Open Graph Tags: How to Improve Your Website’s Link Previews

When someone shares a link to your website, the link may appear with a title, description, and image. That preview helps people understand what they are about to open.

If the preview shows the wrong image or an unclear title, your page may be missing useful metadata. Open Graph tags let you provide information about a page that platforms can use when creating a link preview.

This guide explains the main tags and how to check them before sharing a page.

What are Open Graph tags?

Open Graph tags are pieces of metadata placed in a web page’s HTML. They describe the page’s title, type, URL, and representative image. The Open Graph protocol defines these core properties so a page can be described consistently when shared.

These tags are separate from the headline visitors see at the top of your article. You can write an Open Graph title that suits a link preview while keeping the article headline clear on the page itself. Both should accurately describe the same content.

The four core properties

The Open Graph protocol identifies four basic properties:

Property	What it describes
og:title	The title of the page or article
og:type	The type of content, such as website or article
og:image	An image representing the content
og:url	The preferred URL for the page

You may also see og:description, which provides a short summary. These values should reflect the specific page being shared. For example, an article about robots.txt should have a title, description, and image relevant to that article, rather than generic homepage information.

Write a title that makes sense on its own

A link preview can appear outside your website, with none of your menus or surrounding content. Write its title so a reader can understand the topic without extra context.

Compare these examples:

• Vague: “Our Latest Guide”

• Clear: “Robots.txt for Beginners: What It Does and How to Use It”

Keep the wording accurate. A dramatic title might attract attention, but it creates a poor experience if the page does not answer the question it promises to address.

Choose a representative image

The og:image value points to an image URL. Choose an image that represents the page and is available at a public address. For a blog article, this might be the article’s featured image. For your homepage, it might be a branded image introducing your website.

Before publishing, open the image URL directly. If the file does not load for you, a sharing platform may have trouble retrieving it too. After publishing, check how the full link preview looks: text can be cut off, and part of an image may be cropped.

Avoid using the same unrelated image for every article. A relevant preview helps readers recognize what each link leads to.

Check the page URL

The og:url property identifies the page’s preferred URL. Check that it points to the published page, uses the correct domain, and matches the version you want people to share.

This is especially important after changing a slug or moving content. An old URL left in your metadata can make the preview inconsistent with the page people actually visit.

How to review your Open Graph tags

After publishing a page, use an Open Graph checker to inspect its live metadata. Work through these questions:

1. Does the title describe this page?

2. Is the description useful and accurate?

3. Does the image URL load?

4. Does the URL point to the right published page?

5. Are you seeing old metadata left over from a template?

If something is wrong, update the page settings or metadata in your website editor, publish the change, and check again. Some sharing platforms may keep a cached preview for a while, so the preview may not update immediately everywhere.

TempoDay’s Open Graph Generator can help you prepare tags, while its Open Graph Checker can help you review a published page. Use the generator to draft the values, then use the checker on the live URL to catch missing or incorrect details.

Final checklist

Before sharing an important page, confirm that its preview has a clear title, a relevant image, a useful description, and the correct URL. Do this for your homepage, key service pages, and newly published articles.

Open Graph tags are a small part of publishing a website, but checking them prevents avoidable mistakes when your content is shared beyond your own pages.