When someone shares your WordPress content on social media, how does it look? A plain link? Or an attractive card with an image, title, and description? The difference comes down to social meta tags—specifically Open Graph and Twitter Cards.
These invisible tags control how your content appears when shared on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social platforms. Without them, you’re missing out on engagement, clicks, and traffic. This guide explains what they are, how they differ, and how to implement them correctly with Nexus Pro.
What Are Social Meta Tags?
Social meta tags are HTML code snippets in your page’s <head> section that tell social media platforms how to display your content when shared.
Without social meta tags:
yoursite.com/wordpress-seo-guide
A plain URL link with no image or description
With social meta tags:
[Eye-catching featured image]
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yoursite.com
The difference in click-through rates can be 2-3x higher with proper social meta tags.
Understanding Open Graph Protocol
Open Graph (OG) is a meta tag protocol created by Facebook in 2010. It’s now the standard for social sharing across most platforms.
What Is Open Graph?
Open Graph tags tell social networks:
- What title to display
- What description to show
- Which image to use
- What type of content it is (article, website, video, etc.)
Who Uses Open Graph?
- Facebook – Primary user, created the standard
- LinkedIn – Uses OG tags exclusively
- Pinterest – Falls back to OG tags
- WhatsApp – Uses OG for link previews
- Slack – Uses OG for unfurled links
- Discord – Uses OG for embedded links
Essential Open Graph Tags
Basic Required Tags:
<meta property="og:title" content="Your Page Title" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Your page description" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image.jpg" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://yoursite.com/page-url/" />
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
Optional But Recommended:
<meta property="og:site_name" content="Your Site Name" />
<meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" />
<meta property="article:published_time" content="2025-01-30T09:00:00Z" />
<meta property="article:author" content="Author Name" />
Open Graph Image Requirements
Image Specifications:
- Minimum size: 1200 x 630 pixels (recommended)
- Aspect ratio: 1.91:1 (Facebook optimal)
- File format: JPG, PNG, or WebP
- File size: Under 8MB (under 1MB recommended)
- URL: Must be absolute (https://), not relative
Common Mistakes:
- Images too small (Facebook won’t display properly)
- Using relative URLs (/wp-content/uploads/image.jpg)
- Images without proper dimensions specified
- Using default WordPress thumbnail sizes
Understanding Twitter Cards
Twitter Cards are Twitter’s proprietary meta tags for controlling how links appear in tweets.
What Are Twitter Cards?
Twitter Cards provide similar functionality to Open Graph but with Twitter-specific features and requirements.
Twitter Card Types
1. Summary Card
- Small square image on the left
- Title, description, and URL
- Default card type
- Good for most content
2. Summary Card with Large Image
- Large banner image at top
- Title and description below
- Best for visual content
- Recommended for blog posts
3. Player Card
- For video and audio content
- Inline playback in timeline
- Requires whitelisting by Twitter
4. App Card
- For mobile app promotion
- App store download buttons
- Installation prompts
Essential Twitter Card Tags
Basic Required Tags:
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Your Page Title" />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="Your description" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image.jpg" />
Optional But Recommended:
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@yourusername" />
<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@authorusername" />
Twitter Card Image Requirements
Image Specifications:
- Summary card: 240 x 240 pixels minimum (square)
- Large image card: 800 x 418 pixels minimum
- Aspect ratio: 1.91:1 (same as Open Graph)
- File format: JPG, PNG, GIF, or WebP
- File size: Under 5MB
Open Graph vs Twitter Cards: Key Differences
Attribute Syntax
Open Graph: Uses property attribute:
<meta property="og:title" content="Title Here" />
Twitter Cards: Uses name attribute:
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Title Here" />
Platform Support
Open Graph:
- Universal support across platforms
- Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Pinterest
- Fallback for many other services
Twitter Cards:
- Twitter/X exclusive
- Falls back to Open Graph if Twitter tags missing
- More granular control on Twitter
Image Handling
Open Graph:
- Single image specification
- Recommended 1200 x 630px
- Works across all platforms
Twitter Cards:
- Different sizes for different card types
- Separate image tags possible
- Can specify separate Twitter image
Additional Features
Open Graph:
- Rich object types (article, video, product)
- Multiple images support
- Audio file support
- Video embedding
Twitter Cards:
- Player cards for media
- App cards for mobile apps
- Creator attribution
- Site attribution
Which Social Meta Tags Do You Actually Need?
The short answer: Both, but Open Graph is more important.
The Recommended Approach
1. Always implement Open Graph tags
- They work on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, WhatsApp
- Twitter will use them if Twitter Cards are missing
- Universal fallback for other platforms
2. Add Twitter-specific tags for better Twitter control
- Twitter:card (specify card type)
- Twitter:site (your Twitter handle)
- Twitter:creator (author handle)
3. Twitter inherits from Open Graph If you don’t specify Twitter-specific title, description, or image, Twitter automatically falls back to your Open Graph tags.
Minimum Required Implementation
The bare minimum that works everywhere:
<!-- Open Graph -->
<meta property="og:title" content="Your Title" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Your description" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image.jpg" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://yoursite.com/page/" />
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
<!-- Twitter Card Type Only -->
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@yourusername" />
Twitter will inherit the title, description, and image from Open Graph tags automatically.
How to Implement Social Meta Tags in WordPress
Manual Implementation (Not Recommended)
You could add meta tags to your theme’s header.php, but this requires:
- PHP coding knowledge
- Manual updates for every post
- Risk of breaking your theme
- Loss of tags when changing themes
Using SEO Plugins
Most SEO plugins handle social meta tags:
Yoast SEO:
- Social tab in post editor
- Separate fields for Facebook and Twitter
- Preview tool included
Rank Math:
- Social settings in sidebar
- Facebook and Twitter tabs
- Image override options
All in One SEO:
- Social meta module
- Platform-specific controls
- Preview functionality
Using Nexus Pro (Recommended)
Nexus Pro automatically generates all necessary social meta tags without additional plugins.
Automatic Features:
1. Open Graph Tags
- Auto-generated for all posts and pages
- Uses post title for og:title
- Uses excerpt or meta description for og:description
- Uses featured image for og:image
- Includes article metadata (author, publish date)
2. Twitter Card Tags
- Automatically adds twitter:card (summary_large_image)
- Inherits from Open Graph tags
- Adds your Twitter handle if configured
- Includes creator attribution
3. Configuration
Navigate to Customizer > Social Media Settings:
- Enter your Twitter/X handle
- Enter your Facebook Page ID
- Configure LinkedIn profile
- Settings apply site-wide
4. Per-Post Customization
In the block editor sidebar, “AI Summary & SEO” panel:
- Override default social title
- Customize social description
- Specify different social image (optional)
- Preview how it will appear
Testing Your Social Meta Tags
Always test your implementation before promoting content on social media.
Facebook Sharing Debugger
Tool: developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/
How to Use:
- Paste your URL into the debugger
- Click “Debug”
- Review detected Open Graph tags
- Check image preview
- Click “Scrape Again” if you made changes
What to Check:
- All required OG tags present
- Image loads and displays correctly
- Title and description match your content
- No errors or warnings
Common Issues:
- “Image too small” – Use 1200x630px minimum
- “Could not retrieve data” – Check URL is publicly accessible
- “Cached version” – Click “Scrape Again” to refresh
Twitter Card Validator
Tool: cards-dev.twitter.com/validator
How to Use:
- Paste your URL
- Click “Preview card”
- Review card appearance
- Check all fields populated correctly
What to Check:
- Card type correctly specified
- Image displays properly
- Title and description accurate
- Twitter handle appears (if configured)
Note: Twitter Card Validator may be deprecated. Check current Twitter/X developer documentation for latest testing tools.
Manual Source Code Check
Quick verification:
- Visit your page on the frontend
- Right-click > “View Page Source”
- Press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac)
- Search for “og:title”
- Verify all OG and Twitter tags present
Common Social Meta Tag Mistakes
Mistake 1: No Social Meta Tags at All
Problem: Links share as plain URLs with no image or description.
Solution: Implement at minimum Open Graph tags using Nexus Pro or an SEO plugin.
Mistake 2: Using Relative Image URLs
Problem: Social platforms can’t load images with relative paths.
<!-- Wrong -->
<meta property="og:image" content="/wp-content/uploads/image.jpg" />
<!-- Correct -->
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/wp-content/uploads/image.jpg" />
Solution: Always use absolute URLs (https://). Nexus Pro handles this automatically.
Mistake 3: Images Too Small
Problem: Facebook and LinkedIn require minimum 1200x630px. Smaller images display poorly or get rejected.
Solution: Always use featured images at least 1200px wide. Ideal is 1200×630 or 1920×1080.
Mistake 4: Duplicate or Missing OG:URL
Problem: Wrong canonical URL confuses social platforms and dilutes share counts.
Solution: Always set og:url to the canonical URL of your page. Nexus Pro automatically uses your permalink.
Mistake 5: Missing OG:Type
Problem: Platforms can’t properly categorize your content.
Solution: Set og:type to “article” for blog posts, “website” for pages. Nexus Pro sets this automatically based on content type.
Mistake 6: Description Too Long
Problem: Descriptions get truncated, cutting off important information.
Solution:
- Facebook: 300 characters max (displays ~110)
- Twitter: 200 characters max (displays ~150)
- Keep descriptions under 155 characters for consistency
Mistake 7: Not Testing After Updates
Problem: Changes don’t appear on social platforms due to caching.
Solution: Always test with Facebook Debugger and Twitter Card Validator. Use “Scrape Again” to clear cache.
Advanced Social Meta Tag Strategies
Platform-Specific Image Optimization
Use different images for different platforms:
<!-- Default Open Graph image -->
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/og-image.jpg" />
<!-- Twitter-specific image (if different) -->
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yoursite.com/twitter-image.jpg" />
When to use:
- Twitter prefers 2:1 ratio, Facebook prefers 1.91:1
- Create Twitter-optimized version for best display
- Most of the time, using same image is fine
Multiple Open Graph Images
Provide multiple image options:
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image1.jpg" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image2.jpg" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image3.jpg" />
Use case:
- Facebook lets users choose from multiple images
- First image is default
- Rarely necessary for blog posts
Structured Data Integration
Combine social meta tags with schema markup for maximum effect.
With Nexus Pro:
- Article schema includes same title, description, image
- Consistent across social meta tags and structured data
- Author information synchronized
- Publish dates match
This consistency helps search engines and social platforms understand your content better.
Monitoring Social Share Performance
Track Social Traffic
Google Analytics 4:
- Navigate to Acquisition > Traffic acquisition
- Filter by social media sources
- Monitor sessions, engagement, conversions
- Compare performance across platforms
Track Which Content Performs Best:
- Pages with most social referrals
- Highest engagement from social traffic
- Conversion rates from social visitors
A/B Testing Social Images
Test different approaches:
- Photo vs illustration
- Text overlay vs no text
- Different aspect ratios
- Color schemes and contrast
How to Test:
- Create variation of featured image
- Update social meta tags
- Share on social media
- Track engagement (likes, shares, clicks)
- Implement winning variation
Share Count Tracking
Monitor social proof:
- Facebook share counts
- Twitter/X mentions and retweets
- LinkedIn shares
- Pinterest pins
Tools:
- SharedCount (track shares across platforms)
- BuzzSumo (content analysis)
- Social media analytics (native platform tools)
Conclusion
Both Open Graph and Twitter Cards serve important but slightly different purposes. Open Graph is the universal standard supported by Facebook, LinkedIn, and most other platforms. Twitter Cards provide enhanced control specifically for Twitter/X.
Key Takeaways:
- Always implement Open Graph tags (required)
- Add Twitter Card type for better Twitter display
- Use 1200x630px images minimum
- Use absolute URLs (https://) for all resources
- Test with Facebook Debugger and Twitter Card Validator
- Keep descriptions under 155 characters
- Set proper og:type (article for posts)
With Nexus Pro, you get:
- Automatic Open Graph tag generation
- Twitter Card support out of the box
- Proper image URL handling
- Customizable social settings in Customizer
- Per-post overrides in editor sidebar
- No additional SEO plugins needed
Start implementing proper social meta tags today, and watch your social media engagement and traffic increase.
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