If a link preview in a social media post isn't displayed as expected, the issue often lies in missing or incomplete Open Graph tags on the linked website. These meta tags in a website’s source code define elements such as:
the article title
the preview image
a short description
the author or additional details
Swat.io is accessing these Open Graph tags to generate accurate previews. If the tags are missing or incorrect, the preview may be incomplete or rendered incorrectly.
Tip: You can inspect the Open Graph tags of any link using the Facebook Sharing Debugger. Swat.io uses the same data to display link previews.
For a complete overview of Open Graph tags and how to use them, refer to the following documentation:
If the preview in Swat.io doesn’t appear as expected, it could be due to invalid or missing Open Graph tags. In that case, Swat.io will show an error message indicating the issue. related to the Open Graph tags.
What can you do if Open Graph Tags are incorrect?
If you control the linked website...
If you manage the website or have access through it's web team, you can directly fix any Open Graph issues. We recommend using the Facebook Sharing Debugger to:
Analyze the current tags;
Identify any issues;
Refresh the preview.
Once corrected, please add the link again to Swat.io – the preview should now be displayed as intended.
Most common OG-Tags:
og:title clear engaging header;
og:description short description motivating clicking the link;
og:image picture URL of the preview (suggested to be at least 1200 × 630 px, 1.91:1 format);
og:url canonical URL of the page;
Optional: og:type, og:site_name, og:locale, video- or audio-info.
Why using OG-Tags?
Higher click-rate due to better previews;
Stronger brand presence when sharing links;
Improved previews as generic or incorrect preview images cannot happen.
If you are not in control of the website...
Even if you don’t have access to edit the linked page, you can of course still post the link via Swat.io. In such cases, the social media platform will attempt to generate a preview automatically. For example, if no image is defined in the Open Graph tags, an image from the page content may be used instead.
You can also test this behavior beforehand using the Facebook Sharing Debugger. Enter the link and click “Debug” to see the following:
How Facebook would render the preview;
A list of detected Open Graph tags
Warnings about any missing or invalid tags
Best Practice: Always use proper Open Graph tags
In order to ensure optimal preview rendering – both in Swat.io and on the social media itself – always make sure, that the Open Graph tags are complete and correctly set.
Tip: Well-maintained Open Graph tags not only improve how your links appear on Facebook & Co. They also help boost visibility in search engines for example.