Type a title and meta description and see them the way Google shows them, on desktop and on a phone. The bars under each box measure pixel width, which is what Google actually uses to decide where to cut.
Google may rewrite titles and descriptions, so treat this as a close guide rather than a guarantee. Widths are measured in pixels, the way Google cuts them.
Why pixels matter more than characters
Most advice says “keep titles under 60 characters”. That works as a rough rule, but Google doesn’t count characters. It has a fixed width, about 600 pixels for a desktop title, and anything past that becomes “…”. A title full of wide letters like W and M runs out of room at 50 characters, while one with lots of i, l and t can fit 70.
This tool measures your text in the same font and size Google uses (Arial at 20px for titles, 14px for descriptions), so the cut-off you see here is very close to the real one.
How to use the preview
- Paste the title tag you plan to use. If you use Rank Math or Yoast, this is the SEO title field, not always the post title.
- Paste your meta description. Aim to fill most of the bar without going red.
- Add the page URL so the breadcrumb line looks right, and your site name.
- Put in the search term you want the page to rank for. Google bolds words from the search in your description, so you can see if your description actually uses them.
- Switch between Desktop and Mobile. Phones wrap titles onto two lines but show a shorter description.
What makes a snippet get clicks
Ranking gets you seen. The snippet decides whether anyone clicks. A few habits that make a real difference:
- Lead with the thing people searched for. If the search is “robots.txt generator”, a title starting with those words wins over one that starts with your brand.
- Add a reason to pick you. A year, a number, “free”, “with examples” or “no sign-up” all give the reader something extra to go on.
- Write the description as a promise. Tell people what they will get on the page in one or two plain sentences. Skip “In this article we will discuss”.
- Keep your brand short. ” | Brand” at the end is fine. A long tagline eats space the reader cares about.
We wrote a longer guide on writing title tags that earn clicks, and another on meta descriptions if you want examples.
When Google rewrites your title
Google changes a lot of titles and descriptions, usually when the one you wrote is too long, stuffed with keywords, or doesn’t match what is on the page. The best defence is a title that fits, matches your H1 closely and describes the page honestly. If Google still rewrites it, look at what it chose. It is often a hint about what searchers want to see.
Common questions
How long should a title tag be?
Keep it under about 600 pixels, which is usually 50 to 60 characters. The meter above turns red when you go over. Shorter titles are fine as long as they say clearly what the page is about.
How long should a meta description be?
Around 150 to 160 characters on desktop and about 120 on mobile. Put the most useful words first, because the end is the part that gets cut on phones.
Does the meta description affect rankings?
Not directly. It affects how many people click your result, and a good click rate means more visitors from the rankings you already have.
Why does my live result look different?
Google may pick a different title or a sentence from your page as the description, and it adds things like dates, ratings or site links for some results. This preview shows what you control: your own title and description.