Meta Description Length Checker
Check that your meta description stays within the length search engines display without truncating.
How to use the Meta Description Length Checker
- Paste the meta description you have written into the input box.
- The count updates as you type, giving the character total and whether it passes 155.
- If it is over, the message says how many characters to cut. Trim it and check again.
This counts characters, Google measures width
The number here is a plain character count, spaces and punctuation included, compared against 155. Google truncates by the pixel width of the rendered snippet, so wide characters are cut earlier and mobile results are shorter again.
The copy button copies the report, not your text
Pressing copy takes the output box, which holds the length message rather than the description. Copy the description itself from the input box. An emoji normally counts as two characters here, because it occupies two code units.
Frequently asked questions
Where does 155 characters come from?
It is the common guideline for text that fits a Google desktop snippet. Google actually measures pixel width, so the exact cut-off varies with the characters used.
Does the same limit apply everywhere?
No. Snippet lengths differ between search engines and between mobile and desktop, so treat it as a target rather than a hard rule.
Is a short meta description a problem?
Not in itself, since no minimum is checked. A very short one gives searchers less reason to click, so use enough of the space to say what the page does.
Will my description always be the text shown in search results?
No. Search engines often replace it with a sentence from the page that matches the query, which is why the point belongs in your first sentence.
Can I check a title tag with this?
You can read the character count, but the verdict does not apply. Titles are cut far shorter than 155 characters, so judge the number yourself.