Debug the most common WhatsApp preview failures
WhatsApp previews are sensitive to image size, image format, crawler access, and Open Graph tag quality.
- Check whether og:image is present and absolute
- Confirm the preview has a title and concise description
- Review image format, dimensions, HTTPS access, and crawler-blocking issues
Fix issues before sharing in private channels
Private WhatsApp shares are hard to recover after a broken card appears. Testing first helps avoid plain-text links and missing thumbnails.
- Run the URL through LinkPeek before posting
- Apply the generated metadata fixes
- Retest with a cache-busted URL when a platform has stale preview data
Frequently asked questions
Why is my WhatsApp link preview not working?
Usually the page is missing Open Graph tags, the image URL is invalid, the image is too large or unsupported, HTTPS access fails, or WhatsApp is showing a cached preview.
What image size should I use for WhatsApp previews?
Use a 1200 by 630 image for broad platform compatibility and keep the file size compressed so it loads reliably for crawlers.
Does WhatsApp use Twitter Card tags?
WhatsApp primarily relies on Open Graph tags, so og:title, og:description, and og:image matter more than Twitter-specific tags.