You share a blog post on Twitter. The preview shows... just your logo on a colored background. Meanwhile, other posts in the feed have eye-catching previews with actual titles and images. Guess which ones get clicked? This guide explains dynamic Open Graph images and why they get 2-3x more clicks than generic previews. What Are Open Graph Images? Open Graph images are the preview cards that show up when you share a link on social media. _[Image: Screenshot showing tweet with rich preview card]_ When you paste a URL into Twitter or LinkedIn, these platforms look for code on your website: html <meta property="og:image" content=" https://yoursite.com/preview.jpg " /> That tells them which image to show. The problem? Most sites use the same generic image for every page. Static vs Dynamic OG Images Here's the difference: Static OG images: - One image for your entire site - Same preview for every blog post - No context about the specific content - People can't tell what they're clicking on _[Image: Multiple blog posts all showing the same generic OG image]_ Dynamic OG images: - Unique image for each page - Shows the actual page title - Includes author, date, category - Clear context before clicking _[Image: Multiple blog posts each showing unique OG images with their titles]_ Dynamic images work like this: You design one template. Your system automatically fills in: - Page title - Author name and photo - Publication date - Category badge - Your branding Every page gets a unique image. Zero manual work. Why Dynamic OG Images Work Better They Give Context When your OG image shows the actual article title, people know what they're clicking on. Generic image: "TechCo Blog" + logo Dynamic image: "How We Reduced Server Costs by 67%" + your branding Which one tells you what the article is about? They Stand Out Clear, readable text catches attention in crowded social feeds. Studies show posts with images get 2-3x more engagement. Your OG image is that image. Real Numbers Before dynamic OG images: - 1-2% click-through rate from social - Generic previews get ignored After dynamic OG images: - 3-5% click-through rate - 2-3x improvement in clicks For a blog publishing 4 posts/week, that's 1,000-4,000 extra clicks per year from a one-time setup. How to Set Up Dynamic OG Images Step 1: Design Your Template Create one master design with placeholders: _[Image: Template design showing fixed and variable elements]_ - Fixed: Logo, brand colors, layout - Dynamic: Title, author, date, category Keep it simple. Big text. High contrast. Step 2: Connect to Your Website WordPress: Install RenderOG plugin or similar Next.js/React: Use Vercel OG Image or RenderOG API Other platforms: Check for integrations or use API services Step 3: Map Your Data Tell the system which info goes where: - Page title → Title text on image - Author name → Author section - Publish date → Date field Step 4: Test It Use these free tools: - Twitter Card Validator - Facebook Sharing Debugger - LinkedIn Post Inspector Make sure images load fast and look good. Design Tips Make Text Big Your image shows at different sizes on different platforms. - Use 60pt+ font for titles - High contrast (dark text on light background) - Avoid fancy fonts Keep It Simple You have 1-2 seconds to catch attention. - One clear headline - Minimal supporting text - Clean layout Use the Right Size 1200 × 630 pixels works on all platforms: - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - Slack Common Mistakes ❌ Text too small - Unreadable on mobile ❌ Too much information - Cluttered and confusing ❌ Wrong dimensions - Gets cropped awkwardly ❌ Slow loading - Over 1MB files that timeout ❌ Same image everywhere - Defeats the purpose Tools to Use RenderOG - Visual template builder, API and integrations Cloudinary - Image management with OG features Vercel OG - Free for Next.js sites WordPress plugins - Yoast SEO, RankMath, Social Warfare Getting Started Here's your action plan: Week 1: Design one template Week 2: Set up tool and connect data Week 3: Test and adjust Week 4: Launch and monitor Start with one template. Measure results. Then scale. Your content deserves better than a generic preview image.