WhatsApp renders OG previews in a compressed format that truncates og:description at approximately 150 characters. When og:description exceeds 300 characters or buries the key message after the 150-character mark, the message recipient sees a truncated description that ends mid-sentence. WhatsApp does not have its own meta tags — it reads og:description exclusively. Per ogp.me, the description field is the text that contextualizes the link for anyone who receives it in a message. For products shared via messaging (B2C tools, content recommendations, referral links), the WhatsApp preview is often the first impression; a truncated or absent description removes the primary click signal.
Low because WhatsApp preview truncation degrades but does not break sharing — the link still functions, and the title and image remain visible even when the description is cut off.
Front-load the most important content in og:description within the first 150 characters, and keep total length under 300 characters. This is a content strategy change, not a code change — edit the description strings in your metadata exports or generateMetadata functions.
For dynamic content pages in src/app/, derive descriptions from a summary or excerpt field on the content model, trimmed to 200 characters:
description: post.excerpt?.slice(0, 200) ?? post.title,
This aligns with general og:description best practice and requires no WhatsApp-specific configuration.
ID: marketing-social-sharing.platform-specific.whatsapp-og-description
Severity: low
What to look for: WhatsApp displays OG previews in a compressed format: title + a short excerpt of the description + image thumbnail. The description is typically truncated at about 150-200 characters. Check whether og:description values are set and within a reasonable length for WhatsApp's display window. Long descriptions are not harmful but the visible portion is short. Count all instances found and enumerate each.
Pass criteria: og:description is set on shareable pages (WhatsApp uses OG description; there's no WhatsApp-specific tag). Description length is under 300 characters. The most important information appears in the first 150 characters.
Fail criteria: og:description is over 300 characters on pages likely to be shared via messaging apps (blog posts, product pages, marketing pages), or is missing entirely.
Skip (N/A) when: No public-facing content pages exist (API-only project), or og:description absence is already caught by og-all-pages-complete.
Detail on fail: "og:description on /blog/[slug] pages exceeds 300 chars — WhatsApp will truncate well before the end, potentially cutting off key information"
Remediation: WhatsApp does not have its own meta tags — it reads og:description. Keep descriptions under 300 characters and front-load the most important content, as WhatsApp truncates at approximately 150 characters in its preview panel. This is aligned with general OG description best practice and does not require any platform-specific changes.
Reference the relevant configuration in package.json or the src/ directory structure for implementation.