If your post on X (formerly Twitter) is missing an image or displaying the wrong one, it is usually due to how X "crawls" your website to generate a Link Card. Similar to other platforms, X does not receive a static image file from True Anthem; instead, it looks at your website's code to determine what to display.
ℹ️ HOW X PROCESSES LINKS
When a link is posted, the X "bot" visits your URL to find Twitter Card metadata. If this metadata is missing, broken, or pointing to an old image, the post will not display correctly.
Common Reasons for Image Issues on X
Unlike some platforms that fallback to any available image, X is very specific about the metadata it requires. Issues are typically caused by:
- Missing Twitter Card Tags: While X can sometimes use "Open Graph" (Facebook) tags, it prefers its own specific
twitter:cardandtwitter:imagetags. - Caching/Indexed Data: If you changed the image on your website after the link was already shared once on X, the platform may still show the old image from its cache.
- Robot.txt Blocks: If your website's
robots.txtfile is set to block crawlers, the X bot cannot "see" your metadata to pull the image.
Steps to Resolve Image Issues
You can troubleshoot and fix these previews by following these steps:
1. Check for Twitter Card Metadata
X looks for specific lines of code in the <head> section of your website. You can verify this manually:
- Right-click on your article page and select "View Page Source."
- Search (Ctrl+F) for
twitter:image. - Ensure the URL listed is a direct link to your image and starts with
https://.
2. Verify Image Dimensions
X has strict requirements for its "Summary Card with Large Image." If your image is too small, it may be ignored or cropped poorly:
- Recommended Size: At least 1200 x 628 pixels.
- Aspect Ratio: 1.91:1 is the standard for large cards.
💡 TIP: Avoid Redirects
If your article URL redirects through multiple links before landing on the final page, the X crawler may give up before it finds your image. Always use the canonical URL in your RSS feed.
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