You changed your og:image but Facebook still shows the old thumbnail. Clearing the Open Graph cache means forcing Meta's crawler to re-fetch your page. There is no separate "delete cache" button. You scrape again through the Sharing Debugger.
Short answer
Open the Facebook Sharing Debugger, paste your URL, click Debug, then Scrape Again. Repeat until the preview shows your updated tags. Fix your live page first, version your image URL if the file changed, then scrape. The same cache applies to Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
What "clearing the OG cache" actually means
Facebook (Meta) stores a snapshot of your link preview: title, description, image URL, and resolved image file. This is not stored on your server. It lives on Meta's CDN.
"Clearing" the cache = triggering a fresh crawl so Meta replaces the stored snapshot. You cannot manually delete an entry. You can only overwrite it with new data from a successful scrape.
Before you clear the cache
Scraping again will not help if your page still serves old tags.
- View page source and confirm
og:title,og:description, andog:imageare correct. - Open the
og:imageURL in a browser tab. It must return the new image. - If you replaced an image file without changing the URL, update the URL:
https://example.com/og.jpg?v=2- or
https://example.com/og-v2.jpg
Paste your URL into OpenGraph Check to verify what crawlers see before you scrape.
Step-by-step: clear cache with Sharing Debugger
- Go to developers.facebook.com/tools/debug.
- Paste the full URL including
https://. - Click Debug.
- Read the output: title, description, image, and any warnings.
- Click Scrape Again.
- Wait for the response. Click Scrape Again a second time if the image still looks stale.
The debugger shows two sections after scraping: "Fetched URL" and "Link Preview". Both should match your current tags.
What to do when scrape errors appear
| Warning / error | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Previously cached values" shown | Normal after first scrape. Click Scrape Again. |
| Image URL fetched but old image displays | Change image filename or add ?v=2 to URL |
| "Could not download image" | Check HTTPS, file size, and public access |
| "Redirect path" too long | Reduce redirects to final URL |
| SSL certificate problem | Fix certificate on your domain |
Clear cache for multiple URLs
The Sharing Debugger handles one URL at a time. For bulk updates after a site migration:
- List all URLs that were shared on Facebook or WhatsApp.
- Scrape each URL in the debugger.
- Prioritize high-traffic landing pages and blog posts first.
- Use OpenGraph Check batch checks if you maintain a URL list.
There is no Meta API for personal cache clearing without app review. Manual scraping is the standard approach.
Does this also clear WhatsApp and Messenger?
Yes. WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram DMs, and Facebook Feed all use Meta's link preview infrastructure. One successful scrape in the Sharing Debugger updates the cached data for all of them.
Note: already-sent WhatsApp messages keep their original preview. Only new shares of the URL pick up the refreshed cache.
Cache busting when scraping is not enough
If the debugger shows correct data but a specific share still looks wrong:
- Share
https://yoursite.com/page?refresh=1instead of the bare URL - Wait 10-30 minutes after scraping
- Create a new post (editing an existing Facebook post does not refresh the preview)
For the full troubleshooting flow, see Facebook Preview Not Updating.
How often should you scrape?
Scrape when you:
- Deploy new OG images or titles
- Migrate to a new domain
- Fix a broken preview that previously failed
Do not scrape on every deploy if nothing social-related changed. Meta may rate-limit aggressive scraping.
FAQ
Is there a way to clear Facebook OG cache without the debugger?
No official alternative for website owners. The Sharing Debugger is the supported tool.
How long until the cleared cache appears in shares?
Usually minutes. Allow up to 24 hours in edge cases.
Does clearing cache affect existing Facebook posts?
No. Old posts keep their original preview. Only new shares use the updated cache.
Can I clear cache for a competitor's URL?
You can run any public URL through the debugger. You cannot change their page, only trigger a re-scrape of what their server returns.
Do I need to clear cache after changing Twitter Card tags?
Twitter/X uses a separate cache (Card Validator). Facebook cache clearing does not affect X. See Twitter Card Image Not Showing.
Will og:updated_time auto-clear the cache?
No. Meta does not watch this tag for automatic refreshes. Manual scrape is still required.
Bottom line
Clearing Facebook's Open Graph cache is a manual re-scrape via the Sharing Debugger. Fix your tags on the live page, version image URLs when files change, scrape twice, then test a fresh share. That covers Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp in one step.
