Question 1

How many characters does Google show in a meta description?

Accepted Answer

Google typically displays 150–160 characters of a meta description in desktop search results. On mobile, the snippet can be shorter — roughly 120 characters. Keep your description under 155 characters to avoid truncation on both.

Question 2

Does Google measure meta description length in pixels or characters?

Accepted Answer

Internally, Google measures snippets using pixel width rather than a raw character count. A sentence with many wide characters (W, M) may truncate earlier than 160 characters, while one with narrow characters (i, l) may fit more. Keeping under 155 characters is a safe heuristic that accounts for most font rendering variations.

Question 3

When will Google rewrite my meta description?

Accepted Answer

Google rewrites or ignores a meta description when it judges the snippet from the page body better answers the user's query. This happens most often when the meta description is generic, keyword-stuffed, or shorter than the relevant page content. Writing a compelling, query-specific description reduces — but does not eliminate — the chance of Google substituting its own.

Meta Description Checker