LinkedIn Post Preview Image Guide

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network with over 900 million members. Unlike Twitter or Facebook, LinkedIn users are in business mode—they're looking for valuable content, industry insights, and professional opportunities. Your OG image needs to reflect that professionalism while still catching attention.

Key insight: LinkedIn reports that posts with images get 2x more engagement than text-only posts. But quality matters—generic stock photos can actually hurt your credibility in the B2B space.

Image Specifications

LinkedIn has specific requirements for link preview images. Here's the complete breakdown:

Specification	Recommended	Minimum
Image Dimensions	1200 × 627 px	200 × 200 px
Aspect Ratio	1.91:1	N/A
Maximum File Size	5 MB	N/A
Supported Formats	PNG, JPEG, GIF	N/A
Title Length	Under 70 chars	N/A
Description Length	Under 100 chars	N/A

Note: LinkedIn recommends 1200 × 627 (1.91:1), but 1200 × 630 works perfectly and is the universal standard. Use 1200 × 630 for consistency across all platforms.

Required Meta Tags

LinkedIn reads Open Graph tags directly—no special LinkedIn namespace needed. Here's the optimal setup:

<!-- Essential Open Graph Tags for LinkedIn -->
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://yoursite.com/page" />
<meta property="og:title" content="Your Compelling Title" />
<meta property="og:description" content="A brief, value-focused description" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/og-image.png" />
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200" />
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630" />

<!-- Additional Recommended Tags -->
<meta property="og:site_name" content="Your Company Name" />
<meta property="article:author" content="Author Name" />
<meta property="article:published_time" content="2024-01-15T08:00:00Z" />

<!-- LinkedIn-Specific (for articles) -->
<meta name="author" content="Author Name" />

Tag Best Practices

og:type

Use article for blog posts and content pieces,website for landing pages. LinkedIn respects this and may show publish dates for articles.

og:title

LinkedIn truncates around 70 characters on desktop, fewer on mobile. Front-load your value proposition. Avoid clickbait—LinkedIn's professional audience sees through it.

og:description

Aim for 100-120 characters. LinkedIn shows about 2-3 lines depending on the context. Focus on what readers will learn or gain—B2B audiences want ROI.

og:image

Must be an absolute URL. LinkedIn caches images aggressively—use the Post Inspector to force a refresh when updating.

Design for Professional Audiences

LinkedIn is a different animal. Your OG images need to balance professionalism with visual appeal. Here's what works:

1. Professional Color Palettes

LinkedIn's interface is predominantly blue and white. Your images should complement, not clash:

Safe bets: Navy, dark gray, forest green, deep purple
Accent sparingly: Bright colors for emphasis only
Avoid: Neon colors, overly playful palettes
Brand colors: Use them consistently for recognition

2. Typography That Commands Respect

Font choice signals professionalism. What works on Instagram may look amateurish here:

Use clean, readable fonts (Inter, Plus Jakarta Sans, Poppins)
Avoid decorative or script fonts for headlines
Bold titles, regular weight for supporting text
Minimum 48px for main titles to ensure mobile readability

3. Content That Signals Value

LinkedIn users are scanning for content worth their time. Your image should communicate value immediately:

Do Include

• Specific numbers ("5 Ways to...", "37% increase")
• Industry-relevant terminology
• Your company logo (subtle)
• Author headshots for thought leadership

Avoid

• Generic stock photos
• Clickbait headlines
• Excessive emoji or symbols
• Meme formats (save for Twitter)

LinkedIn Algorithm Insights

Understanding how LinkedIn treats link posts helps you optimize effectively:

Dwell time matters: LinkedIn tracks how long users spend looking at your post. A compelling image increases dwell time.
Native content wins: Like other platforms, LinkedIn prioritizes native content. Consider posting key insights directly with a link in comments.
First hour is critical: Engagement in the first 60 minutes determines reach. Post when your audience is online.
Comments > reactions: Meaningful comments signal quality content. Ask questions to drive discussion.

Testing with LinkedIn Post Inspector

LinkedIn provides an official tool to validate and refresh your link previews:

Go to linkedin.com/post-inspector
Enter your URL and click "Inspect"
Review the preview—check title, description, and image
If you've updated your OG tags, click "Refresh" to clear LinkedIn's cache

LinkedIn cache tip: If the Post Inspector shows old data even after refresh, add a query parameter to your URL (?v=2) to force a new scrape.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Image not appearing

• Verify og:image URL is absolute and accessible
• Check image dimensions meet minimum (200×200)
• Ensure server doesn't block LinkedIn's crawler
• Use Post Inspector to force re-scrape

Wrong image showing

• LinkedIn cached an old version—use Post Inspector to refresh
• Multiple og:image tags? LinkedIn uses the first one
• Check for conflicting meta tags from plugins

Image cropped incorrectly

• Use 1200×630 dimensions for optimal display
• Keep important content in the center 80%
• Avoid text near edges

Description showing wrong text

• Check og:description meta tag is present
• LinkedIn may fall back to page content if missing
• Keep descriptions concise (under 120 chars)

LinkedIn-Specific Tips

For Company Pages

Use consistent branding across all OG images. Include your logo but don't make it the focus—the content should be primary.

For Personal Posts

Consider including your headshot for thought leadership content. It builds personal brand recognition in the feed.

For Articles

LinkedIn Articles use the cover image as the OG image. Set it explicitly in the article editor for best results.

Create Professional OG Images

Use og-image.org to create LinkedIn-optimized images that command attention in the feed. Our templates are designed for professional audiences.

Create LinkedIn Image Validate Preview