DaylytixThe title tag is one of the most important on-page SEO elements - Google uses it to understand the page and often shows it as the headline searchers see in results. Make it too long or vague and Google truncates it or picks different text. So how long should a title tag be? Here’s the practical answer.
The short answer
Google’s title link documentation says there’s no limit on how long a title can be; it is truncated as needed, typically to fit the device width. As a rule of thumb, around 50-60 characters usually displays in full. Much shorter and you may be leaving useful words out; much longer and the end is likely to be cut off with an ellipsis.
Google measures pixels, not characters
Truncation depends on the display width, not on a character count - commonly estimated at around 600 pixels on desktop, though Google doesn’t publish a number. Wide characters like ‘W’ and ‘M’ take more space than ‘i’ or ‘l’, so two 60-character titles can display differently. The 50-60 character guideline is a reasonable proxy - just don’t treat it as an exact science.
What happens when a title is too long
- Google truncates it with an ellipsis, often cutting your call-to-action or brand.
- Or Google shows different text - its documentation lists half-empty, outdated, inaccurate and boilerplate titles among the cases where it may use other text from the page, and it asks you to avoid unnecessarily long titles and keyword stuffing.
- Either way, you lose control of the most valuable line of text you own in search results.
How to write a strong title
- Front-load the primary keyword - readers see it first and it survives truncation.
- Make it compelling, not just descriptive - you’re competing for the click.
- Keep it unique per page - duplicate titles compete and confuse.
- Add the brand at the end only if it fits within the limit.
Tip: If Google is showing different titles for your pages, compare them with the cases in its documentation: missing or half-empty titles, outdated dates, titles that don’t match the page, or the same boilerplate repeated across pages. Fix those first.
Finding titles that need fixing
On any site of size, some titles will be too long, missing or duplicated. An audit lists exactly which pages are affected, so you can fix the outliers rather than guessing.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a title tag be?
Google sets no limit, but truncates titles to fit the device width. Around 50-60 characters usually displays in full.
Does Google count characters or pixels for titles?
Neither exactly: titles are truncated to fit the display width. Wide letters take more space, so the character count is only a proxy. 50-60 characters is a reasonable guideline.
Why does Google rewrite my title tags?
Google lists cases such as half-empty, outdated, inaccurate or boilerplate titles, and asks you to avoid long titles and keyword stuffing. Clear, unique, accurate titles are the most likely to be shown as written.