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Twitter Cards

Twitter Cards: Complete Guide to Optimize Your Tweets

Shreyansh Gohil
January 22, 2025
7 min read

Twitter Cards: Complete Guide to Optimize Your Tweets


Twitter Cards allow you to attach rich media experiences to your tweets. When someone shares a link to your website on Twitter the card displays additional information, making your tweets more engaging and clickable.


What are Twitter Cards?


Twitter Cards are meta tags that provide Twitter with structured data about your content. When someone shares your link, Twitter uses this data to create a rich preview card with images, titles, descriptions and more.


Types of Twitter Cards


1. Summary Card

The basic card with a title, description and thumbnail image.


<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" />
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@yourusername" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Your Page Title" />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="Your page description" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image.jpg" />

2. Summary Large Image Card

Similar to summary but with a larger, more prominent image.


<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@yourusername" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Your Page Title" />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="Your page description" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yoursite.com/large-image.jpg" />

Image Requirements:

  • Minimum size: 300x157 pixels
  • Recommended: 1200x628 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 5MB
  • Formats: JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF

3. App Card

For mobile app promotion with download buttons.


4. Player Card

For video and audio content with media players.


Essential Twitter Card Tags


twitter:card

The card type (summary, summary_large_image, app, player).


<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />

twitter:site

Your Twitter username (with @).


<meta name="twitter:site" content="@yourusername" />

twitter:creator

The content creator's Twitter username.


<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@authorusername" />

twitter:title

The title of your content (max 70 characters).


<meta name="twitter:title" content="Your Amazing Title" />

twitter:description

A description of your content (max 200 characters).


<meta name="twitter:description" content="A compelling description that makes people want to click." />

twitter:image

The URL of the image to use in the card.


<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yoursite.com/image.jpg" />

Complete Example


Here's a complete example for a summary_large_image card:


<!-- Twitter Card -->
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@yourusername" />
<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@authorusername" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Your Page Title" />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="A compelling description that encourages clicks." />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yoursite.com/twitter-image.jpg" />
<meta name="twitter:image:alt" content="Description of the image for accessibility" />

Best Practices


1. Use summary_large_image - Larger images get more engagement

2. Optimize image size - Use 1200x628 pixels for best results

3. Write compelling titles - Keep under 70 characters

4. Craft descriptions - Use 150-200 characters for maximum impact

5. Test your cards - Use Twitter Card Validator before publishing

6. Include alt text - Add twitter:image:alt for accessibility


Twitter Card vs Open Graph


Twitter Cards can fall back to Open Graph tags if Twitter-specific tags aren't present. However, it's best practice to include both:


  • **Open Graph** for Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp
  • **Twitter Cards** for Twitter/X

Testing Your Twitter Cards


1. Use Twitter Card Validator

2. Test with our Meta Tag Preview tool

3. Share a test link on Twitter to see the actual result


Common Mistakes


1. Missing twitter:card tag - Always specify the card type

2. Image too small - Use at least 300x157 pixels

3. Title too long - Keep under 70 characters

4. Missing image alt text - Include for accessibility

5. Not testing - Always validate before going live


Conclusion


Twitter Cards significantly improve how your content appears on Twitter. By implementing them correctly, you can increase engagement, clicks and overall visibility on the platform.


Test your Twitter Cards with our Meta Tag Preview tool to see exactly how they'll appear!