When you share a business page on a social network or in a messaging app, the link can become a small advert: it has a title, a description and an image. If these are unsuitable, people may misunderstand what they will find on your website. Open Graph metadata lets you suggest the information used in that preview. However, the platform controls the final display, and changes do not always appear immediately.
1. What Open Graph does for a link preview
Open Graph is a set of metadata placed in the section of a page’s HTML used for information about the page, known as the head. Visitors do not see these fields in the main content, but services that fetch shared links can read them to build a preview.
The main properties worth checking are:
- og:title: the suggested title for the shared link.
- og:description: a summary explaining the page.
- og:image: the address of the preview image.
- og:url: the canonical address you want associated with the page.
- og:type: the content type, such as a website page or an article.
These properties provide guidance, rather than binding instructions. Some apps may leave out the description, crop the image differently or use other information from the page. Other services also use their own metadata for social cards.
Open Graph does not replace your SEO title, search description or visible page content. You can coordinate them, but each serves a different purpose.
2. How to prepare the title and description
A good title identifies the page without relying on the text of the accompanying post. For a service page, name the service and a relevant distinguishing feature. For an article, make the question it answers clear. Avoid generic titles such as “Home” or “Find out more”, which tell readers little about the destination.
Write for someone seeing the link for the first time
The description should add to the title rather than repeat it. Briefly explain what someone will find after clicking and who the page is useful for. For an interior design business, for example, you could mention the kinds of projects featured and the area served, provided that information also appears on the page.
- Put the important information first, as the text may be shortened.
- Use specific wording without exaggerated promises.
- Avoid expired offers or details that change frequently.
- Use the same language as the destination page.
No single text length ensures that everything will appear on every platform. Available space depends on the app, device and preview format. Check that the message still makes sense if the final part is cut off.
3. How to choose a suitable social media image
The image should represent the page, not just the business in general. An article might use a relevant illustration, a product page a clear photograph, and a service page a simple composition connected to the work. A small logo surrounded by empty space can become difficult to recognise in a preview.
Choose an image large enough to remain clear and check the current recommendations for the platforms you use. A landscape format is often suitable, but not every app preserves the same aspect ratio.
- Keep essential elements near the centre so the image can tolerate cropping.
- Avoid small text and important information close to the edges.
- Use a widely supported format, such as JPEG or PNG.
- Compress the file without noticeably reducing its clarity.
- Give the image an absolute, publicly accessible URL.
The image should not require a login, and the server should deliver it as an image file with the correct content type. For accessibility, you can also provide og:image:alt where your setup supports it, without assuming that every platform will use it.
4. Where to configure metadata and what to check
In a content management system, the settings may be available in the page editor, theme or a dedicated extension. In WordPress, an SEO plugin may provide separate fields for social sharing. Choose one main source for this metadata to avoid conflicting values generated by different components.
For a custom-built website, ask your developer to generate metadata for each page. It should be present in the initial HTML response: many preview services do not execute JavaScript in the same way as a normal browser.
- Open the public page and inspect its HTML source, rather than only looking at the rendered page.
- Find the Open Graph properties and confirm the title, description and image URL.
- Check that the canonical URL identifies the correct page, rather than pointing every article to the homepage.
- Open the image separately without logging in and check for unexpected redirects.
- Make sure security rules are not blocking the services that fetch previews.
If you use WordPress, you can explore WordPress hosting when reviewing your website’s infrastructure. For other projects, web hosting is another option. Metadata configuration remains a website-level task, however, rather than an automatic outcome of choosing a hosting service.
5. Why an old title or image may still appear
A platform does not necessarily download your page every time someone shares it. It may keep a cached copy of the title, description and image it fetched previously. Even after your changes are published, a new link preview can therefore still use older information.
Your website or content delivery network may also have its own cache. If that cache serves outdated HTML, the platform may fetch the same old metadata again. Images can be cached separately, particularly when you replace a file without changing its URL.
How to investigate without making random changes
- Confirm that the public page serves the updated metadata in its HTML source.
- Clear or refresh the relevant website cache if you have made changes.
- Use the platform’s official sharing debugger, where one is available, and request a fresh fetch.
- If you have replaced the image, publish the new version at a distinct URL and update og:image.
- Test again in the intended app and check for access errors.
There is no universal refresh deadline, and messages or posts that have already been sent may retain their original preview. Adding random parameters to the shared link is not a reliable fix and can fragment your sharing analytics. If you need guidance on managing your service, consult the frequently asked questions.
6. A practical routine before you share
Treat the preview as part of publishing, rather than something to inspect only after promotion begins. For each important page, prepare a clear title, a relevant description and a social media image that remains understandable at a small size.
Then check the metadata in the HTML, public access to the image and the result in the apps your audience uses. After an update, separate content issues from caching issues: first confirm what your website serves, then request a fresh fetch where possible. This gives you a consistent sharing process without assuming that every platform will display your changes identically or immediately.
