Google truncates titles by how much space they take up on screen, measured in pixels, not by a fixed number of characters. A title full of wide letters such as W and M gets cut sooner than one full of narrow letters. Counting characters is a rough guide, so check the pixel width in a preview before you publish.
Why characters are only a guide
Letters differ in width. Two titles with the same number of characters can occupy very different widths. Advice such as keep titles under about sixty characters works as a rule of thumb, but it is not exact.
How truncation works
When a title is too wide for the space available, Google shortens it and adds an ellipsis. There is no official hard limit published, and the layout can change between desktop and mobile.
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What to do in practice
- Put the most important words at the start.
- Keep titles short enough to display fully, usually around the pixel width of a typical result.
- Avoid padding with filler or repeated words.
- Preview the result before publishing.
Preview before you publish
Paste your title into my free SERP Snippet Preview to see desktop and mobile versions measured in pixels. Generate the tags with the meta tag generator.
A cut title is not a penalty
Truncation does not hurt rankings, but a cut title can lose your key words or brand. For writing tips, read how to optimize title tags.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an exact character limit?
No. It depends on the letters used and the layout.
Does the same apply to meta descriptions?
Yes, descriptions also depend on width. See why Google rewrites meta descriptions.
Next steps
See why Google rewrites title tags, or contact me here.
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