FAQ
The questions developers ask most often. Don't see yours? Get in touch.
Why is my response empty?
The target page probably blocks crawlers in robots.txt, requires JavaScript to render content the Preview endpoint can't see, or sits behind a paywall. Try the Screenshot or Extract endpoint, which fully render the page before extracting.
How long are responses cached?
Successful responses are cached for ~15 minutes by URL. The cached field in the response tells you whether a given call hit the cache. Cache TTL is per-endpoint and may change as we tune for freshness vs. cost — don't rely on it for correctness.
Do you handle paywalled or login-walled sites?
We extract whatever the unauthenticated page returns — usually the meta tags above the paywall, which is often what you actually want for link previews. We do not bypass paywalls.
What happens when I hit the rate limit?
You'll get a 429 response with a Retry-After header. The error envelope includes limit, remaining, and reset_at so you can back off cleanly. See the Rate Limiting guide.
Is the Preview endpoint really free?
Yes — 150 requests/day per IP, no API key needed. If you need more, sign up for the free plan (200/month with an API key) or any paid plan.
Can I extract content from private/intranet URLs?
No. OG Fetch blocks requests to private IP ranges (RFC 1918, loopback, link-local) and refuses non-HTTPS URLs. This is a security feature — see the SSRF glossary entry.
What image formats does Screenshot return?
PNG by default. The response includes a url field pointing at a CDN-hosted image with an expires_at timestamp.
Why is the Stack Detection API marked Beta?
The data shape and confidence score are subject to small changes as we tune detection rules. Existing fields are stable; we'll announce additions before they ship.
How do I report a bug?
Include the request_id from the error response (or the URL you called) in an email to [email protected] or via the contact form.