iMessage Link Preview Not Working? Free Check + Fixes
Check iMessage link metadata free. Fix missing images, server-rendered OG tags and inaccessible resources with Apple's Messages guidance.
Updated
For a missing iMessage preview, first check the page's Open Graph title and image, then verify that the image is accessible. If you are sharing someone else's page, send its owner the findings. Final preview appearance still needs a check in Messages.
Check your iMessage link metadata free
Check for missing OG tags and an image that fails to load before working through the checklist. No account or payment required.
This reads page HTML and image responses. It does not render an iMessage card or refresh the app's cache.
If you are sending or receiving a link
Compare the same URL in a new draft or another device without removing your existing conversation. Also compare a different public link: a problem affecting one website gives its owner a more useful starting point than a general report that previews are broken.
Website owner's checklist
- Return metadata in the HTML response. Apple documents that Messages does not run JavaScript or follow meta redirects to discover metadata. Server-side redirects are supported. Use your framework's server-rendered metadata features and inspect the document response.
- Set a specific title and image. Use
og:titleandog:imagefor the intended page. Keep the image URL stable and public, and avoid duplicate tags from competing plugins or layouts. - Check the final image response. Follow its redirects and confirm it returns an image without authentication. A redirect is not automatically a failure; a login page, denied request or expired asset URL needs attention. HTTPS is our recommendation for public page and image URLs.
- Use Apple's current resource guidance. Its technical note recommends images at least 900 pixels wide, a main resource up to 1 MB, and associated resources totaling up to 10 MB. Apple calls these guidelines and says they may change.
- Serve consistent metadata. Apple recommends the same metadata for mobile and desktop user agents. Compare responses if your hosting or CDN varies HTML by device.
- Recheck the deployed page, then Messages. The checker can confirm the response it received. It cannot clear Apple's cache or certify the card on a recipient's device.
Example tags for a public page
<meta property="og:title" content="Your page title" />
<meta property="og:type" content="website" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/your-page" />
<meta property="og:description" content="A useful summary of this page." />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/share.jpg" />
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200" />
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630" />
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="A description of the image" />This 1200×630 example is our practical landscape starting point; use the actual dimensions of your file. Keep key details away from the edges because card layouts vary. Our image size guide explains the difference between a design recommendation and a platform rule.
For implementation, start with the Next.js guide or plain HTML guide.
The tags look right, but the image is still wrong
Compare the live asset
Open the exact image URL reported by the checker. Confirm it contains the new artwork and that a deploy or CDN has not left the old file at that URL. If you intentionally replace the asset, update the page to reference its new filename.
Compare a fresh preview
Check a new draft or another device while preserving existing messages. This comparison helps identify a stale preview, but does not guarantee an immediate refresh. We do not assign an exact Messages cache-expiry time to the result.
Keep the evidence separate
A successful browser fetch, an OG Fixer report and a preview in Messages are three observations. If they disagree, save the exact URL, time and observed response for the site developer. See the debugger tools guide for inspecting the original HTML.
Find metadata and image problems for free
Check your URL, copy the findings for whoever edits the site, and recheck after the update. Use Messages to confirm the final preview. No account or payment required.
Sources and scope
Platform guidance: Apple TN3156. Metadata fields: Open Graph protocol. The checker inspects fetched HTML and image responses; it does not render an iMessage card. Read our methodology.