Social networking systems benefit from techniques that improve the ability of users to share online content with other users of a social networking system. In one embodiment, when a user types, pastes, or otherwise inserts a URL, or some other hyperlink, into a message or post to the social networking system, a set of data on the referenced hyperlink target is acquired and stored on a server of the social networking system. The stored data is analyzed, to automatically generate a preview for the hyperlink; and the hyperlink preview is transmitted to the client device for approval. In one embodiment, follow-up actions related to the content are performed when the content is posed, which enables users to perform social graph actions to user nodes and concept nodes related to the message or post. In one embodiment, the shared content is cached on the social networking system.