The tags every page needs
| Tag | Purpose |
|---|---|
<title> |
the clickable headline in search results and the browser tab |
meta description |
the snippet under the title, when Google uses it |
link rel="canonical" |
the preferred URL when the same content is reachable at several addresses |
meta robots |
indexing instructions (only needed when not “index, follow”) |
og:* (Open Graph) |
how the page looks when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack, WhatsApp and many others |
twitter:* |
card format and details for X; falls back to Open Graph where missing |
Fill in the form and the block of tags updates live, with HTML-escaped values so quotes and ampersands never break your markup. The previews show the result as a search snippet and as a social card.
Share images
Use an image of 1200 × 630 pixels (1.91:1) for Open Graph (it displays well across platforms). Keep important text away from the edges, which some apps crop, and add alt text for accessibility. The image URL must be absolute (starting with https://).
Where to put the tags
Paste the block inside the <head> of your page. In WordPress and similar systems, an SEO plugin usually manages these tags (use this generator to plan the values, or for static sites and landing pages).
Worked example
Here is what the Meta Tag Generator returns for its built-in example. Settings used: Type: website; Robots: index, follow. Click Try an example in the tool above to load it, then change it as you like.
Title: Plain Language Guide: Write So Anyone Can Understand
Description: A practical guide to plain language: short sentences, familiar words and clear structure, with before-and-after examples.
Canonical URL: https://example.com/plain-language
Site name: Example
X / Twitter handle: @example
Type: article
Robots: index, follow
Locale: en_US| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Tags | 15 |
| Title chars | 52 |
| Description chars | 121 |
Questions
What size should an Open Graph image be?
1200 × 630 pixels works well on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and most messaging apps.
Do I need both Open Graph and Twitter tags?
X reads Open Graph tags when Twitter-specific ones are missing, but twitter:card is needed to choose the large-image layout.
Last reviewed · How Textkiln tools work