Open Graph

Homepage Glossary Open Graph

Open Graph is a markup protocol that allows you to control how website pages appear when links are shared on social networks and in messengers.

What is Open Graph?

Open Graph (OG) is a set of meta tags, developed by Facebook*, that transmits information about a page’s content to social platforms. Open Graph allows you to specify the title, description, image, and other preview elements for a link. Without OG, social networks automatically pull data which may be irrelevant or display incorrectly.

Why is Open Graph Needed?

Correct Link Display: Allows you to control the appearance of the snippet when shared.
Increased Click-Through Rate: An attractive preview increases CTR.
Consistent Visual Style: Supports brand identity on social networks.
Content Management: Allows for different titles to be set for the website versus social media.

Main Open Graph Tags

The most commonly used tags are:

og:title — the title of the page;
og:description — a description;
og:image — the preview image;
og:url — the canonical URL of the page;
og:type — the type of content (e.g., website, article);
og:site_name — the name of the website.

Example of Open Graph Markup

html

Where is Open Graph Used?

on social networks (Facebook*, VK, LinkedIn);
in messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp);
when sharing links in chats and feeds;
in email clients that support link previews.

Open Graph and SEO

Open Graph is not a direct ranking factor, but it indirectly influences SEO by:

increasing link CTR;
improving user perception;
driving traffic from social networks.

Common Mistakes When Working with Open Graph

missing OG tags;
titles and descriptions that are too long;
incorrect image dimensions;
using relative URLs;
page content not matching the OG data.

Conclusion

Open Graph is an important tool for managing how links are displayed on social networks and in messengers. Properly configured OG tags make content more visible, increase click-through rates, and strengthen the brand’s visual presence. Open Graph is the first impression of a page, even before the user clicks through to the website.