# Browse/Thumbnail Graphic Best Practices

This FGDC conformance check verifies the existence of a browse/thumbnail graphic in an ISO 19115 or 19115-3 metadata record. It also checks the dimensions and size of the graphic/thumbnail following the FGDC best practices.

From the [FGDC guidance](https://www.fgdc.gov/technical-guidance/metadata/fgdc-technical-guidance-datagov-geoplatform-ngda.pdf):

*Browse or “thumbnail” graphics are especially valuable for the identification of relevant search results. The adage “a picture tells a thousand words” is true and a quick view of the data can often provide sufficient information for a user to discern its appropriateness. Provide the following *Browse Graphic* information to enable Data.gov and the GeoPlatform to display the graphic with the search results.*

## ISO 19115

ISO 19115 does not include a browse graphic linkage element so metadata creators should include the linkage as the **Browse Graphic File Name**.

*//gmd:graphicOverview/gmd:MD_BrowseGraphic/gmd:fileName/gco:CharacterString/text()*

## Best Practices:

- If more than one browse graphic is specified, the first browse graphic listed should be the best representation of the resource. For datasets, this is commonly a small map that illustrates the extent and nature of the content.
- To facilitate efficient machine processing and positive user experiences, browse graphic images should be relatively small, for example, no larger than 800x600 pixels (~1MB) and encoded with compression as JPG or PNG format.

## More Information

- [FGDC Technical Guidance: Data.gov and The GeoPlatform Metadata Recommendations](https://www.fgdc.gov/technical-guidance/metadata/fgdc-technical-guidance-datagov-geoplatform-ngda.pdf)
- [ESIP ISO Explorer MD_BrowseGraphic](https://wiki.esipfed.org/MD_BrowseGraphic)