Branded link previews in Slack, iMessage, and LinkedIn.
Paste a NudgeHost link anywhere and it unfurls properly. A real title, a description, and a thumbnail drawn from the file itself, not a blank grey box.
- 1200×630preview image
- First pageon a PDF’s card
- Every linkgets a card
What they see
Each kind of file unfurls its own way.
Paste a link into a chat and the app draws a card from the page’s Open Graph tags. The picture on it depends on the file.
- The title is the filename
- The description reads Shared via NudgeHost
- The picture is rebuilt when you replace the file
How it works
From a file to a card in three steps.
Upload the file
NudgeHost builds the preview image as the upload finishes, with nothing for you to set.
Paste the link
Paste it into a chat, an email or a post.
The card appears
The app fetches the page’s tags and draws the card in its own style.
What each file shows
The picture on the card.
The title and description are the same on every card. The picture is built from the file.
- PDF
Its first page, on a NudgeHost background.
First page - Image or GIF
The picture resized to fit, with a small wordmark in the corner. A GIF shows its first frame.
The picture - HTML page
A card showing the text of its title tag.
Title card - Everything else
A card with the filename and a label for the type, such as a spreadsheet or a video.
Branded card - A zipped site
Its own Open Graph tags, served as you built them.
Its own tags - A locked link
NudgeHost’s general image, with the filename as the title.
General image - A file over 100MB
A card with its filename rather than a picture of its contents.
Filename card
After you send it
Cards that keep up with the file.
The card changes when the file does, hides what a password protects, and lets a site speak for itself.
Rebuilt on replace
Replace the file and the image is rebuilt at the same address. An app that fetched the old card can keep it for a while.
Nothing leaks from a locked link
A password swaps the picture for NudgeHost’s general image, so the file stays out of the chat.
A site sets its own
Add og:title, og:description and og:image to a zipped site’s index.html to control its card.
Plans
Previews on each plan.
Every link gets a preview card, including uploads made without an account.
| Without an account | Free | Pro, $12 a month | Studio, $29 a month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preview cards | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Largest file | 25MB | 25MB | 250MB | 1GB |
| Passwords | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Links live at once | 3 | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Link lasts | 7 days | Until you delete it | Until you delete it | Until you delete it |
Link previews
Why a link should unfurl properly.
A link that unfurls into a blank grey box looks broken, and people are slower to click it. Chat apps and social sites read the card’s details from Open Graph tags in the page, and the og:image tag is the one that supplies the picture.
The picture depends on the type of file, so a proposal looks like a proposal in the chat. Types with no picture of their own get a branded card, which is what a PowerPoint deck or a spreadsheet shows. A password keeps the file out of the card as well, and a link behind a password unfurls with NudgeHost’s general image.
Previews come with every link, including uploads made without an account, so you can publish a file and paste the link anywhere to see one. There’s a worked example of turning a PDF into a link that shows the first-page card.
Frequently asked questions
What if the preview does not show at all?
Usually the receiving app hasn’t fetched the link yet, or it stored an earlier failed attempt. Pasting the link again in a fresh message normally makes it fetch the page again.
What if NudgeHost can’t build a preview for my file?
The card falls back to NudgeHost’s general image, so the link still unfurls with its filename. The link itself works either way.
Does the card show a PDF’s contents to people who can’t open it?
For a public link it shows the first page, so anyone who sees the message sees that page. Put a cover page first, or add a password, when the first page shouldn’t travel on its own.
How can I check a preview before sending the link?
Paste the link into a conversation with yourself in the app you plan to use. You’ll see the card exactly as that app draws it.
Can apps load the preview image without signing in?
Yes, which is how they draw the card for someone who has never used NudgeHost. That’s also why a locked link’s card shows the general image instead of the file.
Do previews show in email?
Some email apps draw link cards and many show the plain link. Either way the link opens the file in the browser.
Can I turn the preview off?
Not from NudgeHost. Every link carries its Open Graph tags, so any app that reads them can draw a card.
What does a Word document’s preview show?
A card with the filename and a type label. The preview is built from the uploaded .docx rather than the page it becomes, so it doesn’t show the first page.
Does the card change if I add a password later?
Yes. Once the link has a password, NudgeHost serves its general image for the card. An app that already fetched the old card can keep showing it for a while.
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