Creating Custom Open Graph Images: A Webflow Guide for SEO Optimization

Published on
May 8, 2023

How to Create Custom Open Graph Images for Landing Pages in Webflow

If you're looking to create custom open graph images for all your different landing pages, Webflow offers a versatile and user-friendly solution. With the ability to populate images with dynamic content and add dynamic text, Webflow is the ideal platform for building custom open graph images. In this guide, we'll walk through the process of building a workflow in Webflow to generate open graph images and store them in a database.

Getting Started with Dynamic Open Graph Images

To begin, let's familiarize ourselves with the key components needed to create dynamic open graph images using Webflow. The tools we'll be using include Airtable, Placid, and Webflow.

Airtable: Airtable will serve as the database to store the dynamic content and images that will be used to generate open graph images.

Placid: Placid is a powerful tool that allows the generation of dynamic images through an API. It enables the population of different fields on a canvas with assets to create custom open graph images.

Webflow: Webflow will be the platform where we update and store the generated open graph images for the respective landing pages.

  1. Airtable Setup for Dynamic Content

We'll start by setting up the necessary fields in Airtable to store the dynamic content that will be used to generate the open graph images. We need fields to store the title and the screenshot of the landing pages. Additionally, we'll create a formula field to customize the title using a combination of static and dynamic variables.

Here's a breakdown of the fields we need:

Title Field: This field will hold the title that will be displayed on the open graph image.

Screenshot Field: To store the images of the landing pages for generating the open graph images.

Custom Title (Formula Field): This field will dynamically generate the title using a combination of static and dynamic variables.

  1. Using Placid to Generate Dynamic Images

With the content in place, we'll leverage Placid to create the dynamic open graph images. Placid offers a user-friendly interface to populate images with dynamic text and content. By integrating with Placid's API, you can personalize the open graph images with the specific details of each landing page.

Here's what you'll need to do with Placid:

Select a Template: Choose a template in Placid for creating open graph images.

Populate Text Fields: Use the dynamic content from Airtable to populate the text fields in the Placid template.

Add Screenshots: Populate the image fields with the screenshots of the landing pages stored in Airtable.

Once the dynamic content is successfully integrated into Placid, you can generate the open graph images with the click of a button.

  1. Setting Up the Workflow in Webflow

Now that we have the dynamic open graph images ready, it's time to set up the workflow in Webflow to automate the process of updating and storing the images for the respective landing pages.

Here's how to build the workflow in Webflow:

Webhook Trigger: Create a webhook trigger on Airtable that will initiate the process of generating the open graph images.

Airtable Integration: Use Airtable automations to trigger the workflow in Webflow. This includes retrieving the necessary records from Airtable to generate the open graph images.

Placid Integration: Integrate Placid's image generation steps into the workflow to populate the open graph images with dynamic content.

Updating Webflow: Set up the workflow to update the respective landing pages in Webflow with the newly generated open graph images.

Once the workflow is set up, it will automate the process of creating and updating the open graph images for all the landing pages.

  1. Testing and Optimization

After setting up the workflow, it's crucial to test the entire process to ensure that the open graph images are being generated and updated correctly in Webflow. This involves running tests with different records and ensuring that the dynamic content is accurately reflected in the open graph images.

It's also essential to optimize the workflow by adding conditions to the automation, such as checking for empty image fields before generating new open graph images.

By thoroughly testing and optimizing the workflow, you can ensure that the process runs smoothly and efficiently, generating custom open graph images for all your landing pages.

  1. Implementation and Finalizing the Workflow

With the workflow tested and optimized, it's time to implement it for all the landing pages in Webflow. This involves triggering the workflow for each landing page to generate and update the open graph images.

As the workflow runs for each landing page, it will dynamically create and store the open graph images, ensuring that each page has a unique and customized representation for social sharing and preview.

Final Thoughts

Building a workflow to generate custom open graph images for landing pages in Webflow is a powerful way to enhance the visual representation of your content across social media and other platforms. By leveraging the capabilities of Airtable, Placid, and Webflow, you can create a dynamic system that automatically generates and updates open graph images based on your content.

With a well-structured workflow in place, you can ensure that your landing pages are visually optimized for sharing and preview, providing a compelling and tailored experience for your audience.