About this tool
Google preview, explained
See how a page could look in Google results before you publish it. Type a title, a description and an address to get a live preview on desktop or mobile, with a width check that shows where Google is likely to cut the text.
How to use it
- 1Type the page Title and Description, or start from an example such as Pricing page, Blog post, Product page or Local business.
- 2Enter the Page address and the Site name, and upload a favicon if you have one.
- 3Switch between Desktop and Mobile, and Light and Dark. Turn on the extras you need: Breadcrumb path, Date, Review stars or FAQ rich result.
- 4Read the two meters, marked Good length, Short or Will be cut, then click Copy tags to get the title and meta description tags for your page.
How it works
How the preview and length check work
Google cuts titles and descriptions by their width on screen, not by a count of characters. The tool measures text with the character widths of Arial, the font of Google results, so wide letters such as W fill the space faster than narrow ones such as i. A title is set at 20 px and cut at about 600 px; a description is set at 14 px and cut at about 920 px on desktop and 680 px on mobile. These are common working limits, not Google's own rules.
Each meter shows both measures. A title is a good length from 30 to 60 characters, and a description from 70 to 160. Below the minimum it says Short, above the maximum Will be cut, and a text inside the character range that is still wider than the pixel limit is marked Will be cut too. The default title, 50 characters long, measures 430 of the 600 px available.
In the preview, text that doesn't fit is cut at the last whole word and followed by an ellipsis, the way Google shortens long snippets. When the date is on, it comes before the description and counts toward its width. The address is shown without http:// or https://, as a breadcrumb path when that option is on. Everything runs in your browser.
When to use it
Ways people use it
Writing titles for new pages
Draft the title and description together and adjust them until both meters say Good length and the text reads well.
Rewriting pages that get few clicks
A page that ranks but gets few clicks often has a cut or vague snippet. Rewrite it here and compare.
Checking mobile results
Switch to Mobile: the description runs out sooner there, at about 680 px instead of 920, so the key point needs to come first.
Getting sign-off
Send a client or teammate the share link so they see what the search result will look like, instead of raw tags.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How long should a title tag be?
Aim for about 50 to 60 characters. Google cuts titles by display width, around 600 px on desktop, so this length usually shows in full. Put the most important words first, so they stay visible even if the end is cut.
How long should a meta description be?
Roughly 70 to 160 characters. Shorter descriptions leave room unused, and longer ones are usually cut, at about 920 px on desktop and sooner on mobile. Google can show a different length depending on the device and the search.
Why does Google show a different title or description than mine?
Google may rewrite titles and pick its own description from the page content when it judges that a better match for the search. A title that clearly describes the page and a description that summarizes it are the most likely to be shown as written.
Does the meta description affect rankings?
Google has said the meta description is not used as a ranking factor. It still matters, because it is often the text people read before deciding to click.
What is a SERP?
SERP stands for search engine results page, the page of results a search engine shows for a query. Each result usually shows the site name, the page address, a title and a short description, sometimes with extras such as a date, review stars or questions, which is what this tool previews.