Title tag checker
Type a title and see how it lands in a Google result on desktop and on a phone, with the estimated cut point marked.
Title tag length is a width, not a count
Desktop results currently show titles in roughly 20px Arial on a column about 600px wide; phones use a slightly smaller size but allow the title to wrap to a second line. That is why the same 60 characters can fit on one screen and be cut on another, and why a title in capitals is cut so early.
Both lines above have almost the same number of characters. The one set in capitals and wide letters runs out of room far sooner, because Google measures space, not characters.
What Google asks of a title
- Every page has one, in a
<title>element inside<head>. - Descriptive and concise; avoid vague labels such as "Home" or "Profile".
- No keyword stuffing and no long boilerplate repeated on every page.
- Brand at the start or end, separated with a hyphen, colon or pipe.
- Make the main visible heading match the title's topic, so Google has no reason to pick something else.
Need ideas? Try the meta title generator.
Questions
What is the ideal title tag length?
There is no official figure. Google says there is no limit on how long a <title> element can be, but the title link is truncated as needed to fit the device width. Around 50 to 60 characters of mixed-case text usually fits one desktop line; wide letters and capitals fit fewer.
Why does Google rewrite my title?
Google generates title links automatically and may use headings, anchor text or other page text if the <title> is missing, vague, repetitive across the site, stuffed with keywords or out of date. A concise, specific title that matches the main heading is the best way to have yours used.
Should the brand name go in the title?
It helps recognition. Google suggests adding the site name at the beginning or end, separated by a delimiter such as a hyphen, colon or pipe. Put it at the end if the page topic is what searchers are scanning for.