Launchpack by Świt StudioWhatsApp link preview: why the image doesn't show, and how to fix it
WhatsApp is the pickiest app about link preview images. Most broken previews come down to file size.
Use a small image: a 1200 × 630 JPG well under 300 KB, at an absolute https URL in og:image, served fast without redirects. WhatsApp doesn't publish a limit, but developers widely report it drops images over about 300 KB.
Then send the link again; a preview is made once, when the link is pasted.
Why the image is missing
- The file is too big. The most common cause. Many reports put the cut-off around 300 KB; Facebook and LinkedIn accept much larger files, so the same page can work there and fail here.
- The server is slow or redirects. WhatsApp gives up quickly. A redirect to a cookie or login page loses the preview.
- The tags are missing or added by JavaScript. WhatsApp reads the HTML once and doesn't run scripts.
- The image URL is relative or behind bot protection.
- The person turned previews off. WhatsApp lets people disable link previews in its privacy settings; then nobody's previews show for them.
Causes 2–4 are covered in detail in OG image not showing.
Making the image small enough
- Export as JPG at quality 75–85 instead of PNG. A typical 1200 × 630 launch image drops from 500 KB+ to 80–150 KB.
- Keep it at 1200 × 630. Larger dimensions mean larger files and nothing gained.
- Flat colors and text compress well; big photos and gradients don't.
The link preview checker shows your og:image's file size.
Testing and refreshing
The preview is built by the sender's app when the link is pasted, then kept with the message. To test a fix, paste the link into a new chat (a chat with yourself works). If it still shows the old preview, add a query string such as ?v=2. Running the URL through Meta's Sharing Debugger refreshes Facebook's cache and is worth a try, though WhatsApp doesn't officially document it as a refresh.
A preview image that WhatsApp accepts
Launchpack exports a clean 1200 × 630 OG image; save it as JPG and it's typically under 150 KB.
Questions
What is the image size limit for WhatsApp link previews?
WhatsApp doesn't publish one, but developers widely report previews failing for images over roughly 300 KB. A 1200 × 630 JPG under 300 KB works reliably.
Why does my link preview work on Facebook but not WhatsApp?
Usually the image file is too large or the server is slow. Facebook accepts files up to 8 MB; WhatsApp is much stricter.
How do I refresh a WhatsApp link preview?
Send the link again in a new message, with a query string like ?v=2 if the old preview comes back.