A meta description is the summary you suggest for a page’s search result. It doesn’t directly affect rankings, but a clear, relevant snippet earns more clicks, and clicks are the point.
How long should it be?
Google truncates descriptions by pixel width, not characters. On desktop the cut-off is commonly observed at around 920 pixels (roughly 150–160 characters); on mobile, around 680 pixels (roughly 120 characters). Wide letters (W, M) use more space than narrow ones (i, l), so two 155-character descriptions can be cut in different places.
Practical rule: put the essential message in the first 120 characters, and use up to about 155 for supporting detail. Check yours in the SERP Snippet Preview, which measures pixel width with the same font metrics Google’s results use.
What Google does with it
- Google uses your description when it matches the query better than text from the page. For many searches it writes its own snippet from the content instead.
- Duplicate descriptions across many pages are unhelpful; each page should have its own.
- If you write the tag by hand, escape double quotes as ". An unescaped quote ends the attribute and cuts the description short. The Meta Tag Generator escapes them for you.
A repeatable formula
What it is + why it’s useful + a specific detail or action.
| Page type | Example |
|---|---|
| Tool | Count words, characters and sentences as you type, with reading time and keyword density. Free, private, your text never leaves your browser. |
| Guide | The em dash, en dash and hyphen do different jobs. Rules from Chicago and AP, how to type each one, and the mistakes editors fix most. |
| Product | Lightweight waterproof hiking jacket with taped seams and pit zips. 340 g, packs into its own pocket. Free returns within 60 days. |
| Local business | Family-run bakery in Leeds since 1998. Sourdough, pastries and celebration cakes, open daily from 7am. Order online for collection. |
Checklist
- Unique for every page
- Matches what the page actually delivers
- Main message in the first ~120 characters
- Active verbs and a concrete benefit or detail
- No keyword stuffing
Generate the full set of tags (title, description, canonical, Open Graph and Twitter) with the Meta Tag Generator, and test title alternatives with the Headline Analyzer.
Sources
- Google Search Central, “Control your snippets in search results” and “Influencing your title links”.
- Pixel limits: industry measurements (e.g. SEO tool vendors); Google publishes no fixed limit.