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7 Common OpenGraph Mistakes and How to Fix Them

#webdev #tutorial #javascript #beginners

Hey developers! 👋 After helping hundreds of Gleam.so users with their OG images, I've noticed some common patterns. Here are the top mistakes and how to fix them.

1. Incorrect Image Dimensions 📏

The Problem 

<!-- Common mistake --> <meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/image.png" /> <!-- Missing width/height --> <!-- Using wrong dimensions like 800x600 -->
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One user shared:

"My images looked perfect on Twitter but were cropped weirdly on LinkedIn."

The Fix 

<!-- Correct implementation --> <meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/og.png" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="630" />
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Pro Tip: Use 1200x630px as your default size. It works well across all platforms.

2. Text Readability Issues 👀

The Problem 

// Common mistake: Not considering mobile view const title = { fontSize: '32px', color: '#666666', // Low contrast fontWeight: 'normal' };
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User feedback:

"Text was unreadable when shared on mobile devices."

The Fix 

// Text optimization const titleStyle = { fontSize: '72px', color: '#000000', fontWeight: 'bold', lineHeight: 1.2, maxWidth: '80%' // Prevent edge bleeding }; // Contrast checker const hasGoodContrast = (bg: string, text: string): boolean => { return calculateContrast(bg, text) >= 4.5; };
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3. Missing Fallback Data 🔄

The Problem 

<!-- Only including og:image --> <meta property="og:image" content="/path/to/image.png" />
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User experience:

"When OG image failed to load, posts looked broken."

The Fix 

<!-- Complete fallback chain --> <meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/og.png" /> <meta property="og:image:alt" content="Description of your content" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Your Title" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Your Description" /> <!-- Twitter-specific fallbacks --> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://example.com/og.png" />
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4. Cache Issues 🔄

The Problem 

// Image updates not reflecting const ogImage = '/static/og-image.png';
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Common complaint:

"Updated my OG image but social platforms still show the old one."

The Fix 

// Add version control const getOGImageUrl = (baseUrl: string): string => { const version = Date.now(); return `${baseUrl}?v=${version}`; }; // Usage <meta property="og:image" content={getOGImageUrl('https://example.com/og.png')} />
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5. Poor Performance ⚡

The Problem 

// Generating images on every request const generateOG = async (text: string) => { const svg = createSVG(text); const png = await convertToPNG(svg); return png; };
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User feedback:

"OG image generation was slowing down my entire site."

The Fix 

// Implement caching const cachedGenerate = async (text: string) => { const cacheKey = createHash(text); const cached = await cache.get(cacheKey); if (cached) return cached; const image = await generateOG(text); await cache.set(cacheKey, image, '7d'); return image; };
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6. Broken URLs 🔗

The Problem 

<!-- Relative paths --> <meta property="og:image" content="/images/og.png" />
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Common issue:

"My OG images work locally but not in production."

The Fix 

// Always use absolute URLs const getAbsoluteUrl = (path: string): string => { const baseUrl = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL; return new URL(path, baseUrl).toString(); }; // Usage <meta property="og:image" content={getAbsoluteUrl('/images/og.png')} />
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7. Missing Mobile Optimization 📱

The Problem 

// Desktop-only testing const testOG = async (url: string) => { const response = await fetch(url); return response.ok; };
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User experience:

"Images looked great on desktop but terrible on mobile shares."

The Fix 

// Comprehensive testing const testOGImage = async (url: string) => { const tests = [ checkDimensions, checkMobileRendering, checkTextSize, checkContrast, checkLoadTime ]; return Promise.all(tests.map(test => test(url))); };
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Quick Fix Checklist ✅

  1. Use 1200x630px dimensions
  2. Ensure text is 72px+ for titles
  3. Implement proper fallbacks
  4. Use absolute URLs
  5. Add cache busting
  6. Test on mobile
  7. Monitor performance

Need a Reliable Solution?

If you're tired of dealing with these issues, try Gleam.so.

I handle all these optimizations automatically, and you can now design & preview everything for free!

Share Your Experience 🤝

What OG image issues have you encountered? Drop them in the comments and let's solve them together!

Part of the Making OpenGraph Work series. Follow for more web development insights!

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