If you include a link within a Mastodon post, it will automatically show a "link preview" below the post. Link previews often show an image associated with the link and/or basic information about the contents of the link.
You don't have to do anything special, the preview is generated automatically. It may sometimes take a few minutes to appear if your server is busy.
More info about previews as well as many questions answered at:
➡
️ https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-get-a-link-preview-to-appear-in-my-post-on-mastodon
#FediTips #Mastodon
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services For some reason @thetyee@mstdn.ca links never show previews on Mastodon (at least not for me on desktop or Mona app). I noticed that YouTube links didn’t show previews until I cut out the part after the ?
@stephaniepixie@fandom.garden @thetyee@mstdn.ca
Weird... Tyee preview links work okay for me on the website interface? Are you using Mastodon through the website on desktop?
YouTube is another issue, a lot of people have had trouble getting it to embed as YouTube was doing something weird that other sites don't do.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services This is the Mastodon web browser view on my phone. Maybe it’s an issue with my instance that is very strict about what it allows.
I see nearly every other link preview though so it’s very specially The Tyee’s links.
I generally use Mona app. Links look the same either way.
@stephaniepixie@fandom.garden
Ahh okay... I might have misunderstood. Do you mean you don't see previews on Tyee's account, or you don't see previews when linking to Tyee's website?
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services No previews when I see a Tyee post on my timeline
@stephaniepixie@fandom.garden
Gotcha. As far as I can tell previews from other accounts on the same server as Tyee work okay, and if I use the same links as the Tyee in my own posts they generate previews too.
But for some reason the Tyee's links don't cause previews on their own account.
As they are a news site, I'm wondering if they are using some kind of social media management service that posts to Mastodon in an unusual way which fails to trigger previews. I'm not sure beyond that though, sorry.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services I just tried to see if their links show up in my own post and it doesn’t. I waited a while since some take a moment to show up. Still nothing.
I tried both versions of this link in the image below and no image preview on any platform.
I tried even without logging into my account by looking at the Tyee Mastodon posts and still no preview. I tried on Mona app, and also on Safari, Firefox, and Vivaldi web browsers.
Weird. Preview shows up in my RSS feed so it’s only on Mastodon. I tried on my iPhone and Mac laptop. No preview anywhere on Mastodon.
So weird.
Thank you for trying to find a solution. I guess it’s just one of those things.
@stephaniepixie@fandom.garden
It can take many minutes but it should show up, at least it did when I tested.
I'm not sure why it isn't at your end, sorry I can't help more 🙁
Might be worth talking to your server admin if they know anything about this?
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services If the preview still doesn’t show up when I’m not logged into my mastodon account then logically it wouldn’t have anything to do with the server I’m on, right?
Maybe an Apple issue. Do you use Apple tech to view?
@stephaniepixie@fandom.garden
I don't use Apple but that (as far as I know) should't have an effect.
The preview shows up or not regardless of whether you're logged in or not. It's not connected to being logged in.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services Correct, preview doesn’t show on the Tyee Mastodon account when I do a search for “Tyee Mastodon” (on various web browsers) and click on their account while logged out of Mastodon. And it also doesn’t show when I’m logged in on any device or Mastodon platform.
I’m trying to figure out the common denominator. Only thing I could think of was I use only Apple devices 🤷♀️
@stephaniepixie@fandom.garden
I'm not sure what else to suggest except doing a test post (maybe as a DM) with the link in it and leaving it for a longer period of time, then going back to it and refreshing the page.
If it still doesn't work after all that, I don't know what to suggest 😅
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services I’ve been following their account for a year and even months later their links still don’t show previews 😄
Thank you for trying. It will remain a mystery.
@stephaniepixie@fandom.garden
I don't mean their account's posts, I mean if you post a link from their website on your account. That should show previews 🙂
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services I’ll try but I doubt it’ll be different. Why would that be the only link that takes longer than 30 minutes?
@stephaniepixie@fandom.garden
As far as I know, it's their account that is doing something weird in the way it posts that stops previews appearing on their own posts. (I'm guessing it's possibly social media management software of some kind.)
If you copy the link and insert it into one of your own posts, I'm guessing that would work if you give it a bit of time?
Fedi.Tips
