Sharing your reel on social media & messaging platforms

To share a reel, paste the reel URL as you would with any third-party content on your favorite social or messaging platforms.

ReelCrafter uses Open Graph (OG) previews, so your reel link generates a preview anywhere Open Graph is supported, including:

• Social platforms like Facebook, Twitter/X, and LinkedIn
• Messaging platforms like Slack, iMessage, Discord, and WhatsApp

Jump to: Social Sharing settings · Customize your preview · Default fallbacks · Why isn't my preview updating? · Platform-specific notes · Common questions

Where do I find Social Sharing settings?

You'll find Social Sharing settings by scrolling down on each reel's details page.

To access them:

1. Click into the reel you want to share
2. On the reel details page, scroll down
3. Look for the tab labeled Social Sharing

This tab contains all the settings that control how your reel appears when shared.

How do I customize my reel's social preview?

In the Social Sharing tab, you can:

• Edit the title shown in the preview
• Update the description text beneath the title
• Replace the preview image used when your reel link is shared

A live preview appears on the right, showing how your reel will look when shared. Each platform displays this information slightly differently.

Recommended image size: 1200x630 pixels (or 2400x1260 for retina displays); max 5 MB

Don't forget to save. The Save button is at the bottom of the Social Sharing section. After making changes, scroll down and click Save social settings. Updates won't apply until you save your changes.

What gets used if I don't customize Social Sharing?

If you leave the Social Sharing fields blank, ReelCrafter automatically selects preview content based on what's visible on your reel.

Image fallback order

Title and description

If you don't customize these fields:

• The title is pulled from your reel title
• The description is pulled from your visible bio or descriptive reel content, depending on availability

Since platforms display and shorten Open Graph content differently, we recommend setting a custom title and description if presentation matters.

Best practice summary

1. Open the Social Sharing tab on your reel
2. Set your title, description, and preview image
3. Scroll to the bottom and click Save social settings
4. Share your reel link

This ensures your reel looks the way you want, whether it's shared on social media or sent directly in a message.

Why isn't my updated social preview showing?

Most platforms cache Open Graph data the first time a link is shared. This means if you customize your Social Sharing settings after sharing your reel link, the preview may not update on that platform.

To get a specific preview: Set your title, description, and image before sharing for the first time.

To force a refresh: See the platform-specific notes below. Some platforms have debug tools; others require workarounds.

Platform-specific notes

Last updated: January 2026

Platforms with debug tools

These platforms let you force a cache refresh using their official tools:

Facebook
https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/post-inspector/

General preview tool
https://www.opengraph.xyz/ lets you preview how your link will appear across multiple platforms.

Platforms without debug tools

These platforms cache previews but don't offer official tools to refresh them:

Twitter/X
Twitter's Card Validator is no longer publicly available. To refresh a cached preview, tweet the link again or wait for the cache to expire (typically within 7 days).

Slack
Slack caches link previews for about 30 minutes. To force a refresh, delete the message containing the link and re-post it, or wait for the cache to expire.

iMessage
Apple Messages caches previews aggressively and only displays og:title and og:image (not og:description). There's no debug tool available. If you've updated your preview, you may need to wait for the cache to clear on its own.

WhatsApp
WhatsApp caches link previews for 24-48 hours. There's no official debug tool.

Discord
Discord caches link previews and has no public debug tool.

Workaround for platforms without debug tools: If a platform is still showing an old preview after you've updated your Social Sharing settings, add ?v=2 to the end of your reel URL before sharing. For example: play.reelcrafter.com/your-reel-url?v=2

This can trick the platform into thinking it's a brand new link, so it fetches the updated preview instead of using its cached version.

Instagram

Instagram does not support rich Open Graph link previews.

To share your reel on Instagram:

1. Upload your own image in the app
2. Include your reel URL in the caption or "Link in bio" text

URLs aren't clickable in Instagram captions. Create a short, personalized URL so followers can type it easily.

Common questions

Why isn't my social preview updating?

Platforms cache Open Graph data when a link is first shared. Use a debug tool if available, or add a query parameter (e.g., ?v=2) to force a refresh.

What size should my social sharing image be?

1200x630 pixels (or 2400x1260 for retina). Max file size is 5 MB.

Why is the ReelCrafter logo showing instead of my image?

Your reel may not have any eligible images (banner, profile, logo, or headshot). Add an image to your reel or upload one directly in the Social Sharing tab.

Do I need to save after making changes?

Yes. Scroll to the bottom of the Social Sharing tab and click Save social settings. Changes apply only after you save.

Can I share on Instagram?

Instagram does not display link previews. Instead, upload an image manually and put your reel URL in the caption or bio.

Can I use an animated GIF as my preview image?

We don't recommend it. Most platforms either don't support animated GIFs in link previews or only display the first frame. For the most reliable results across platforms, use a still image (JPG or PNG) instead. If you do use a GIF, keep it under 5 MB.