Social Media Preview Image Sizes: The Complete 2026 Reference

When you share a link, every platform displays a preview card with an image. But each platform has slightly different requirements. This guide covers every major platform's image dimensions so you can create one image that works everywhere.

Quick Reference Table

Notice the pattern? 1200×630 works on 9 out of 10 platforms. Pinterest is the exception (it prefers vertical images), but Pinterest reads og:image tags anyway — the horizontal image just won't be optimal there.

Twitter/X

Twitter supports two card types: summary_large_image (recommended, 1200×628) and summary (144×144 square thumbnail). Always use summary_large_image for maximum visual impact.

Twitter crops images to a 2:1 ratio. A 1200×630 image gets 2 pixels cropped — completely invisible. Read our complete Twitter card guide for more details.

Facebook

Facebook displays link previews at 1200×630 in the feed. Images below 600×315 get displayed as a small thumbnail instead of the large format. Always use the full 1200×630.

Facebook caches OG images aggressively. Use the Sharing Debugger to force a refresh after updating.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn requires exactly 1200×627 for the large image format. In practice, 1200×630 works perfectly — the 3px difference is invisible. Images below 1200×627 may display as thumbnails.

Use the Post Inspector to preview and refresh cached images.

Discord & Slack

Both Discord and Slack embed link previews with OG images. They accept any size but display at roughly 1.91:1 ratio. 1200×630 is ideal. Both render images inline in chat, making a good preview image especially impactful for engagement.

WhatsApp & iMessage

WhatsApp shows link previews with a small square crop and a larger rectangular version depending on the context. iMessage shows a full-width preview. Both read og:image tags. 1200×630 works for both.

The Universal Meta Tags

These meta tags cover all platforms with a single image:

// Run on your server, at build time, or when publishing content.
const response = await fetch("https://www.ogmagic.dev/api/images", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Bearer " + process.env.OGMAGIC_API_KEY,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ title: "My article", template: "gradient-mesh" }),
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error("Image creation failed");
const image = await response.json();
// Save image.url with your content; use it in og:image and twitter:image.

Generate Once, Use Everywhere

Instead of creating different images for different platforms, use a service like OGMagic to generate a single 1200×630 image that works everywhere. Create the image from your server or publishing workflow, then add its returned public URL to your metadata:

// Run on your server, at build time, or when publishing content.
const response = await fetch("https://www.ogmagic.dev/api/images", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Bearer " + process.env.OGMAGIC_API_KEY,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ title: "My article", template: "gradient-mesh" }),
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error("Image creation failed");
const image = await response.json();
// Save image.url with your content; use it in og:image and twitter:image.

55+ templates, free tier (50 new images per 30 days, email access), Pro (€10 / US $12 one-time) for 500 new images per 30 days.

Conclusion

Don't overthink social media image sizes. 1200×630 pixels works on every major platform. Use proper og:image and twitter:card meta tags, keep text in the center 80% safe zone, and automate generation with an API.