Free tool · SEO
SERP Preview Tool: title and meta description length checker
Desktop preview
Rehan Javed
https://www.rehanjaved.com › google-ads-budget-calculator
Google Ads Monthly Budget Calculator | Rehan Javed
Enter a monthly budget, cost per click and conversion rate to see clicks, leads and cost per lead. Free, with presets for law firms ...
Mobile preview
Rehan Javed
rehanjaved.com › google-ads-budget-calculator
Google Ads Monthly Budget Calculator | Rehan Javed
Enter a monthly budget, cost per click and conversion rate to see clicks, leads and cost per lead. Free, with presets for law firms and med spas.
- Pass: The title should fit on desktop.
- Warning: The description will likely be cut off on desktop. Make sure the first sentence works on its own.
How it works
Why pixels matter more than characters
Google doesn't count characters. It cuts a title when it runs out of room. A title full of capital letters and wide letters like W and M fills that space much sooner than one with lots of i, l and t. That is why a 55-character title can be cut off while a 62-character one fits.
This tool measures your text in your browser with the same kind of font Google uses in results, then compares it with the widths most SEO tools work to: about 600 pixels for a desktop title and about 920 pixels for a desktop description. Google doesn't publish these limits and changes its layout from time to time, so I treat them as a guide and leave a little room.
How to use it
Paste your current title and description
Or write new ones. The previews and bars update as you type.
Watch the bars
Green fits, amber is short and may waste space, red will probably be cut off.
Check the mobile preview
On phones the title can wrap to a second line, so a title that is cut on desktop may show in full, and the description shows less.
Read the warnings
They flag cut-off text, a missing title or description, repeated words and claims like "best" that need proof.
Copy the link
The text is saved in the address, so you can send the preview to a client or developer.
Worked examples
Front-load the words people search
Before: "Welcome to Smith & Partners | Trusted Legal Advice Since 1998 | Real Estate Lawyers in Sacramento". The useful part is at the end and gets cut off.
After: "Real Estate Lawyer in Sacramento | Smith & Partners". The search term comes first and the brand still fits. It's the same rule I follow for city-level ads in Google Ads for law firms.
Write a description that sells the click
Before: "We are a leading med spa offering a wide range of services." It says nothing a searcher can use.
After: name the treatment, the area and one concrete reason to choose you, such as a free consultation or same-week appointments, if that is true for the business. More on treatment pages in my med spa marketing guide.
Stop repeating the keyword
"Limo Service NYC | NYC Limo | Limousine NYC" reads as stuffing, and Google is more likely to rewrite it. "Airport Limo Service in NYC, Booked in Minutes | Brand" says more in less space. I go further into airport and occasion pages on the limo company SEO page, and into airport page titles in airport transfer SEO.
Use the brand once
If Google already shows your site name above the title, adding the brand to the end of every title uses up space. On a small site I keep it short; on a well-known brand it can help clicks.
Mistakes I see in titles and descriptions
- The same title on dozens of pages, often just the company name.
- Titles that don't match the page's main heading, which makes rewrites more likely.
- Keyword lists separated by pipes instead of a phrase a person would read.
- Descriptions copied from the first paragraph, cut mid-sentence.
- Claims like "#1" or "guaranteed" that the page can't back up.
- Writing for a character limit and forgetting that mobile and desktop look different.
My tips for snippets that get clicked
One page, one search
Write the title for the single search the page should win. If you can't pick one, the page may be trying to do too much.
Say what they get
Price ranges, areas served, a free tool, a checklist. A concrete reason to click beats an adjective.
Match the page
If the title promises a calculator, the calculator should be at the top. A snippet that doesn't match the page loses the click straight back to Google.
Check it in Search Console later
After a few weeks, compare clicks and impressions for the page. A low click-through rate at a good position usually means the snippet needs work. If impressions hold but clicks fall, an AI Overview may be answering the question for you.
Before you worry about the snippet, make sure the page can be indexed at all with the indexing checker, and that the text under it reads well with the content quality checker. And if you want someone to go through every page's titles, canonicals and indexing at once, that's part of my technical SEO audits.
FAQ
SERP preview questions
How long should a title tag be?
Google cuts titles by width, not by character count. Most tools, including this one, use about 600 pixels on desktop, which is often 50 to 60 characters. Wide letters like W and M use more space than i and l, so two titles with the same number of characters can be cut off at different points.
What is the right meta description length?
There is no fixed limit. On desktop, descriptions are usually cut at around 920 pixels, roughly 150 to 160 characters. Google also changes the length depending on the search, so write the description so its first sentence works on its own.
Why does Google show a different title from the one I wrote?
Google sometimes rewrites title links, usually when the title is very long, stuffed with keywords, the same across many pages, or doesn’t match the page. It often uses the main heading instead. A clear, specific title that matches the H1 is rewritten less often.
Does meta description length affect rankings?
No. The meta description is not a ranking factor. It matters because it is your pitch in the results and can change how many people click.
Is the preview exactly what Google will show?
No tool can promise that. Google changes its layout, fonts and truncation over time and may show a different snippet for different searches. Treat the preview as a guide to length and wording, not a guarantee.
Can I share a preview with my team?
Yes. Everything you type is kept in the page address. Use the copy link button and send it; the other person sees the same title and description.
More free tools
Pages ranking but not getting clicks?
I'll look at your titles, descriptions and positions in Search Console and tell you which pages to rewrite first. Free.