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NextJSframework~10 mins

Open Graph metadata in NextJS - Step-by-Step Execution

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Concept Flow - Open Graph metadata
Start Next.js page
↓
Add Open Graph metadata in <head>
↓
Browser reads metadata
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Social media scrapers fetch metadata
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Display rich preview on social platforms
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User clicks link with preview
This flow shows how Open Graph metadata is added in a Next.js page head, read by browsers and social media scrapers, and used to display rich previews.
Execution Sample
NextJS
import Head from 'next/head';

export default function Page() {
  return (
    <>
      <Head>
        <meta property="og:title" content="My Page Title" />
        <meta property="og:description" content="Page description here." />
        <meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/image.png" />
      </Head>
      <main>Content here</main>
    </>
  );
}
This code adds Open Graph metadata tags inside the Next.js Head component to define title, description, and image for social previews.
Execution Table
StepActionMetadata AddedBrowser ReadsSocial Scraper ReadsResult
1Render Next.js pageNo metadata yetNo OG dataNo OG dataNo rich preview
2Add <Head> with OG tagsog:title, og:description, og:imageReads OG tagsReads OG tagsRich preview data available
3Browser loads pageOG metadata presentUses OG for SEOUses OG for previewPage shows with metadata
4Social media scrapes URLOG metadata presentN/AFetches OG tagsDisplays rich preview with title, description, image
5User shares linkOG metadata presentN/AN/ALink preview shown on social platforms
6EndProcess completeOG metadata usedOG metadata usedRich preview displayed
💡 All Open Graph metadata tags are read and used by browsers and social media scrapers to show rich previews.
Variable Tracker
VariableStartAfter Step 2After Step 3Final
og:titleundefined"My Page Title""My Page Title""My Page Title"
og:descriptionundefined"Page description here.""Page description here.""Page description here."
og:imageundefined"https://example.com/image.png""https://example.com/image.png""https://example.com/image.png"
Key Moments - 3 Insights
Why do we add Open Graph metadata inside the <Head> component?
Because the <Head> component inserts metadata into the HTML head section, which browsers and social media scrapers read to generate previews, as shown in execution_table step 2.
What happens if Open Graph metadata is missing?
Without OG metadata, social platforms cannot create rich previews, so links show plain URLs or default info, as seen in execution_table step 1.
Can Open Graph metadata affect SEO or only social previews?
OG metadata mainly affects social previews, but browsers also use it for better sharing info, improving user experience, as shown in execution_table step 3.
Visual Quiz - 3 Questions
Test your understanding
Look at the execution_table, what Open Graph metadata is added at step 2?
Aog:url, og:type, og:locale
Bog:title, og:description, og:image
COnly og:title
DNo metadata added
💡 Hint
Check the 'Metadata Added' column in execution_table row for step 2.
At which step does the social media scraper read the Open Graph tags?
AStep 4
BStep 1
CStep 2
DStep 5
💡 Hint
Look at the 'Social Scraper Reads' column in execution_table.
If we remove the og:image tag, how would the variable_tracker change after step 2?
Aog:image would be empty string
Bog:image would have a default URL
Cog:image would be undefined
Dog:image would still have the original URL
💡 Hint
Check the 'og:image' row in variable_tracker after step 2.
Concept Snapshot
Open Graph metadata is added inside the Next.js <Head> component.
Use <meta property="og:title" content="..." /> for title.
Add og:description and og:image for description and preview image.
Browsers and social media scrapers read these tags.
They create rich link previews on social platforms.
Missing OG tags means no rich preview.
Full Transcript
Open Graph metadata is special information added inside the HTML head section of a Next.js page using the Head component. This metadata includes tags like og:title, og:description, and og:image. When the page loads, browsers read these tags for SEO and display purposes. Social media platforms also scrape these tags when someone shares the page link. They use the metadata to show a rich preview with a title, description, and image. If the metadata is missing, the preview will be plain or default. Adding Open Graph metadata improves how links look when shared and helps users understand the content better.