What are Open Graph Images?
Understanding the foundation of social media sharing
The Basics
Open Graph images are the visual previews that appear when you share a link on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Discord. They're part of the Open Graph protocol, originally created by Facebook to standardize how web content appears when shared across social networks.
Quick Example
When you share a blog post on Facebook, instead of just showing a plain link, you see:
- • A large, eye-catching image (the OG image)
- • The page title
- • A brief description
- • The website domain
Why OG Images Matter
Increase Engagement
Posts with images receive 2.3x more engagement than those without. A compelling OG image can significantly boost clicks and shares.
Professional Appearance
Custom OG images make your content look professional and trustworthy, rather than displaying random images scraped from your page.
Brand Recognition
Consistent OG images with your branding help build brand recognition and make your content instantly identifiable in social feeds.
Control the Message
Without a custom OG image, social platforms might pick random images from your page, potentially creating confusing or off-brand previews.
Technical Requirements
Standard Specifications
Dimensions
- • Recommended: 1200×630 pixels
- • Aspect ratio: 1.91:1
- • Minimum: 600×315 pixels
- • Maximum: 8MB file size
File Formats
- • PNG (best quality)
- • JPG (smaller file size)
- • WebP (modern browsers)
- • Avoid: GIF, BMP, TIFF
Platform Differences
🔵 Facebook & Meta Platforms
Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp all use the same Open Graph protocol.
- • Optimal size: 1200×630px
- • Displays image prominently in feed
- • Supports image carousels for multiple images
🐦 Twitter/X
Uses Twitter Card meta tags but often falls back to Open Graph.
- • Optimal size: 1200×675px for large cards
- • Alternative: 1200×630px works well
- • Summary cards: 120×120px minimum
Professional network with its own image processing.
- • Optimal size: 1200×627px
- • Maximum 5MB file size
- • Crops images to fit card format
Ready to Create Your OG Images?
Use our free generator to create professional Open Graph images in minutes.