Missing twitter:description — Better Descriptions for X/Twitter

What is twitter:description?

The twitter:description meta tag provides the description text that appears in X/Twitter link previews, below the title and above the URL.

Fallback behavior

X/Twitter checks for descriptions in this order:

1. twitter:description — Highest priority
2. og:description — Falls back to Open Graph
3. <meta name="description"> — Falls back to the HTML meta description

If both twitter:description and og:description are missing, X may extract text from the page itself, which is usually not ideal.

Why set a specific twitter:description?

1. Platform constraints — X displays approximately 200 characters for descriptions
2. Tone optimization — Twitter's audience often responds to more casual, direct language
3. Complement the image — With summary_large_image, the description has less space, so brevity matters
4. Drive action — Use the description to encourage clicks and engagement

How to fix it

<meta name="twitter:description" content="Your Twitter-optimized description goes here. Keep it concise and engaging." />

Best practices

1. Keep it under 200 characters — Though X allows more, shorter descriptions perform better
2. Match the Twitter tone — More casual and direct than LinkedIn or Facebook descriptions
3. Add urgency or curiosity — "Here's what you're missing..." or "The results surprised us"
4. Don't repeat the title — Use the description to add new information
5. Include a value proposition — Tell users exactly what they'll get by clicking

Example

<!-- For Facebook/LinkedIn (detailed) -->
<meta property="og:description" content="Learn how to implement and optimize Open Graph meta tags for better social media presence. Includes code examples for Next.js, Astro, and WordPress." />

<!-- For X/Twitter (concise, engaging) -->
<meta name="twitter:description" content="Your links look bad on social media? Here's how to fix that in 5 minutes with Open Graph tags." />