Meta Title Length: How Many Characters Fit in Google

Short answer: Google has no fixed character limit for titles. It cuts a title when it runs out of width, at roughly 580 pixels on desktop. That is about 60 characters of normal mixed-case text, fewer in capitals and more with narrow letters.

To test your own title in a few seconds, paste it into our free meta title length checker. It shows the character count and the estimated pixel width, with your brand suffix included. The rest of this guide explains the numbers so you can use them well.

What is a meta title?

A meta title is the text inside the <title> tag in the head of a page. Browsers show it on the tab, and Google often uses it as the blue headline of a search result, which Google calls a "title link".

People also call it the page title, the SEO title or the title tag. All four names mean the same line of HTML.

Is there a title tag character limit?

No. Google does not publish a title tag character limit. Its documentation on influencing your title links says long titles may be shortened, and it gives no number.

Titles are shortened by display width instead. When the text no longer fits the space of a result, Google ends it with "...". So any character limit you read online is an estimate of how many letters usually fit, not a rule from Google.

How many characters fit in a Google title?

On desktop, about 60 characters of average mixed-case text fit in the roughly 580 pixels a title gets. This is an estimate: our checker measures titles in 20px Arial, and Google can change its fonts and layout at any time.

The real number depends on the letters you use. We measured a few strings in the same font:

Ten W letters take four times the room of ten i letters, so a count alone can say a title fits when it does not.

What is a good SEO title length?

A good SEO title length is whatever names the page clearly and still fits the width. In practice, many SEO guides suggest 50 to 60 characters. That range is a sensible rule of thumb, because most titles of that length fit in about 580 pixels.

Keep these points in mind:

• Shorter is fine. A clear 40-character title beats a padded 60-character one. Our checker calls titles under 30 characters short only to remind you that there may be room for a useful detail.
• Over 60 characters is a warning, not an error. A 62-character title with narrow letters can still fit. Check the width before you cut good words.
• Your brand counts. If every title ends with " | Your Brand", those characters and pixels are part of the total.
• Spaces count. A space is a character and takes room like a letter.

Does page title length differ on mobile?

Yes, a little. A phone has a narrower screen, so a long page title may wrap onto a second line or be shortened at a different point than on desktop.

So write for the cut: put the main topic in the first few words. To see the title together with the URL and description on both screens, try the SERP snippet preview tool.

How do you check your title length?

Use a checker that measures width, not just characters. The four steps take less than a minute:

1. Write the title. Put the phrase people search for near the start.
2. Paste it into the checker. Open the title tag length checker and paste the title. Add your brand suffix in the second box.
3. Read the width bar. If it stays inside about 580 px, the title should show in full on most desktop screens.
4. Trim and recheck. If the status says Too long, the tool shows roughly where the cut falls. Edit the title and check it again.

For other limits, such as a social post or a form field, the character counter shows characters with and without spaces.

Title length examples

Here are three made-up titles with their character counts and estimated widths:

• 45 characters, about 408 px, good: "Sourdough Starter: Feed It in 5 Minutes a Day". The topic comes first and the whole line fits.
• 23 characters, about 222 px, short: "Sourdough Starter Guide". Clear, but there is room to say what makes the guide useful.
• 90 characters, about 847 px, too long: "The Ultimate Complete Guide to Baking the Best Sourdough Bread at Home for Total Beginners". Four filler words come first, and the second half will be cut.

How do you shorten a title without losing meaning?

Edit on purpose instead of chopping off the end:

• Lead with the topic. Move the key phrase to the front so it survives any cut.
• Drop filler. Words like "ultimate", "complete" and "best" rarely add meaning.
• Use one separator. A single colon or dash is enough.
• Shorten the brand. On inner pages, a short brand or none at all saves room.
• Keep it honest. The title must match the page.
• Make every title unique. Two pages with the same title confuse readers and search engines.

The summary under the title has its own guide: how long a meta description should be.

Should a title use title case or sentence case?

Either style works, because neither is a ranking factor. Pick one and use it on every page. Our guide to title case vs sentence case compares the two, and the text case converter switches a headline between them in one click.

Frequently asked questions

What is the title tag character limit?

There is no official one. Google cuts titles by pixel width, at roughly 580 px on desktop, which is about 60 characters of average text.

How long should a page title be?

Long enough to name the page clearly and short enough to fit the width. Many writers aim for 50 to 60 characters and then check the pixel width.

Will Google always show my title as I wrote it?

Not always. Google may show different text when it thinks that describes the page better, for example when a title is very long, vague or repeated across pages.

What is the difference between a meta title and an H1?

The title tag appears in the browser tab and in search results. The H1 is the main heading on the page itself. They can be similar, but they do not have to match.