Meta description length checker
This meta description length checker counts your characters as you type and shows where Google may cut the snippet off. Between 120 and 150 characters usually shows in full on phones and desktops; add the page title to preview the whole result.
Search result preview
example.com
https://example.comYour page title appears here
Your meta description appears here. Google may show other text from the page instead.
Google may rewrite titles and snippets, and pixel widths vary a little by device and font, so treat this as a close guide rather than a guarantee.
Why meta descriptions get cut off
Google sizes snippets by the pixels they take up, and shows less on a phone than on a desktop. A description past about 120 characters may be cut on mobile, and past 155 to 160 on desktop, with an ellipsis where it stops. Staying between 120 and 150 keeps the whole sentence visible on both.
Google also shows a different snippet when it thinks text from the page matches the search better than your description. Length won't prevent that; a description that summarises that exact page makes it less likely.
What to put in a meta description
Treat it as one or two sentences that tell a searcher what they'll find:
- Say what the page offers in plain words, using the phrase people search for.
- Add one concrete detail: a price, a number of steps, a format, what's free.
- Write a unique description for every page rather than reusing the homepage's.
- Skip quotation marks and lists of keywords, which read badly when shown.