You write a thoughtful introduction to a resource, paste the link, and get a card that says ‘Home | Resources | Acme.’ The description welcomes visitors to the website. Your message explains why someone should care; the preview makes them work it out again.
Good link preview copy helps someone answer a small question quickly: is this worth opening? A useful title identifies what is on the other side. A useful description adds a reason to visit. Neither needs to sound like an advertisement to do its job.
What og:title and og:description Actually Do
The Open Graph specification defines og:title as the title used to represent a page in a social graph, and og:description as a short summary of that page. These fields give sharing platforms text they can use when building a preview. Our plain-English Open Graph guide explains how they fit alongside the preview image and URL.
Treat the title as a complete thought. The description should make it more useful, but the title should still communicate something when read alone. For example, ‘A client onboarding checklist for freelance designers’ tells you what you will get. ‘Everything you need to get started’ asks you to supply the missing context.
Start With the Reader, the Resource, and the Promise
Before writing a headline, finish this sentence: ‘For [reader], this [resource] helps with [specific task].’ That is your working brief. You do not need to squeeze every part into the title, but you should know all three before choosing the words.
- Reader: freelance designers preparing to hand a project over to a client.
- Resource: a downloadable handoff checklist.
- Promise: help them check files, access, and documentation before delivery.
That brief becomes a title such as ‘A website handoff checklist for freelance designers.’ The description can add: ‘Check files, account access, and client documentation before you send the final delivery.’ The promise is concrete enough that you can open the destination and verify it.
Five Before-and-After Link Preview Examples
The following examples are fictional rewrites, not measured conversion results. Each assumes the destination contains exactly what the revised copy promises. Use the reasoning behind them when editing your own links.
1. An Affiliate Product: Explain Who It Fits
A product name alone may mean little to someone who has never heard of it. Give the reader a recognizable use case while keeping the actual product identifiable.
- Before title: ‘FoldStand Pro | Shop Now.’
- Before description: ‘Discover our amazing products and latest offers.’
- After title: ‘FoldStand Pro: a folding laptop stand for small desks.’
- After description: ‘See its dimensions, height settings, and compatibility before choosing a stand for your workspace.’
The rewrite replaces generic enthusiasm with information a buyer can evaluate. It does not invent a discount, claim you tested the product, or promise it fits every laptop. Keep the merchant's identity clear, and make any affiliate relationship clear in the accompanying post. For more on the preview itself, see our affiliate link preview guide.
2. A Newsletter: Lead With This Issue's Value
An issue number helps existing subscribers organize an archive. A new reader needs to know what this particular issue covers.
- Before title: ‘The Independent Studio — Issue 42.’
- Before description: ‘This week's news, ideas, and updates.’
- After title: ‘Three ways to scope a freelance project before quoting.’
- After description: ‘This issue of The Independent Studio includes discovery questions and an example project boundary you can adapt.’
The title makes the topic useful before the reader recognizes the publication. The description preserves the newsletter's identity and explains what is inside. If the link opens a subscription page instead of the issue, say so: ‘Subscribe for weekly advice on scoping freelance projects.’
3. A Webinar: Make the Session Specific
‘Join our upcoming webinar’ describes an invitation. Name what the session will help attendees understand, and make the next action clear.
- Before title: ‘You're Invited: Our Next Live Webinar.’
- Before description: ‘Join our experts for an exciting discussion.’
- After title: ‘Live workshop: build your first client onboarding flow.’
- After description: ‘Register for a walkthrough of intake forms, kickoff emails, and handoffs, with time for questions.’
This version gives the reader a subject and an agenda. Put the date, time, and time zone prominently in the accompanying post and on the registration page. If the event becomes a recording, update the copy you control so new readers are not expecting a live session.
4. A Curated Resource: Explain Why You Shared It
When you share someone else's work, your contribution is often the context: who would find it useful and which problem it addresses. Preserve the author's or publisher's identity while adding that context.
- Before title: ‘Resources | Fieldnotes Design.’
- Before description: ‘Explore our library of articles and downloads.’
- After title: ‘Fieldnotes Design's accessibility checklist for landing pages.’
- After description: ‘Review headings, form labels, and keyboard navigation before your next launch.’
Link directly to the checklist rather than a library homepage if that is what the preview promises. If you cannot edit the original page, a custom sharing link can provide your own metadata. Our guide to controlling previews for links you don't own explains that approach.
5. A Product Launch: Name the New Capability
‘Something big is here’ leaves readers guessing. Naming the capability gives the right audience a reason to investigate.
- Before title: ‘Meet the New Briefboard.’
- Before description: ‘We've been working on something special. Check it out!’
- After title: ‘Briefboard now collects client feedback in one review page.’
- After description: ‘See how clients comment on a draft and how your team tracks the requested changes.’
The revised copy tells an existing customer what changed and a new visitor what the product does. It also makes a promise the launch page can demonstrate. A screenshot of the review page would support that promise better than artwork that only says ‘Big news.’
Give the Title, Description, and Image Different Jobs
Use the title to identify the resource or benefit. Use the description to add scope, evidence, or the next action. Use the image to make the subject recognizable: the product, a sample worksheet, a speaker, or the interface being discussed.
Read the card as a whole. If the title says ‘Download the handoff checklist,’ a description that says ‘Get our downloadable checklist’ adds little. ‘Covers files, account access, and client documentation’ helps the reader decide whether it is relevant. The same principle applies to artwork: repeating the headline in the image uses space that could show what the resource looks like.
How Long Should Your Link Preview Copy Be?
Start with one compact sentence for the title and one for the description. Put identifying words early, remove filler such as ‘Welcome to’ and ‘Click here to learn about,’ and read the title without its description. These are editing guidelines, not guaranteed display limits. Check the actual card in the app where you plan to share it before deciding the copy fits.
Do not shorten away the detail that makes a promise accurate. ‘A free sample chapter’ should not become ‘A free book.’ ‘Compare plans’ should not become ‘Start free’ unless the destination actually offers that next step. A useful preview prepares someone for the page they will reach.
Apply One Rewrite in Prelinq
Take the curated checklist example above. Open the Prelinq builder and use the checklist's actual destination URL. Enter a title that identifies the resource and its publisher, then add a description naming the checks it contains. Choose an image that accurately represents the resource and that you have permission to use.
Review the title, description, and image together in the builder's preview. Create the link, then share the generated Prelinq URL in a test message on your intended platform. Inspect the received card and open the link to verify the destination. Prelinq provides the sharing URL's metadata; the receiving platform controls how it displays the card. The builder preview is a drafting aid, so the final check belongs in the app your audience uses.
For a card that still shows older copy, use the platform cache troubleshooting guide. Editing metadata is not a guarantee that a preview already attached to a post or message will change.
Check Clarity First, Then Measure Performance
Before sharing widely, ask someone unfamiliar with the resource what they expect to find after clicking. If their answer differs from the destination, revise the copy. That is a useful check even when you do not have enough traffic for a meaningful experiment.
If you compare two titles, keep the destination and image the same and record differences in audience, placement, and timing. More clicks alone do not establish better copy if one version reached more people. Where comparable impression data is available, calculate click-through rate as clicks divided by impressions. Otherwise, treat click totals as a limited signal, and check whether visitors take the action the resource was designed to support.
Choose one link you plan to share this week. Name the resource in the title, add a concrete reason to open it in the description, and check that the destination delivers on both. Then build your preview and test the final link where you will share it.