Facebook Debugger
Facebook Debugger, now called the Sharing Debugger in Meta for Developers, is a free tool that shows how Facebook will crawl and preview a URL and helps diagnose Open Graph tag issues.
Key takeaways
- Facebook Debugger (Sharing Debugger) is free and shows exactly what Facebook sees on your page.
- Use it to verify og:title, og:description, and og:image before sharing a link.
- After updating metadata, click Scrape Again to force a re-crawl.
- The tool does not edit your page – it only displays Facebook’s cached data.
- Always clear your site cache before re-scraping to avoid stale data.
It helps ensure your shared links display the correct title, description, and image on Facebook.
What People Use the Facebook Debugger For
- Preview how Facebook will display your link – see the title, description, and image that will appear in a Facebook post.
- Diagnose Open Graph tag issues – identify missing, incorrect, or non-compliant og:title, og:description, og:image tags.
- Force Facebook to re-scrape a URL – after updating metadata or images, use the Scrape Again button to refresh Facebook’s cache.
- Check for crawl errors – see if Facebook can access your page and if any redirects or server errors occur.
- Verify image size and aspect ratio – ensure your og:image meets Facebook’s recommended dimensions (at least 1200×630 pixels).
Quick Start: How to Use the Facebook Sharing Debugger
- Go to the Sharing Debugger.
- Paste the full URL of the page you want to check.
- Click Debug.
- Review the Scraped URL section – it shows the Open Graph tags Facebook found.
- If you see a warning or error, fix the corresponding tag on your page.
- After making changes, click Scrape Again to force Facebook to re-fetch the URL.
- Verify the preview now shows the correct information.
When Not to Start Here
- If you need to change the page content itself – the debugger only re-scrapes; it does not modify your page.
- If you haven’t updated your Open Graph tags yet – always fix the metadata on your page first, then use the debugger.
- If you expect instant results – sometimes Facebook takes a few minutes or multiple re-scrapes to update its cache.
- If you are troubleshooting other social platforms – use separate validators for Twitter, LinkedIn, or Slack.
Alternatives to the Facebook Debugger
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Twitter Card Validator | Preview how a URL appears on Twitter |
| LinkedIn Post Inspector | Check LinkedIn link previews |
| Slack Unfurls | Test how links appear in Slack |
| Open Graph Debugger | General-purpose Open Graph tag checker |
Next step
FAQ
How do I use the Facebook Debugger?
Go to the Sharing Debugger on Meta for Developers, paste your URL, and click Debug. The tool will show how Facebook reads your page.
Why is Facebook showing the wrong image for my page?
The og:image tag may be missing, incorrect, or the image may not meet Facebook’s size requirements. Use the debugger to see what Facebook sees.
How do I force Facebook to re-scrape my URL?
After updating your page’s metadata, paste the URL in the Sharing Debugger and click Scrape Again (or Fetch new information).
Why does the debugger show old data even after I updated the page?
Your site or plugin cache may be serving the old version. Clear your cache and try re-scraping again.
Related topics
Sources
- Meta for Developers — Sharing Debugger — Official documentation for the tool and its purpose.
- Meta Open Graph documentation — Authoritative source for how Facebook reads shared-page metadata.
- Google Search Central — Useful for adjacent SEO concepts like metadata, titles, and crawl behavior.
Reviewed by Lucía Marín, Founding editor.