Structured data (JSON-LD) vs Open Graph: they serve different purposes and you need both

Open Graph tags and JSON-LD structured data solve different problems. OG tags control how your page looks when shared on social media (the preview card). JSON-LD structured data tells search engines what your page is about (article, product, recipe, event) and can enable rich results like star ratings, recipe cards, and FAQ accordions in Google Search. You need both because they feed different systems.

Platform or focus
Best Practices
OG tag strategy and tooling
Topic detail
Structured data vs OG
structured-data-vs-og

How this is calculated

OG tags are consumed by social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, messaging apps). JSON-LD is consumed by search engines (Google, Bing) and sometimes by voice assistants (Siri, Alexa). They don't conflict because they're read by different consumers. A common mistake is thinking OG tags help SEO. They indirectly help by making shared links more attractive (higher click-through from social → more traffic → better rankings), but Google has explicitly stated it does not use OG tags as a ranking signal. JSON-LD does directly influence search appearance. For a well-optimized page, include both: OG tags for social, JSON-LD for search.

Verdict

OG tags for social previews. JSON-LD structured data for search engine understanding. They're complementary, not competing. Every public page should have both. Use Google's Rich Results Test to validate your JSON-LD and the Facebook Sharing Debugger for OG.

More OG scenarios

Frequently asked questions

What are Open Graph meta tags?
Open Graph meta tags are snippets of code in your website's <head> that control how your page appears when shared on social media. They allow you to define a specific title, description, and image that platforms like Facebook, Discord, and LinkedIn will display.
Why do I need a separate twitter:card tag?
While many platforms fallback to Open Graph (og:) tags, Twitter uses its own specific meta tags (twitter:card, twitter:image, etc.) to format link previews. Providing both ensures maximum compatibility across all platforms.
What is the best image size for Open Graph?
The recommended size for an Open Graph image is 1200x630 pixels. This creates a 1.91:1 aspect ratio, which is the standard size used by almost all major social platforms for large preview cards.
How do I test if my tags are working live?
Once deployed, you can use official debuggers like the Facebook Sharing Debugger or the Twitter Card Validator. This visualizer tool helps you preview and generate the tags locally before you deploy them.