Reviving Old-School Link Previews: Say Goodbye to Yawnsville!

The social network X, formerly known as Twitter, has decided to reintroduce headlines on URL cards. This decision comes after Elon Musk previously removed headlines to enhance the visual appeal of posts, making it difficult to determine the content behind linked images. However, the rollout of the headline-enhanced link cards is currently underway.

According to reports by 9to5Google, the headlines on link previews have undergone a makeover, appearing as white text on a black box, sitting on the feature image that links to a particular web page. The font has also been downsized and is now located at the bottom within the feature image.

Despite the comeback of headlines, there is a catch – if a title becomes too wordy, it will be cut off with ellipses. The website URL has also been relocated to a different spot, placed on a separate line between the link preview and the buttons for reply, repost, and likes. This change is currently only visible when posting links directly through X’s web version, with plans for iOS to catch up eventually (Android never ditched headlines on URL previews).

The decision to bring back headlines comes after Elon Musk initially thought that links looked cooler without them, leading to their removal late last year. However, Musk later announced the return of headlines, recognizing the importance of providing context to spice things up on the platform.

While it is not exactly certain if the link headline revival plays nice with third-party social media aggregators, the reintroduction of headlines will undoubtedly provide more clarity and context for users when dropping links on X. Ultimately, this decision marks a shift in the platform’s approach to link previews and aims to enhance the overall user experience.