Common Mistakes with Open Graph Tags

Q: What is the most common Open Graph mistake?

The most common mistake is using a relative URL for og:image instead of an absolute URL starting with https://. Platforms cannot fetch relative URLs, so the image will never appear in the preview.

Even experienced developers make these OG tag mistakes. Here are the most common ones — and how to fix each.

Check your OG tags for mistakes

Use Proovd — paste a URL and instantly see how it looks on X, LinkedIn, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, and Reddit.

Quick Answer

Using relative URLs for og:image — platforms can't fetch them
Missing twitter:card tag — X won't render your card
Image too small for the platform — LinkedIn needs 1200×627 minimum
Not clearing cache after updates — platforms cache OG tags for days

Mistake 1: Using Relative URLs for og:image

This is the single most common mistake. Developers write:

✗ Wrong

<meta property="og:image" content="/images/preview.jpg" />

Platforms' crawlers can't resolve relative URLs. They need an absolute URL:

✓ Correct

<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/images/preview.jpg" />

Always use https:// in your og:image URL. This affects every platform — X, LinkedIn, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, and Reddit.

Mistake 2: Missing twitter:card Tag

Many developers set only Open Graph tags and skip Twitter Card tags. X/Twitter prefers twitter:card and may not render your card correctly without it.

✗ Incomplete

<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image.jpg" />

✓ Complete

<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image.jpg" />
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image.jpg" />

Set both og:image and twitter:image for full coverage. See our Open Graph vs Twitter Card guide for details.

Mistake 3: Image Too Small for the Platform

Each platform has different minimum image sizes. An image that works on Discord (300×300 minimum) may not work on LinkedIn (1200×627 minimum).

Platform	Minimum	Recommended
X / Twitter	800 × 418	1200 × 628
LinkedIn	1200 × 627	1200 × 627
Discord	300 × 300	1200 × 630
WhatsApp	300 × 157	1200 × 630
Reddit	120 × 120	1200 × 628

Using 1200 × 630 as your standard size covers all platforms. See our Open Graph Image Size guide for the complete breakdown.

Mistake 4: Not Clearing Cache After Updates

You update your OG tags. Platforms still show the old preview. The problem: platforms cache OG tags and don't re-fetch them automatically.

After updating your tags, you must clear each platform's cache:

Facebook: Sharing Debugger → "Scrape Again"
LinkedIn: Post Inspector → "Inspect"
X/Twitter: Card Validator → "Preview Card"
Discord/Slack: Delete old message, re-post URL
WhatsApp: Add ?v=2 query parameter

See our How to Clear Open Graph Cache guide for the complete platform-by-platform walkthrough.

Mistake 5: Missing og:description or Truncated Text

Some developers set og:title and og:image but skip og:description. Others write descriptions that are too long and get truncated.

Best practices:

og:title: 50-60 characters (same as SEO title tag)
og:description: 150-160 characters (same as meta description)
Place the most important information first — platforms truncate at different points

Mistake 6: Not Setting og:url

Without og:url, platforms may use the wrong URL in the preview (e.g., a URL with tracking parameters). Always set the canonical URL:

✓ Correct

<meta property="og:url" content="https://yoursite.com/your-page" />

Mistake 7: Using Wrong Image MIME Type

If your server returns the wrong Content-Type header for your image (e.g., serving a PNG with image/jpeg), some platforms will reject it. Ensure your image server returns the correct MIME type:

JPG/JPEG → image/jpeg
PNG → image/png
WebP → image/webp
GIF → image/gif

LinkedIn is especially strict about MIME type validation.

Mistake 8: Dynamic Pages Without Unique OG Tags

If you have a SPA or dynamic site where every page shares the same OG tags (usually the homepage tags), platforms will show the same preview for every page. Each page needs its own unique title, description, and image.

In Next.js, use generateMetadata(). In WordPress, use Yoast/RankMath per-page settings. In plain HTML, set tags individually on each page.

Quick Fix Checklist

Use absolute URLs (https://...) for all og:image paths
Set both og: and twitter: tags
Use 1200×630 pixel images for universal compatibility
Clear platform caches after updating tags
Set unique OG tags for every page
Include og:description (150-160 characters)
Set og:url to the canonical URL
Verify MIME type matches the actual image format
Test with Proovd to catch all mistakes at once

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common Open Graph mistake?

Using a relative URL for og:image instead of an absolute URL starting with https://. Platforms cannot fetch relative URLs, so the image will never appear in the preview.

Why does my OG image work on one platform but not another?

Each platform has different image size requirements. LinkedIn requires 1200x627 minimum, X requires 800x418, and Discord accepts 300x300 minimum. An image that works on one platform may be too small for another.

How do I check if my OG tags have mistakes?

Use Proovd to paste any URL and see exactly how it renders across all six platforms at once.