WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the handy features it offers is the ability to send links along with custom message previews. This allows you to share links in a more visually engaging way, by customizing the text and image that appears with the link preview.
What are link previews in WhatsApp?
When you share a link on WhatsApp, it automatically fetches details from that webpage to generate a preview. This preview typically includes the title, description and an image from the site.
However, you can customize this preview by creating a link with your own message text and image. This customized preview will then appear when someone receives the message link on WhatsApp.
Why create customized link previews?
Here are some benefits of creating customized link previews on WhatsApp:
- Make links more engaging – Add images, emojis or bold text to make your link share more eye-catching.
- Highlight key info – Customize the preview text to highlight the most important details you want to convey.
- Branding – Include your company name, logo or brand colors to make link shares more recognizable.
- Context – Add context to explain where the link goes and why it’s being shared.
- Calls-to-action – Include CTAs like “Learn more” or “Sign up now” to encourage the recipient to click the link.
How to create a custom link preview on WhatsApp
Here are the steps to create and send a customized link preview on WhatsApp:
- Copy the URL you want to share
- Go to a link preview generator site like LinkPreview.net
- Paste your URL into the generator
- Customize the preview title, description and image as you like
- Generate the preview
- Copy the full link given by the generator
- Go to WhatsApp and paste this link when sharing
- The customized preview will appear when sent
That’s it! The recipient will see your custom title, description and image instead of the default preview generated by WhatsApp.
Tools to create custom WhatsApp link previews
Here are some popular tools you can use to customize WhatsApp link previews:
LinkPreview.net
LinkPreview.net is a free online tool that lets you customize the text, image and appearance of link previews. It has a simple drag-and-drop interface to edit the preview quickly.
Bitly
Bitly is a link management service that also provides options to customize your link previews. It lets you edit the title, description and image. You can also view analytics of who clicked your links.
Meta Tags Generator
This tool helps you generate meta tags (data that influences link previews). Paste your URL, customize the meta tags, copy the output and paste into your page code to control link preview appearance.
Webpage Preview
Webpage Preview is an online generator that lets you customize link preview appearance by editing the title, description, image and theme colors. You can also use custom CSS.
Shorby
Shorby provides an API to programmatically generate custom link previews with options to set titles, descriptions, images and more. Useful for developers.
These are just a few options – there are many more generators and APIs to explore for creating customized WhatsApp link previews.
WhatsApp link preview customization options
Here are some specific elements you can customize when generating a preview:
Title
The title appears prominently at the top of the preview. Keep it short, descriptive and appealing.
Description
The description text gives more details about the link. Aim for 60-100 characters or 2-3 lines of text.
Image
Include an eye-catching image relevant to the content. Use high resolution JPG, PNG or GIF formats. Landscape orientation works best.
URL
Make sure to use the direct URL to the content you want to preview. Avoid short URLs or homepage links.
Theme color
Choose a theme color to control the preview’s accent color for a more branded look.
Call to Action
Adding a CTA like “Find out more” encourages users to click and view the content.
Optimizing these elements can help you create effective link previews that boost engagement.
WhatsApp link preview size and specifications
WhatsApp has certain size limits and requirements for custom link previews:
- Title: Up to 30 characters
- Description: Up to 100 characters
- Image: Aspect ratio 1.91:1, minimum 300×157 pixels, maximum 1024×512 pixels, up to 1MB
- URL: Must use HTTPS protocol
- Valid image, title and description meta tags required
Keep your preview within these specs for best results. If meta tags are missing, WhatsApp will automatically generate the preview.
Valid meta tags for custom link previews
For full control over previews, you need to have certain meta tags defined in the page HTML code:
- <meta property=”og:title” content=”Page Title Here”> – The title
- <meta property=”og:description” content=”Description text”> – The description
- <meta property=”og:image” content=”image url”> – The image URL
- <meta property=”og:url” content=”page url”> – The canonical page URL
Make sure to define proper meta title, description and images tags on each page you want to preview. The URL meta tag also helps WhatsApp identify the exact page.
Troubleshooting tips for custom link previews
Here are some troubleshooting tips if your customized WhatsApp link previews are not appearing correctly:
- Ensure meta tags are defined properly on your page
- Check the page URL is correct in the preview generator
- Try generating new links if previews stop working
- Use different title text if your current text exceeds 30 chars
- Verify the image URL is accessible and not restricted
- Simplify HTML – some generators don’t process complex tags well
- Make sure your page is public on the internet, not local or restricted access
- Try clearing WhatsApp cache if old previews are sticking
Debugging preview issues takes some trial and error. Start by validating your meta tags first, and generate new links if problems persist.
Can you create WhatsApp link previews for videos?
Yes, it is possible to customize video link previews on WhatsApp as well. The process is similar:
- Get the video URL to share
- Use a meta tag generator to add title, description and preview image
- Make sure proper video og:meta tags are defined
- Generate the full preview link
- Paste this link when sharing on WhatsApp
The customized title, description and preview image will appear in the video link preview. This helps promote your videos effectively on WhatsApp.
Best practices for WhatsApp link previews
Here are some tips to create optimized link previews that drive engagement and clicks:
- Use catchy, descriptive titles
- Write concise descriptions highlighting key info
- Use high-quality, relevant preview images
- Match preview visuals to content (e.g. food image for recipe links)
- Include strong calls-to-action like “Watch now” or “Start learning”
- Use contrasting colors for text legibility
- Preview the most shareable page section (e.g. blog post overview)
- Test preview accuracy on multiple devices
- Analyze click metrics to optimize previews
With these best practices, you can make your WhatsApp link shares more engaging and effective at driving traffic to your site.
Sample WhatsApp messages with link preview
Here are some examples of effective WhatsApp messages with custom link previews:
Article preview
Check out my latest blog post – “5 Tips for Landscape Photography”
Learn pro techniques to capture stunning landscape shots.
https://example.com/blog/landscape-photography-tips
Video preview
Don’t miss this hilarious video – “Cats acting weird”
You’ll laugh out loud at these crazy cat bloopers!
https://example.com/funny-cat-videos
Offer preview
We’re giving 30% off all online courses this week only!
Level up your skills and save big. Click below:
https://exampleacademy.com/courses-30-percent-off
Event preview
Our 2023 Conference is now open for registration.
Reserve your spot for the #1 tech event of the year.
https://examplecon.com/register
Hope these give you an idea of how to craft engaging messages with customized link previews.
Conclusion
Customizing WhatsApp link previews is a great way to make your link shares more visual and clickable. With the right meta tags, preview generator tools and some optimization, you can create previews that help drive more traffic and engagement.
Just remember to keep your preview text concise, use high-quality relevant images, and test the results thoroughly across devices. With this strategy, you can boostresults of your WhatsApp marketing and get more people to view your content.