****I spent weeks optimizing: performance Lighthouse scores bundle size lazy loading SEO structure …while completely ignoring the thing users actually saw first: The link preview. Not the website itself. The preview card inside: Telegram Discord LinkedIn X Slack Facebook Reddit And after building more browser-based developer tools, I realized something important: A broken or low-quality Open Graph setup can reduce clicks before your page even loads. What Are Open Graph Tags? Open Graph tags (OG tags) are metadata tags placed inside the of an HTML document. They control how your page appears when shared on social media platforms and messaging apps. A typical Open Graph setup looks like this: Without these tags, platforms attempt to generate previews automatically. Sometimes they succeed. Often they don’t. Why Open Graph Tags Matter Most developers think users evaluate: code quality architecture performance frameworks backend design But in reality, most users make an emotional decision within seconds.…