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January 1, 2026

# Open Graph Tags FAQ: Questions People Actually Ask

**What is Open Graph tags, in plain terms?**
A page can be perfectly optimized for search and still look broken the moment someone shares it on social media — Open Graph tags are a completely separate system that Google's crawler doesn't use but every major platform's link preview does.

**How often should this be checked?**
Regularly, not just once. Using an image with small text or fine detail that becomes unreadable at the tiny sizes most feed previews render it at. Set a recurring reminder rather than trusting memory.

**What's the most common mistake here?**
Leaving Open Graph tags entirely unset and letting each platform guess a preview, which often picks an irrelevant image or a truncated auto-generated description.

**Does this actually affect rankings, or is it just best practice?**
It's rarely a single ranking factor on its own, but it affects whether search engines and users can do what you actually need them to do — which shows up in rankings indirectly, often more than any one direct factor would.

**What's the fastest way to check this on an existing site?**
Open Graph Preview Tool — paste your URL in and it does the check directly, no setup.

Related: our guide to SERP snippet preview.

Try Open Graph Preview Tool yourself

Everything in this guide runs directly in your browser — no signup, no install.

Open Open Graph Preview Tool →
More on Open Graph tags
Open Graph Preview Tool vs. Doing It by Hand: Is It Worth Switching?
A practical look at what Open Graph Preview Tool actually saves you over doing Open Graph tags manually, and when manual still makes sense.
Does Open Graph Tags Still Matter in 2026?
A quick, honest look at whether Open Graph tags is still worth the effort, or a holdover from an older era of SEO.
The Open Graph Tags Checklist: What to Verify Before You Publish
A short, practical checklist for Open Graph tags — the things worth checking every time, not just the first time.
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