Title tags and meta descriptions: lengths, rules and examples
guide // , 5 min read, by Darthwares
Aim for a title tag of 30 to 60 characters and a meta description of 70 to 160 characters. Search engines set no hard limit, but they cut off text that does not fit the result, and they may replace either one if it does not describe the page. A title that states what the page is, in the words people search with, does more than any length rule.
On this page // 5 sections
The short version
- Title: 30 to 60 characters. Meta description: 70 to 160 characters.
- These are working ranges, not limits set by Google or Bing.
- Every page needs its own title and description.
- Search engines rewrite titles and snippets that do not match the page.
Why the ranges exist
A search result has limited width. Google measures titles in pixels rather than characters, so a title with wide letters is cut sooner than one with narrow letters. Sixty characters is a length that usually fits. Under thirty, a title rarely says enough to distinguish the page.
Descriptions work the same way. Around 160 characters fits on most screens. Below 70, there is usually room for one more useful fact.
| Element | Working range | What happens outside it |
|---|---|---|
| Title tag | 30 to 60 characters | Too short is vague; too long is cut off with an ellipsis |
| Meta description | 70 to 160 characters | Too short wastes the space; too long is cut off |
| H1 | One per page | Several H1s blur what the page is about |
Weak and strong titles
A strong title names the thing, says what kind of page it is, and puts the brand last.
Home | Pricing | Welcome to Acme
Acme pricing: plans for teams of 1 to 500
Weak and strong descriptions
A description is a short pitch for the click. Say what the reader will find and one concrete detail.
Welcome to our documentation. Learn more about our product here.
Install the Acme CLI, sign in and deploy a first project. The guide takes about ten minutes and needs Node 20 or later.
When the search engine rewrites yours
Google generates title links and snippets automatically and uses your tags as the main input. It may choose other text when the title is missing, repeated across pages, stuffed with keywords, or does not describe the content. The fix is the same in each case: make the tag an accurate, specific description of that one page.
- 01Export every page with its title and description. A dotmap audit lists them.
- 02Sort by duplicates first. Shared titles are the most common problem.
- 03Fix missing tags next, then the ones outside the working range.
- 04Check that each title still matches what the page says.
Common questions
How long should a title tag be?
Between 30 and 60 characters is a reliable working range. Google does not set a character limit; it truncates titles that are too wide for the result.
How long should a meta description be?
Between 70 and 160 characters. Search engines truncate longer text and may show a different snippet taken from the page.
Are meta descriptions a ranking factor?
They are used for the snippet rather than for ranking. A clear description can still improve how often people click your result.
Primary sources and further reading
Prepared with AI-assisted drafting and checked against the primary sources below. These sources support the platform and measurement claims; the examples and recommendations are dotmap analysis, not results reported by the sources.