WhatsApp link preview: why the image is missing

What WhatsApp needs

WhatsApp builds the preview from og:title, og:description, og:image and og:url.
Image: at least 300 px wide, an aspect ratio no wider than ≤ 4:1, a file of at most 600 KB.
The file limit is the one most sites miss: a 1200×630 PNG is often 1 MB or more. Save it as JPEG or compress it.
The preview is fetched when the sender pastes the link; the recipient sees what was fetched then.

	Minimum	Aspect ratio	Max file size	Formats
WhatsApp	300 px	≤ 4:1	600 KB	Not documented

Values from the platform's own documentation, checked 2026-11-02 (all platforms: OG image size). Sources: · Meta for Developers: WhatsApp link previews

Tags WhatsApp reads

WhatsApp link preview not showing or not updating?

No image but title and text appear? The image is most likely over 600 KB — compress it or switch to JPEG.
Check that the image is at least 300 px wide and not wider than ≤ 4:1.
Use an absolute https:// image URL that opens without cookies or a login.
WhatsApp has no public refresh tool. To get a new preview, share the URL with a query string (?v=2) so it is fetched again.

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Questions

Why does my WhatsApp link preview have no image?

Usually the file is over WhatsApp's documented 600 KB limit, or narrower than 300 px. The checker downloads your og:image and tells you which.

What image size works for WhatsApp previews?

WhatsApp documents at least 300 px wide, a ratio up to ≤ 4:1 and 600 KB at most. A 1200×630 JPEG under 600 KB passes WhatsApp and every other platform.

How do I update an old WhatsApp preview?

There is no refresh tool. Change the shared URL (a query string works); a message already sent keeps its preview.