How to Debug Twitter Cards

Twitter cards are powerful tools. When you use Twitter cards, you can embed content into your website that gets displayed when the page is mentioned in a tweet. You don’t have to be content with a simple site name when you have Twitter cards embedded; with Twitter cards, site tweets contain all sorts of extras, including thumbnail photos, videos, and site descriptions. A functioning Twitter card enables you to make your site stand out from the pack and increases traffic. Learning how to debug them, then, is a necessity if you want to move your business to the next level, and people who have Twitter card debug skills are in high demand.

In this guide, we take you through the Twitter card debug process. We examine the different card types and look at the best step-by-step troubleshooting method to get your Twitter cards back up and working. With our assistance, you’ll be a Twitter card guru and will be fighting off job offers. Twitter card debugging might seem complicated, but with foreknowledge and patience, you’ll make it through and start cashing in.

Twitter Card Types

If you’re gonna debug a Twitter card, you gotta know which type you’re using. Twitter cards come in multiple flavors based on the platform and desired functions. The card types are:

• Summary card: Includes a thumbnail and description.
• Summary card (large image): Same as the previous type, but the image is larger and more prominent.
• App card: Links directly to a mobile app.
• Player card: Plays audio/video/other media.

Once you know which card type you’ve got, you can find the appropriate troubleshooting process based on the error message or messages. Twitter provides a troubleshooting guide that lists error codes per card; make good use of the error code lists, and double-check to make sure you’re looking at the correct card type to avoid applying the wrong fix.

Card Validator

When you first build your Twitter cards, you’ll want to make sure that they work before going live with them on your site. Luckily for you, Twitter has your back. They’ve created a card validator for the expressed purpose of identifying and squashing Twitter card bugs created during the initial development process. It’s super important to always send your cards through the validator to ensure that they don’t start off broken. That way, you can prevent any future issues and eliminate possible problems before they start. The validator is your debugging buddy.

To use the card validator, first, write and apply the Twitter card to your site. Enter the website URL into the validator and run it. There are a few common validator errors that will pop up often enough to feel like old friends. For example, you’ll often see the validator errors: “Fetching the page failed because the request timed out” or, “This image cannot be fetched.” These standard error messages can result from a variety of causes so, if you get an error you can’t immediately interpret, consult the Twitter card error code guide to determine the best fix. With help from the validator, you’ll be able to resolve almost any Twitter card issues thrown your way.

We hope you’ve found this guide to debugging Twitter cards to be useful. Twitter is an incredibly helpful modern business tool, so making sure that its components are doing their jobs is vital to keeping your business competitive. With our help– and a little practice, you can make Twitter work for you and reap the rewards!