publish, and run the check again.
- If a platform still shows the old card, ask it to refresh its cache for that URL. They store cards for a while.
Previews are an approximation built from your tags. Each platform renders cards slightly differently and can change its layout, so treat the preview as a guide, not a guarantee.
Open Graph tags the checker looks for
The headline on the card. Keep it clear and under about 60 to 70 characters so it does not get cut off.
One or two sentences under the title. It does not need to match your meta description, and can be written for sharing.
The picture that fills the card. It must be a full https URL that loads without a login. 1200 by 630 pixels is the common safe size.
The canonical address of the page, so shares and likes all count toward one URL.
The kind of object, such as website or article.
Alt text helps accessibility. The twitter:card tag, usually summary_large_image, tells X which card layout to use.
How social platforms build a link preview
When someone pastes your link, the platform requests the page, reads the head, and builds a card from the tags it finds. The format comes from the Open Graph protocol, which defines og:title, og:type, og:image and og:url as the core properties. Facebook and LinkedIn read those tags directly.
X uses its own twitter: tags first. If they are missing it falls back to the matching Open Graph tags for the title, description and image, but it still needs twitter:card to choose between a small card and a large image card. That is why a page can look fine on Facebook and bare on X.
No Open Graph tags at all? Platforms guess from the title tag and the first image they find, and the result is rarely good. A random sidebar banner can end up as your headline picture. Setting the tags yourself is the only way to control the card. This is also why an Open Graph preview is worth running before every launch, newsletter and campaign.
Getting the share image right
The image drives most of the clicks on a link card, and it is the most common source of broken previews. Use this checklist before you publish.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Absolute https URL | Relative paths and http images are skipped or flagged by some platforms |
| Around 1200 x 630 px (1.91:1) | The standard large-card ratio, shown without awkward cropping |
| Publicly reachable | Images behind a login, firewall or hotlink block will not load for the crawler |
| Reasonable file size | Heavy files can time out in the platform's fetcher. Compress to keep it light |
| Text kept near the center | Edges can be cropped on some surfaces, so avoid putting key words at the border |
This is also why the og image checker view matters. If the tool reports a missing or non-https image, fix that first, because it ruins the card on every platform at once.
Common Open Graph mistakes and fixes
- Stale cache. You fixed the tags but the old card still shows. The platform has cached it. Use its own debugging tool to rescrape the URL.
- Tags added with JavaScript. Platform crawlers do not run scripts. The tags must be in the HTML the server sends.
- One image for everything. A site-wide logo as
og:imagemakes every share look the same. Set a specific image per page or post. - Duplicate tags. A theme and an SEO plugin may each output
og:title. Platforms pick one, and not always the right one. - Wrong og:url. Pointing every page at the homepage splits or misdirects share counts. Use each page's own canonical URL.
- Missing image alt text. Add
og:image:altso the card is usable with a screen reader.
Open Graph tags do not directly affect Google rankings. Their value is in click-through from social, messaging apps and chat tools, which often means more people reaching the page. For the search side of the snippet, use the Rank Ray SERP Simulator alongside this tool.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Open Graph checker?
An Open Graph checker fetches a page, reads its og: and twitter: meta tags, and shows how the page will look when shared on social platforms. It flags missing or invalid tags such as the title, description and image, so you can fix the card before you post the link.
How do I fix a wrong image in a link preview?
First check that og:image is set to a full https URL of a public image around 1200 by 630 pixels. Publish the fix, run the checker again, then ask the platform to rescrape the URL. Old images usually come from a cached copy.
What size should an Open Graph image be?
Use about 1200 by 630 pixels, an aspect ratio of roughly 1.91 to 1. It displays as a large card on Facebook, LinkedIn and X without awkward cropping. Keep the file reasonably small, serve it over https, and keep important text away from the edges.
Do I need Twitter Card tags if I have Open Graph tags?
Not always. X falls back to Open Graph tags for the title, description and image. You do still need the twitter:card tag to pick the card layout, usually summary_large_image. Without it X shows a smaller default card. Add it once site-wide in your theme.
Why does my link preview not update?
Platforms cache link cards, sometimes for days. Your updated tags are in the page, but the old card is stored on their side. Use the platform's own debugger or inspector to force a rescrape, then share the link again to confirm.
Does Open Graph help SEO?
Not directly. Google does not use Open Graph tags as a ranking signal. They improve how links look on social and messaging platforms, which can raise clicks and shares. More visibility can lead to more links and traffic, which helps indirectly.