Meta Length Checker guide
Check the length of a page title and meta description before you publish. Character counts update as you type, so you can trim a title to about 60 characters and a description to about 155 before Google cuts them off.
Why length matters: pixels, not characters
Google does not cut titles at a fixed character count. It truncates by the space available on screen, which is about 600 pixels for a desktop title. An average character in Google's result font is roughly 10 pixels wide, so the usual answer is 55 to 60 characters. But letters are not equal: a lowercase i or l is a fraction of the width of a capital W or M. A title written in narrow lowercase letters can run past 65 characters and still display in full, while a title with lots of capitals can be cut at 50.
Descriptions work the same way, just longer. Desktop results usually show around 155 to 160 characters of the description before adding an ellipsis, and mobile results often show fewer. Character counts are the practical proxy everyone uses because they are easy to measure while writing.
Targets that work
Title: 50 to 60 characters, with the primary keyword near the front and your brand at the end if it fits. A title under 30 characters wastes space that could win clicks; a title over 65 is likely to be truncated or rewritten.
Meta description: 120 to 155 characters. Lead with the benefit or answer, include the main keyword naturally (Google bolds words that match the query), and end with a reason to click. Anything important should be in the first 120 characters so it survives on mobile.
Worked example: fixing a real title
Before: Free Online Mortgage Calculator Tool With Taxes, Insurance, PMI, HOA and Amortization Schedule | Mavis Tools. That is 108 characters. Google will cut it around Insurance, and the brand name never appears.
After: Mortgage Calculator with Taxes, Insurance & PMI. That is 47 characters. With a | Mavis Tools suffix it reaches 61, right at the edge, so on a page where the brand matters less, dropping it is the better trade. The keyword leads, the differentiators (taxes, insurance, PMI) survive, and there is no filler like free online tool that every competitor already uses.
Description before: This is a mortgage calculator. It calculates mortgages. 55 characters, no reason to click. After: Mortgage calculator with property tax, insurance, PMI, and HOA. See your full monthly PITI payment, total interest, and payoff date in seconds. That is 143 characters: keyword first, specific benefits, and a promise.
When Google rewrites your snippet
Google's documentation is explicit that it may generate a different title link or snippet when it thinks another text better matches the query. Titles are most often rewritten when they are very long, stuffed with repeated keywords, boilerplate across many pages (Home, Untitled, or the same title on every product), or when they do not match the page's visible H1. In 2021 Google changed how it generates title links, and afterward said it uses the page's own title element in the large majority of cases.
Descriptions are rewritten much more often, because Google frequently pulls a passage from the page that directly answers the specific query. You cannot prevent that, but a well-written description still wins for the main query, and it is what appears when the page is shared in many apps.
Mistakes to avoid
Duplicate titles or descriptions across pages: Search Console and most SEO crawlers flag these, and Google is more likely to rewrite them. Keyword stuffing, such as Mortgage Calculator, Mortgage Payment Calculator, Home Loan Calculator: it reads as spam and invites a rewrite. Writing for the character limit instead of the reader. Leaving the description empty, which hands the choice entirely to Google. And forgetting that the brand suffix added by your CMS or site template counts toward the length too.
How we calculate: sources
Frequently asked questions
How long should a title tag be?
Aim for 50 to 60 characters. Google truncates titles by pixel width, roughly 600 pixels on desktop, which fits about 55 to 60 average characters. Wide letters like W and M use more space, so a 55-character all-caps title can still be cut.
How long should a meta description be?
About 120 to 155 characters. Desktop results typically show up to around 155 to 160 characters, and mobile results often show less, so put the key point in the first 120.
Does Google have an official character limit?
No. Google's documentation sets no character limit for titles or descriptions; snippets are simply truncated to fit the device. The 60 and 155 character figures are practical guidelines from observing search results.
Why does Google show a different title or description?
Google rewrites titles and descriptions when it thinks another text better matches the query, for example when the title is stuffed with keywords, too long, or duplicated across pages. A clear, accurate, unique title and description are the best way to keep yours.
Are meta descriptions a ranking factor?
No. Google has said the meta description is not used for ranking. It still matters because a compelling snippet earns more clicks, and click-through is what turns a ranking into traffic.
Do spaces and punctuation count?
Yes. Every character counts toward the length, including spaces, punctuation, and the separator between your page title and brand name, such as a pipe or dash.
Is my text uploaded?
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded to a server or stored by us.
What is a good length for an H1 compared with the title tag?
There is no fixed limit for an H1, since it is on-page text. Many sites use the same wording as the title tag or a slightly longer version. Keeping them consistent helps Google trust the title you wrote.
How long should an Open Graph title be?
Aim for 60 to 70 characters or less. Facebook, LinkedIn, and X each truncate differently, and shorter titles survive all of them. The open graph generator builds the tags for you.