Google SERP Preview Tool

The common advice — "keep titles under 60 characters, descriptions under 155" — is a reasonable rule of thumb, but it's an approximation of the real constraint, which is pixel width. A title full of narrow letters like i, l, and t can run noticeably longer than 60 characters and still display in full, while a title packed with wide capital letters can truncate well before that count.

This tool measures the actual rendered width of your text using the same general typeface Google's results use, so the truncation warning reflects pixel space rather than a character count that only approximates it.

Google allows more horizontal space for descriptions on desktop than on the narrower mobile results layout, which is why the same description can display fully on one device and truncate on the other. Toggle between Desktop and Mobile above to check both before you publish, especially if a meaningful share of your traffic is mobile.

Fitting the space is necessary but not sufficient. A title that fits perfectly but doesn't match what someone searching that term actually wants to find still won't earn the click. Put the most important, specific information first — the thing that differentiates your page from the nine other results — rather than a generic phrase that could apply to any page on the topic.

Google also sometimes rewrites your title or description in the actual results if it decides a different phrase better matches the query or is a better-fitting length. This tool shows what you're asking Google to display, not a guarantee that Google will use it verbatim.

Confirm the title includes your primary keyword near the front, ideally without it looking stuffed. Confirm the description gives a genuine, specific reason to click — a number, a timeframe, or a clear answer — rather than restating the title in different words. Check both the desktop and mobile preview before publishing, since a description that's fine on one can truncate awkwardly mid-word on the other.