SERP Preview Tool + Meta Length Checker
SERP Preview Tool
See your title tag and meta description the way they appear in Google, with the real pixel width checked against the point where Google cuts them off on desktop and mobile.
- Free, no sign-up
- Pixel-accurate
- Desktop and mobile
- Compare 3 versions
Your page
Import from a page’s HTML
Google preview
Step by step
How to use the SERP preview tool
Enter the URL and your title tag
The preview builds the site name and breadcrumb from the URL, the way Google shows it in a search result. The bar under the title fills up as you type and turns red past the cut-off point.
Write the meta description
Watch the second bar. It measures the meta description against the desktop limit by default. Switch the preview to Mobile to check the shorter mobile snippet.
Add the search query
Type the phrase people search for. Matching words in the snippet are bolded, as Google does, so you can see whether your description answers the query.
Compare versions and copy the HTML
Add up to three versions of the title and description to see them side by side. When one works, copy the ready HTML for the head of the page.
Measurement
Why this meta length checker counts pixels, not characters
Google does not cut a title tag or meta description after a fixed number of characters. Its own documentation says there is no limit on length and that long titles and snippets are shortened to fit the device width. Width depends on the letters you use. A title full of capital W and M runs out of space far sooner than one with i, l and t.
So the checker measures the real width of your text in your browser, using the same font sizes as a Google search result: 20px Arial for the title and 14px Arial for the description. The character count is shown too, because it is handy for briefs, but the verdict comes from the pixel width. That makes it a meta title checker and a meta description checker in one, with the same rules for both.
| Element | Font | Desktop | Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title tag | 20px Arial | About 600 px, roughly 50 to 60 characters | Wraps onto a second line, so the desktop limit is the one to meet |
| Meta description | 14px Arial | About 960 px, roughly 150 to 160 characters | About 680 px, roughly 105 to 120 characters |
| Date before the description | 14px Arial | Uses about 90 px of the description space | Same |
Google does not publish these limits. They are the widths commonly used by SERP preview tools, observed from live results, and they can change when Google updates its layout.
Writing
Using the preview to write a better snippet
- Put the words people search for in the first 40 or so characters of the title tag, so they survive if the title is cut.
- Give every page its own title and meta description. Duplicates make results from the same site look alike.
- Use the description to say what the page gives the reader. Bolded query words show you at a glance whether it matches the search.
- If a date shows before your snippet, it uses some of the description length, so the important part needs to come early.
Reality check
Why Google may show a different title or description
The preview shows what you wrote. Google can still choose other text. It may rewrite a title link that is too long, stuffed with keywords or the same across many pages, and it often builds the snippet from page content when that matches the search better than your meta description. Google explains how it picks both in its documentation on title links and snippets.
A clear, accurate title tag and a description that summarises the page make it more likely that Google uses your text.
Existing pages
Check the meta tags a page uses now
To check a live page, open it, view the page source (Ctrl+U on Windows, Cmd+Option+U on a Mac), copy it and paste it into “Import from a page’s HTML”. The tool reads the title tag, the meta description, the canonical URL and the site name, and shows how they look in the search result. It works for competitor pages too.
FAQ
Questions about the tool
How long should a title tag be?
Short enough to fit about 600 pixels on desktop, which is usually 50 to 60 characters. The exact number of characters depends on the letters, so use the pixel bar. Titles under 30 characters often leave space you could use to describe the page better.
How long should a meta description be?
About 960 pixels shows in full on desktop, roughly 150 to 160 characters. Mobile shows less, about 680 pixels. Put the most important part in the first 100 characters so it shows on every device.
Why does the tool measure pixels instead of characters?
Because Google cuts titles and descriptions by width, not by a character count. Wide letters such as W and M take more space than i or l, so two titles with the same number of characters can be cut at different points.
Is the preview exactly what Google will show?
It shows your title and meta description the way Google lays them out, but Google can rewrite either one or pick other text from the page. Its snippet documentation explains when that happens.
How do I see a page’s current title and meta description?
View the page source, copy it and paste it into “Import from a page’s HTML”. The tool finds the title tag and meta description and loads them into the preview, together with the canonical URL.
Does a date or star rating reduce the description length?
A date shown before the snippet takes up part of the first line, so less of your description fits. Turn on “Show a date before the description” to see the effect.
Does it work for other languages?
Yes. Width is measured from the actual letters, so Latvian, German, Polish and wide scripts such as Japanese or Chinese are measured correctly, and emoji count as one character.
Is the SERP preview tool free?
Yes, with no sign-up. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent or saved.