How the preview is measured
Search results cut a title by width, not by character count. Narrow letters like i and l take less room than m and w, so two titles of 60 characters can end at different points. This tool measures every line in your browser with the same typeface it draws, then cuts at the word where the line runs out of room.
| What | Desktop | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Text column | 600 px | 328 px |
| Title | 1 line, about 600 px | Up to 2 lines, about 640 px |
| Description | 2 lines, about 920 px in total | Up to 3 lines, about 740 px in total |
| Rule of thumb | Title 60, description 160 characters | Description 105 to 120 characters |
What the 0 to 100 score checks
- Title length and fit20
- Description length and fit20
- Keyword in title, description and near the start20
- Brand name in the title6
- Duplicate words8
- ALL CAPS8
- Web address: valid, https, short, tidy8
- A reason to click in the description6
- Symbols and punctuation4
Leave the keyword or brand empty and those checks are skipped, so a clean snippet can still reach 100. Every point you lose comes with a fix in the numbered list, biggest first.
Writing a snippet people click
- Lead with the topic. Put the words people searched for first and the brand last.
- Give a reason. Say what the visitor gets: a price, a time saved, a free next step.
- Make every page different. Two pages with the same title compete with each other.
- Read it on a phone. The mobile card shows where the shorter screen cuts your sentence.
Check a whole site in one go
Switch to Bulk check, paste a row per page as title, description, url, and get a table of scores with the cut-off rows marked. Export it as a CSV to share or to work through the lowest scores first.
Questions
Why does my title end with three dots?
A title is cut when it runs out of room, about 600 pixels on desktop. Shorten it, or move the words that matter most to the front so the cut only removes the least useful ones.
Does a longer description help?
No. Anything past the cut-off is hidden, so extra words only push the useful ones out of view. Aim for one or two clear sentences, with the main message in the first half.
Will search engines always show my description?
They choose the text that best matches each search, and sometimes pick a sentence from the page instead. A specific description that answers the likely question is the one most often shown.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Everything is measured and scored in your browser. Your last entry is kept on this device so it is there next time, and Clear removes it.