Overview
Sending links through SMS with a rich preview image can significantly enhance engagement by making your messages more visually appealing. Follow these steps to ensure your link has the correct rich preview image when sent via SMS.
What Are Open Graph (OG) Tags?
Open Graph (OG) tags are a type of metadata used to control how your webpage content is displayed when shared. They specify details like the title, description, and image, ensuring that when someone shares a link to your webpage, it appears in a visually appealing and informative way. By setting up OG tags, you can control the rich preview image that appears when your link is shared via SMS.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Prepare Your Webpage:
- Ensure the webpage you are linking to has the correct OG tags set up for rich previews.
- Ensure the webpage you are linking to has the correct OG tags set up for rich previews.
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Set Up Open Graph Tags:
- Add the following Open Graph meta tags to the
<head>
section of your webpage's HTML:<meta property="og:title" content="Your Page Title" /> <meta property="og:description" content="A brief description of your page" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/path-to-your-image.jpg" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/your-page-url" />
- og : The title of your content.
- og : A short description of your content.
- og : The URL of the image you want to display.
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og
: The URL of the page being shared.
- Add the following Open Graph meta tags to the
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Test Your Tags:
- Ensure your meta tags are correctly set up and displaying the desired image by testing them on various platforms that support rich previews.
- Ensure your meta tags are correctly set up and displaying the desired image by testing them on various platforms that support rich previews.
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Update and Refresh:
- Once you have added or updated the OG tags, clear any caches that might be storing old versions of your page. This can include your web server’s cache and any content delivery network (CDN) caches.
- Once you have added or updated the OG tags, clear any caches that might be storing old versions of your page. This can include your web server’s cache and any content delivery network (CDN) caches.
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Send Your SMS:
- Use your SMS platform to send the link. Ensure the platform supports rich previews and is compatible with the meta tags you've set up.
Tips for Best Results
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Image Size: Ensure your image meets the recommended size for rich previews, typically at least 1200 x 630 pixels for optimal display.
- Correct URL: Double-check that the URL in the og tag matches the link you are sending via SMS.
- Image Format: Use common image formats like JPG or PNG to ensure compatibility across different devices.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can control and update the rich preview image that appears when sending links through SMS. This enhances the visual appeal of your messages and can significantly increase engagement rates.