Your new og:image is live. You share the link on Facebook. The preview still shows the old title and thumbnail. Facebook cached your URL the first time it was scraped and keeps serving that snapshot until you force a refresh.
Short answer
Facebook does not re-fetch Open Graph tags on every share. It stores a cached version of your link preview. To update it, fix the tags on your live page, then run your URL through the Facebook Sharing Debugger and click Scrape Again. If the debugger shows the new data but shares still look wrong, wait a few minutes or add a cache-busting query to the shared URL.
Why Facebook keeps showing the old preview
When someone shares a URL, Facebook's crawler (facebookexternalhit) fetches the HTML once and extracts og:title, og:description, og:image, and related tags. That data is stored in Facebook's link preview cache.
The cache is a feature, not a bug. It keeps shares fast and reduces load on your server. The downside: editing meta tags does not automatically update existing previews.
How long does the cache last? There is no fixed public TTL. For some URLs it updates within hours. For others it can stick around for days. The only reliable way to trigger a refresh is the Sharing Debugger or a successful re-scrape after meaningful URL changes.
Step 1: Confirm your page serves the new tags
Before blaming Facebook, verify what crawlers actually receive.
- Open your URL in a private browser window.
- View page source (not DevTools Elements panel after JavaScript runs).
- Search for
og:title,og:description, andog:image. - Open the
og:imageURL directly. The new image must load without login.
If tags are missing or still show old values, Facebook cannot display what you intended. Common causes:
- Meta tags injected only by client-side JavaScript (React SPA without SSR)
- CDN or full-page cache serving stale HTML to bots
- Deploy not live on the URL you are testing
Paste your URL into OpenGraph Check to see the exact tags and a live preview across platforms.
Step 2: Force Facebook to re-scrape
- Go to developers.facebook.com/tools/debug.
- Paste your full URL (with
https://). - Click Debug.
- Review the fetched title, description, and image URL.
- Click Scrape Again (sometimes shown as "Scrape Again" after the first run).
Each scrape asks Facebook to fetch your page again. Run it twice if the first result still looks stale. The debugger output is what Facebook believes your page contains.
Step 3: Fix the image URL if the file changed
Facebook caches images by URL. If you replaced og-image.jpg on the server but kept the same URL, Facebook may still show the old file from its CDN.
Fix options:
- Use a new filename:
og-image-v2.jpg - Add a version query:
og-image.jpg?v=2 - Update
og:imagein your meta tags to match
Then scrape again in the Sharing Debugger.
Facebook Open Graph image requirements
For reliable previews, aim for:
| Property | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Size | 1200 × 630 px |
| Aspect ratio | 1.91:1 |
| Format | JPG or PNG |
| File size | Under 5 MB (under 1 MB is safer) |
| URL | Absolute HTTPS, publicly reachable |
Images smaller than 600 × 315 px may render poorly or be rejected. See our Open Graph image size guide for full specs.
Common reasons the preview still will not update
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Tags only in JavaScript | Move meta tags to server-rendered HTML in <head> |
og:image returns 403 or timeout | Fix permissions, hotlink protection, or slow CDN |
Wrong canonical URL in og:url | Set og:url to the final HTTPS URL |
| Redirect chain (http to www to slash) | Minimize redirects; use one canonical URL |
robots.txt blocks facebookexternalhit | Allow Facebook's crawler |
| Login wall on the page | Remove auth requirement for public OG pages |
| Image URL has no file extension | Use .jpg or .png; some caches are picky |
Cache busting when sharing manually
If the debugger shows correct data but a new post still looks wrong, try sharing:
https://yoursite.com/page?v=2
Facebook treats query strings as part of the URL key, so a new query can produce a fresh preview. This is a workaround for marketing posts, not a substitute for fixing og:image on the canonical URL.
How this differs from a broken preview
"Not updating" means an old preview worked but will not refresh. If you never had a preview at all, the cause is usually missing tags, blocked images, or crawler errors. See How to Fix a Missing OG Image for that scenario.
For LinkedIn-specific cache behavior, read LinkedIn Preview Not Updating.
FAQ
How long does Facebook take to update a link preview?
After a successful Scrape Again, changes often appear within minutes. In practice, allow up to 24 hours. Already-published posts keep their original preview.
Does editing a Facebook post refresh the preview?
No. The preview is fixed when the post is created. You need a new post with a refreshed scrape or a cache-busted URL.
Do I need a Facebook Developer account for the Sharing Debugger?
You can use the debugger without building an app. Log in with a Facebook account if prompted.
Why does the debugger show the right image but Messenger looks wrong?
Messenger and Facebook Feed use the same OG cache in most cases. Clear cache again, wait, and test in a new conversation with the updated URL.
Will changing og:title affect SEO?
Open Graph tags affect social previews, not Google rankings directly. Keep titles accurate for clicks on social platforms.
Can I prevent Facebook from caching my pages?
No. Caching is built into how link previews work. Version your image URLs when you update creative.
Bottom line
Facebook preview issues after a site update are almost always cache-related. Serve correct tags in raw HTML, verify with a scanner, scrape again in the Sharing Debugger, and version your image URLs when files change. After that, new shares should show what you expect.
