I typed /products/oud as the page URL for og:url and the tool rejected it. Why must it be a full URL?
Because whatever reads og:url reads it on its own, with no idea which site it came from. The path /products/oud names no domain, so it points to no particular page. The tool therefore treats it as an error and holds back the tags until you enter the full address with https:// and the domain.
What happens exactly
When we typed /products/oud into 'Page URL (og:url)', a message appeared under the field: 'The page URL must be absolute and start with https:// or http://'. The output showed no tags, only 'Correct the fields marked above to see the tags.'
The same happened with example.com/products/oud typed without https://. It may look complete to the eye, but without the scheme the tool treats it as a relative path and rejects it. Add https:// in front and it is accepted.
Why the page URL is an error but the image is a warning
The tool handles these two differently on purpose. The page URL is the card's identity, and without a complete one the rest of the tags are of little use, so it blocks the output. A relative image URL such as /images/oud.jpg is written as typed, with a warning that most platforms cannot fetch a relative image. This is what came out when we tried a relative image with a full page URL:
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/products/oud">
<meta property="og:image" content="/images/oud.jpg">
The line is written, but the card will probably show no picture. A link that starts with two slashes, like //cdn.example.com/oud.jpg, is also treated as relative with the same warning, because it leaves out the scheme. The practical rule: make both links absolute.
Where to get the full address
- Open the product page in your browser.
- Copy the address from the address bar as it is; it starts with https:// and carries your domain.
- Paste it into og:url in the Open Graph metadata builder.
- For the image: right-click the picture, choose 'Open image in new tab', and copy its address from the address bar.
Addresses with Arabic words
If your page URL contains Arabic words, paste it as it is. The tool writes it into og:url in its encoded form, full of % signs, which platforms understand. To see that form or decode it back into readable text, use the URL encoder/decoder. Remember too that the tool never opens the URL, so it cannot tell whether the page exists. Open it yourself to be sure.
Common questions
Is a plain http:// URL accepted?
Yes, the tool accepts http and https, but use the secure address if your site has one.
What if I type ftp:// or another scheme?
The tool rejects it and says only http and https URLs are accepted.
Must og:url match the address bar?
It is meant to be the page's canonical address, the clean version without tracking parameters.