How long should a meta description be?
Aim for roughly 120 to 160 characters. Google doesn't publish a limit, but on desktop it usually shows descriptions up to about 920 pixels across two lines, which is around 155 to 160 characters of ordinary text.
This checker treats under 70 characters as too short, because a description that brief rarely gives a searcher a reason to click, and over 160 characters or 920 pixels as likely to be truncated.
Why pixel width matters more than characters
Letters have different widths. A description heavy in capitals, W and M fills the line sooner than one full of i, l and t, so two descriptions with the same character count can truncate at different points.
That's why the checker reports both. Use the character count as a quick guide and the pixel width as the deciding number when a description is near the limit.
What happens when a meta description is too long?
Google shows as much as fits and ends it with an ellipsis. Nothing breaks, and the page isn't penalised, but anything after the cut is invisible to the searcher. If your call to action or main benefit sits at the end, it's lost.
Write the important part first and treat the last few words as optional.
Does Google always use my meta description?
No. Google often writes its own snippet from text on the page when it thinks that text answers the specific search better. Studies of large sets of results regularly find Google replacing the meta description for a majority of queries.
A description that's accurate, specific and matches the page is the one most likely to be used. Duplicated, vague or keyword-stuffed descriptions are the most likely to be replaced.
Is meta description length a ranking factor?
No. Google has said meta descriptions don't affect rankings at all, so length doesn't either. The reason to get it right is click-through: a clear, complete description can win more clicks at the same position.
How to write a good meta description
Treat it as a short advert for the page.
- 1Summarise what the page actually offers in one or two sentences
- 2Use the words people search for, since Google bolds terms that match the query
- 3Lead with the main benefit or answer
- 4Add a specific detail: a number, a price, a feature, a time saved
- 5Finish with a reason to click, if space allows
- 6Write a unique description for every page
Checking descriptions across a whole site
Most SEO crawlers and many CMS export tools can list every page's meta description. Paste that column into bulk mode to find the empty, short and overlong ones in one go, then copy the results as CSV to plan the fixes.
Prioritise pages that already get impressions in Google Search Console: a better description there has the most clicks to gain.