Your meta title and description are the first thing people see in Google, and they decide whether someone clicks on your page or a competitor’s. Use our free checker to test an existing page or write your own, and see a live Google preview as you type. We measure length in pixels, just like Google, so you’ll know exactly where your text gets cut off.
Preview is approximate. Google sometimes rewrites titles and descriptions, but a well-written one gives you the best chance of being shown as you wrote it.
Your title is only one part of the picture
Run our free SEO checker to test 17 essential SEO factors on your page and get a score out of 100.
There are two ways to use the tool:
Check an existing page. Enter the page’s web address and click “Check page”. We’ll pull in its current meta title and description and show how they look in Google. You can then edit the text to try improvements.
Write your own. Type or paste a meta title and description into the boxes. The Google preview and length bars update as you type, so you can adjust the wording until both bars turn green.
You can also add your main keyword. We’ll check it appears in your title and description, and show it in bold in the preview, as Google often does for words that match a search. When you’re happy, use the copy buttons to paste your text into WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify or any other website platform.
As a guide, aim for:
Google doesn’t count characters, though. It cuts text off when it runs out of space, at around 580 pixels for titles and 920 pixels for descriptions on desktop. Wide letters such as W and M take up much more room than narrow ones such as i and l. Two titles with the same number of characters can therefore show very differently.
That’s why our checker measures in pixels. A green bar means your text should show in full. Amber means it’s on the short side, and red means it’s likely to be cut off or is missing.
Mobile results show less of the description. So put your key message and call to action near the start, where everyone will see it.
For your meta title:
For your meta description:
Sometimes Google shows a different title or description from the one you wrote. This usually happens when it thinks other text on your page better matches what someone searched for. It’s more likely when a title is too long, stuffed with keywords or doesn’t match the page content.
You can’t fully control what Google shows. But a clear, accurate title and description of the right length gives you the best chance of being shown as you wrote it.
Your meta title and description help people choose your page, but they’re only one part of how Google ranks it. Try our free SEO checker. It runs 17 essential SEO checks on any page and gives you a score out of 100, with plain-English fixes.
If you’d rather leave it to the experts, take a look at our SEO services or book a free consultation.
Aim for about 50–60 characters. Google actually cuts titles off by width, at around 580 pixels on desktop, so wide letters take up more space than narrow ones. Our checker measures in pixels to show exactly where yours will be cut off.
Aim for about 140–160 characters, which is up to around 920 pixels on desktop. Mobile results show less, so put your key message and call to action near the start.
Yes, they’re two names for the same thing. It’s the clickable headline in Google results and the text in the browser tab. It’s different from your H1, which is the main heading visitors see on the page itself.
Google has said meta descriptions aren’t a direct ranking factor. They still matter, because a clear, appealing description encourages more people to click your result instead of a competitor’s. Your meta title, by contrast, also helps Google understand what your page is about.
Google sometimes rewrites them when it thinks other text on your page better matches what someone searched for. A clear, accurate title and description that are the right length and match your page content give you the best chance of being shown as written.
This free tool is built by Aksel Digital, a London SEO agency creating tailored, long-term SEO strategies for UK businesses.
