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LinkedIn Post Inspector to optimize your link previews

Ricardo Batista
#LinkedIn#SEO
LinkedIn Post Inspector guide for optimizing link previews

Table of contents

When you share a link on LinkedIn, the preview can make or break your engagement. Posts with optimized link previews see 2-3x higher click-through rates compared to those with broken or missing previews. Yet many professionals still struggle with images not showing up, titles getting cut off, or descriptions appearing incorrectly.

LinkedIn Post Inspector is the solution. This free tool ensures your shared links look professional and compelling before you post them. With over 3 billion content shares on LinkedIn annually, getting your preview right isn’t optional – it’s essential for standing out in the feed.

What is LinkedIn Post Inspector

LinkedIn Post Inspector is a free debugging tool that analyzes how your web content will appear when shared on LinkedIn. Think of it as a preview generator that shows you exactly what your audience will see before you hit “post.”

The tool was launched by LinkedIn in 2018 to improve user experience and help content creators optimize their shared links. It’s available to everyone without requiring a LinkedIn login, making it accessible regardless of your subscription level.

Key functions

How LinkedIn Post Inspector works

Open Graph meta tags explained

LinkedIn uses Open Graph (OG) meta tags to extract information about your content. These HTML tags tell LinkedIn what title, image, and description to display in the preview.

Essential Open Graph tags:

<meta property="og:title" content="Your Page Title" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Your page description" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image.jpg" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://yoursite.com/page" />
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />

How LinkedIn reads these tags:

LinkedIn’s caching system

LinkedIn caches link preview data for up to 7 days to improve loading times. This means if you update your content, LinkedIn might still show the old version until the cache expires.

Cache behavior:

This is why using Post Inspector is crucial when you’ve recently updated your content’s title, image, or description.

Step-by-step guide to using Post Inspector

Step 1: Access the tool

Navigate to linkedin.com/post-inspector in your browser.

No login required – the tool is completely free and accessible to everyone.

Step 2: Enter your URL

Paste the complete URL you want to inspect in the text field.

Examples of URLs to test:

Step 3: Click “Inspect”

The tool analyzes your URL and generates a preview within seconds.

You’ll see exactly how your content will appear when shared, including:

Step 4: Review the results

Check for common issues:

Step 5: Make necessary changes

If you spot issues, update your page’s meta tags and run the inspector again to refresh LinkedIn’s cache.

Image specifications and best practices

LinkedIn’s image requirements for 2025:

SpecificationRequirement
Aspect ratio1.91:1 (recommended)
Dimensions1200x627 pixels (optimal)
Minimum size200 pixels width
Maximum file size5MB
FormatsJPEG, PNG, GIF

Image optimization tips:

Common image problems:

Title and description guidelines

Title optimization:

Description best practices:

Example of good vs. poor optimization:

Poor example:

Title: "Blog Post"
Description: "This is a blog post about marketing."

Optimized example:

Title: "5 LinkedIn Marketing Strategies That Increased Our Leads by 340%"
Description: "Discover the exact tactics we used to transform our LinkedIn presence and generate 500+ qualified leads in 90 days. Includes free templates."

Troubleshooting common preview issues

Missing or broken images

Symptoms:

Solutions:

Quick fix:

<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/images/preview.jpg" />
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200" />
<meta property="og:image:height" content="627" />

Truncated titles and descriptions

Symptoms:

Solutions:

Wrong content showing

Symptoms:

Solutions:

LinkedIn not detecting meta tags

Common causes:

WordPress users: Install an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO to automatically generate Open Graph tags.

Advanced optimization techniques

A/B testing your previews

Test different elements to improve performance:

Title variations:

Image variations:

Description variations:

Dynamic Open Graph tags

For content sites, implement dynamic tags that automatically generate based on content:

Blog posts:

<meta property="og:title" content="{{post_title}}" />
<meta property="og:description" content="{{post_excerpt}}" />
<meta property="og:image" content="{{featured_image}}" />

Product pages:

<meta property="og:title" content="{{product_name}} - {{brand_name}}" />
<meta property="og:description" content="{{product_description}}" />
<meta property="og:image" content="{{product_image}}" />

Platform-specific optimization

While focusing on LinkedIn, consider how your Open Graph tags appear on other platforms:

Cross-platform compatibility:

PlatformImage RatioTitle LengthDescription Length
LinkedIn1.91:1150 chars200 chars
Facebook1.91:160 chars300 chars
Twitter2:170 chars200 chars
WhatsApp1.91:1No limit300 chars

Schema markup integration

Combine Open Graph with Schema.org markup for better search visibility:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Your Article Title",
  "description": "Your article description",
  "image": "https://yoursite.com/image.jpg"
}
</script>

Automation and monitoring

Tools for managing Open Graph at scale:

Screaming Frog SEO Spider: $259/year

SEMrush: Starting at $119/month

Ahrefs: Starting at $99/month

Cache refresh strategies

When you need immediate cache updates:

Method 1: URL parameters Add dummy parameters to force re-scraping:

https://yoursite.com/post?v=2025

Method 2: Post Inspector Use LinkedIn’s tool for official cache clearing.

Method 3: Timestamp parameters Add current timestamp for guaranteed uniqueness:

https://yoursite.com/post?refresh=1641983247

Common mistakes to avoid

Technical errors

Content mistakes

Strategic mistakes

Measuring preview performance

Track the impact of your optimized previews:

Key metrics:

LinkedIn native analytics:

External tools:

Google Analytics: Free

Bitly: Free tier available

Making Post Inspector work for you

LinkedIn Post Inspector is more than just a debugging tool – it’s your secret weapon for creating compelling content previews that drive engagement and clicks.

Key takeaways:

  1. Always test before posting – even small changes can break previews
  2. Optimize for mobile – most LinkedIn browsing happens on phones
  3. Focus on compelling titles – they’re the biggest factor in click decisions
  4. Use high-quality images – they catch attention in busy feeds
  5. Monitor and iterate – what works for others might not work for you

Remember that great previews support great content, but they can’t save poor content. Use Post Inspector as part of a broader content strategy that prioritizes value, relevance, and authenticity.

Your link previews are just one part of a complete LinkedIn optimization strategy that should include professional URL formatting and strategic content formatting.

The most successful LinkedIn marketers use Post Inspector proactively, not reactively. They test every link, optimize every preview, and continuously improve their approach based on performance data.

Whether you’re sharing blog posts, promoting events, or driving traffic to landing pages, optimized link previews are essential for maximizing your LinkedIn content’s impact.

Combine optimized previews with strategic hashtag use and proper content formatting for maximum engagement.


Need help building a team that creates engaging content consistently? FidForward connects you with top content marketing talent quickly, helping you build a strong digital presence beyond LinkedIn’s platform limitations.

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