Recommended lengths
Keep title tags under about 580 pixels (roughly 50 to 60 characters) and meta descriptions under about 920 pixels (roughly 150 to 160 characters). Past that, Google usually shortens them with an ellipsis on desktop.
Google does not publish a character limit. Titles and descriptions are cut according to the space they take on the screen, so a title full of narrow letters (i, l, t) fits more characters than one full of wide ones (W, M, capitals). That is why this checker measures pixel width as well as characters:
- Title: measured in Arial 20 px, the font size of desktop result titles. The gauge turns red past 580 px.
- Meta description: measured in Arial 14 px. The gauge turns red past 920 px; it warns from 155 characters.
Widths are measured in your browser with the canvas text API when Arial is installed, and with Arial's published letter widths otherwise, so results are the same on every device. The 580 and 920 px thresholds are practical estimates used across the SEO industry, not official values: Google changes its layout from time to time, and mobile results have a different width.
Preview
The preview card shows your title and description as they would appear in a desktop result, shortened with "..." at the measured point. Use it to check that the cut falls after the important words, not in the middle of them.
Google can rewrite both
Since 2021 Google may replace a title link with other text from the page, such as the main heading, when it judges the title unhelpful or too long (Google Search Central, "Influencing your title links"). Descriptions are rewritten even more often: Google builds the snippet from the page content when it better matches the query. A clear, specific title of a reasonable length is the best way to keep yours.
Writing tips
- Put the main topic at the start of the title, and the brand at the end if there is room.
- Write a distinct title and description for every page.
- Make the description a short, accurate summary that answers the search: what the page offers and why it helps.
The title box ignores line breaks, as browsers do. To check other texts against a custom limit, use the Target field or the main character counter.
Sources: Google Search Central documentation, "Influencing your title links in search results" and "Control your snippets in search results".
Frequently asked questions
What is the ideal meta description length?
About 150 to 160 characters, or 920 pixels at 14 px Arial on desktop. Google has no official limit; longer descriptions are simply shortened in results.
How many characters can a title tag have?
There is no hard limit, but desktop results show about 580 pixels of title, which is usually 50 to 60 characters. Longer titles are cut with an ellipsis.
Why measure pixels instead of characters?
Because Google truncates by width. Sixty capital W's take far more room than sixty lowercase i's, so a character count alone cannot tell you whether a title fits.
Why does Google show a different title from mine?
Google may rewrite title links that are too long, repetitive or unclear, often using the page's main heading. Keeping the title concise and descriptive reduces the chances.
Does the meta description affect rankings?
Google says the meta description is not a ranking factor, but it can be used as the snippet in results, which influences whether people click.