Open Graph images for Messenger

Generate Messenger link preview images for every page

Use one HCTI og:image pattern across your site. Each page supplies its own metadata, and HCTI keeps the matching Messenger image current without a separate image-generation request.

  • 1200 × 628 images for messages
  • Updates when preview inputs change
  • No extra code per page

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Dynamic preview images without per-page API calls

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Dynamic preview images without per-page API calls

Publish one stable URL pattern and keep the preview metadata with each page.

Clarity inside the chat

Turn a pasted URL into something people can recognize immediately

Messenger previews compete with the surrounding conversation. A direct image, title, and domain help the recipient understand what was sent before leaving the chat.

1

Shared products

Make a product link identifiable before a friend opens it.

2

Local recommendations

Give articles, venues, and event pages an inviting visual.

3

Customer conversations

Make booking, quote, and support links feel intentional.

Metadata recipe

Set up the Messenger image

Point og:image at the HCTI URL for the current path, then use hcti:selector on that page to choose the element HCTI captures.

<meta property="og:image" content="https://hcti.io/v1/og/{YOUR_DOMAIN_ID}/product-launch">

<meta property="hcti:selector" content="#social-card">

What if the Messenger preview does not update?

Check the page first

  • Confirm the metadata is in the page’s <head> before a crawler loads it.
  • Open the HCTI image URL directly and make sure it returns the expected image.
  • Remember that Messenger may keep its own cached preview after the image changes.

Allow the Messenger crawler

If your firewall filters bots, allow requests whose user agent contains facebookexternalhit.

facebookexternalhit/1.1 (+http://www.facebook.com/externalhit_uatext.php)
Read Messenger’s preview documentation

Preview your page on Messenger

See the image and text Messenger can use when someone shares your page.

Query parameters are ignored unless you’re signed in.

Public pages only

We’ll read the page’s link-preview tags and image. Some sites may block automated checks.

How it works

The public URL stays simple while HCTI reads the page, creates the image, and reuses it until the inputs change.

  1. Add one og:image pattern

    Use your HCTI domain ID and append the current page path. No API key or per-page image URL needs to be published.

  2. HCTI reads the page head

    On refresh, HCTI fetches the requested page and reads its hcti: screenshot options or html:tv: template values.

  3. Serve the matching image

    HCTI creates the image when the resolved screenshot or template inputs change, then caches and serves it to link-preview crawlers.

Fresh when it matters

Update previews without rendering on every share

HCTI checks page metadata separately from generating the image. Unchanged screenshot or template inputs reuse the existing render; changed inputs create the next image.

Controlled refreshes

Choose how often HCTI may check each page for updated meta tags. Origin cache headers and ETags can avoid unnecessary work.

Content-based reuse

HCTI hashes the resolved screenshot or template inputs so unchanged pages return the image that already exists.

Preview-aware sizing

Use one image everywhere, fit one render into recognized preview sizes, or render with a platform-specific viewport.

Ready for better link previews?

Give every page an image worth sharing

Add one stable OG image URL pattern, keep the supported meta tags on each page, and let HCTI handle rendering and reuse.