SERP snippet preview tool
Google cuts your title by pixel width, not character count. A title of 60 wide letters gets cut; 60 narrow ones do not.
Your page
Type and watch the preview. Widths are measured the way Google renders them.
Desktop result
Mobile result
How to use this SERP snippet preview tool
- Type or paste your page title.
- Add the URL and your meta description.
- Check the live preview and shorten anything that is cut off.
Who it is for
For SEO specialists, writers and site owners who want to check a snippet before they publish, without installing a plugin.
Why pixels and not characters
Almost every guide tells you to keep titles under 60 characters. That is a rough average, not a rule. Google cuts the title when it runs out of room, and letters are not the same width.
Illinois lighting and Wallmount workwear are both 17 characters. The second
is far wider on screen. A title full of capitals, W and M gets cut well before 60 characters; one full
of i, l and t survives past 65.
Writing a title that survives the cut
- Front-load the important words. Whatever gets cut is the tail, so never put your keyword or your location there.
- Put the brand at the end, separated by a dash — and drop it entirely if you are short on room.
- Write for the click, not the crawler. Stuffing three keywords in makes Google more likely to rewrite your title, not less.
About the description
The meta description is not a ranking factor. It is ad copy for a free listing, and it changes how many people click — which does matter.
Google rewrites descriptions often, especially when yours does not match the search. That is not a failure. Write one good description that suits the main search, and accept that Google will improvise for the long tail.
Common questions
How long should a title tag be?
Google cuts titles by pixel width, roughly 580 to 600 pixels on desktop, which is often around 55 to 60 characters. Put your main phrase near the start in case the end gets cut.
Does the meta description affect rankings?
Not directly. Google has said so repeatedly. It affects how many people click your result, and click behaviour does feed back into performance over time — so it matters, just not the way people assume.
Why does Google show a different title to the one I wrote?
Google rewrites titles when yours is too long, stuffed with keywords, duplicated across many pages, or a poor match for the search. Writing a clear, specific, appropriately short title is the best way to keep the one you chose.
Are the pixel limits exact?
They are close, not exact. Google adjusts the layout by device, language and result type, and has changed the widths before. Treat the numbers as a reliable guide rather than a guarantee, and leave yourself a little room.
Need more customers as well?
This tool is free and always will be. If you also want ads, search and follow-up that bring in customers, I offer a free 45-minute consultation for businesses in the USA, UK, UAE, Australia and India.
Book a free consultationBuilt and maintained by Premkumar Ragav, an independent performance marketing specialist. Updated November 2026.