In short
The page title and meta description are the first things people see of your website in search results. Whether they click is often decided right here. Google sets no fixed character count but truncates by screen width. That is why this tool calculates with the width of the font instead of just characters and shows you the preview for phone and computer.
How long can a meta description be?
Google says: there is no limit on how long a meta description can be, but the snippet is truncated as needed, typically to fit the device width. The same applies to page titles: their length is not limited, but the title is truncated as needed to fit the device width.
In practice this means:
| Element | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Page title | The most important part first, meaning service and location. What comes at the end is more likely to be cut off. |
| Meta description | Two complete sentences with service, location and a concrete benefit. The core belongs in the first sentence. |
Character guidelines such as "60 characters at most" are rules of thumb, not Google's rules. A title made of narrow letters fits longer than one with many wide letters such as W and M. That is exactly what the pixel value in the tool shows.
What Google says about good titles
- Every page needs its own descriptive title in the title element.
- Avoid vague titles such as "Home".
- No repeated keywords, such as "cheap, cheaper, cheapest painter". According to Google that quickly looks like spam.
- No boilerplate text that is the same on every page. You can put the website name at the beginning or end.
Google determines the displayed title automatically from various sources. Usually it is the page title, but it can also be the main heading or other text on the page.
What Google says about good descriptions
- Every page gets its own description summarising the content of that specific page.
- The description may also be in note form, for example with price, location or opening hours.
- Long strings of keywords are unsuitable. Then the description is shown as a snippet less often.
Important: Google creates the snippet mainly from the page content and uses the meta description when it describes the page better. A good description increases the chance that your text appears, but it is not guaranteed.
Examples for a trades business
| Field | Weak | Better |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Home | Smith Painting in Heilsbronn: painting and decorating |
| Title | Painter Painter Heilsbronn Painter cheap | Painter in Heilsbronn: interior, facade, wallpapering |
| Description | Welcome to our website! | Interior and exterior painting, wallpapering and facades in Heilsbronn and the surrounding area. Fixed quote in advance, appointment within two weeks. |
The examples are made up. Only include benefits that are true.
How to use the snippet generator
- Load your existing page or type in title and description.
- Switch between phone and computer and check both views.
- Read the notes and adjust the texts until both views look good.
- Copy the finished HTML code or enter the texts in your site builder or WordPress.
Whether your pages have a title and description at all is checked for the home page by the free website check. More on writing them in Write title tags and meta descriptions.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Google show a different title from mine?
Google chooses the title link automatically and can also use the main heading or other text on the page, for example if the page title is missing, very long or does not match the content.
Does a good meta description improve my ranking?
The description is mainly there to make people click. Google describes it as a short, relevant summary meant to spark interest.
Is the preview exactly like Google?
No, it is an approximation. Google keeps changing the display and, depending on the search, shows additional elements such as stars or dates.
Is my input stored?
No. What you type stays in your browser. When loading a page, my server requests the address once, nothing is stored.
Sources
- Google, title links in Google Search: developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/title-link
- Google, meta descriptions: developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/snippet
As of 5 November 2026.