Twitter/X Card Image Guide

Twitter (now X) is where news breaks and ideas spread. With over 500 million monthly active users and 6,000 tweets per second, standing out in the feed is crucial. Your card image is often the difference between a scroll-past and a click. Let me show you exactly how to optimize for maximum engagement.

Twitter Card Types

Twitter supports four card types, but for link sharing, only two matter:

Image Specifications

Twitter is specific about image requirements. Get these wrong and your image either won't show or will be cropped awkwardly:

Required Meta Tags

Twitter has its own meta tag namespace (twitter:), but it will fall back to Open Graph tags if Twitter-specific ones aren't present. Here's the complete setup:

<!-- Essential Twitter Tags -->
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Your Title Here" />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="Your description here" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yoursite.com/og-image.png" />

<!-- Optional but Recommended -->
<meta name="twitter:image:alt" content="Description of the image" />
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@yourusername" />
<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@authorusername" />

<!-- Open Graph Fallbacks (if Twitter tags missing) -->
<meta property="og:title" content="Your Title Here" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Your description here" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/og-image.png" />

Tag Breakdown

Design Best Practices

Technically correct isn't enough. Here's what actually drives engagement:

1. Text Size and Readability

Mobile feeds are ruthless. If users can't read your text while scrolling, you've lost. Rule of thumb: if the text looks big in your design tool, it's probably right.

• Title text: minimum 48px for visibility on mobile
• Secondary text: minimum 24px
• High contrast: dark text on light backgrounds (or vice versa)
• Sans-serif fonts: easier to read at small sizes

2. Safe Zones

Twitter crops images differently on desktop vs mobile, and in timeline vs expanded view. Keep important content centered and away from edges:

3. Brand Recognition

Consistent visual branding builds trust and recognition. Users who recognize your brand are more likely to click:

• Use consistent colors across all your OG images
• Include your logo, but don't let it dominate
• Develop a template style and stick to it

4. Emotional Appeal

Data shows that images triggering emotional responses get more engagement:

• Human faces increase engagement by up to 38%
• Bright, saturated colors catch attention in a sea of muted content
• Curiosity gaps (partial information) drive clicks
• Numbers and statistics signal value

The Algorithm Factor

Here's what the data tells us about X's algorithm and link cards:

Strategy: Post the link, but add context that invites discussion. A great OG image captures attention; your tweet copy drives the conversation.

Testing Your Twitter Cards

Before sharing, validate your cards. Twitter's Card Validator was deprecated, but you can still test by:

1. Compose a tweet: Paste your URL in the composer. Twitter will attempt to load the card preview.
2. Use our validator: og-image.org/validator shows exactly how Twitter will render your card.
3. Check the cache: Twitter caches cards. If you updated your image, you might need to wait or use a different URL to see changes.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Quick Implementation Checklist