SERP preview tool
Enter a title, meta description and address, and this tool shows them laid out like a desktop search result. It measures each in pixels, the way search results are cut, and warns when either is likely to be shortened.
It’s for makers writing a page title and description and wanting them to read well in results before they publish. It updates as you type, so you can try versions quickly.
Free with a ShipScroll account.
How to use the SERP Preview
- Enter the title, meta description and page address.
- Press Show preview. The preview follows your edits from then on.
- If a warning appears, move the most important words to the front.
- Copy your final wording into your page’s title and description tags.
Why pixels, not characters
Results are cut to fit the screen, so the limit depends on how wide the letters are: a title of capital Ws runs out sooner than one of lowercase is. This tool measures text in Arial at the sizes desktop results use, and warns past about 600 pixels for a title and 920 for a description. Those are common rules of thumb, not limits Google publishes.
Google may show something else
Google writes the title link and snippet itself, using your title and description as strong inputs. It can change them to match a search better, especially if the title is long, repeated across pages or packed with keywords. A clear, specific title and an honest description give you the best chance of being shown as written.
Questions
How long should a title be?
Long enough to describe the page, with the key words first. Around 50–60 characters usually fits on desktop, but the pixel check here is a better guide than a character count.
Does the description help ranking?
No, but it can help people decide to click, because Google often shows it as the snippet when it describes the page well.
Does it show the mobile layout?
It shows a desktop result. Mobile results wrap titles onto more lines, so a title that fits on desktop usually fits on mobile too.
Can it read my live page?
Not this tool. To see the title and description your page actually serves, use the Meta Tags Checker.
Related tools
- Meta Tags CheckerSee the title, description, canonical and share tags a page actually serves.
- Slug GeneratorTurn titles into clean, readable URL slugs.
- Open Graph PreviewPreview how a link will look when shared, and check its Open Graph tags.