The meta description is too long or too short

Why it matters

"There's no limit on how long a meta description can be, but the snippet is truncated in Google Search results as needed, typically to fit the device width." In practice that is about 160 characters on desktop and fewer on a phone, so a long description loses its ending, which is usually the call to action. A very short one leaves most of the space under your link empty, or gets replaced with text lifted from the page.

Source: Control your snippets in search results. 70 and 160 are rules of thumb, not Google's numbers, which is why this is only ever a notice.

How to fix it

Write one or two sentences, 70 to 160 characters, with the reason to click first:

<meta name="description" content="Hand-made wedding cakes in Leeds, delivered and set up on the day. Tastings every Saturday: book yours." />

Examples

These are the rule's own test pages, and what it says about each. They are run on every change to the rule book.

<meta name="description" content="Hand-made wedding cakes, birthday cakes, cupcakes, brownies, traybakes and celebration bakes in Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Harrogate and York, delivered and set up on the day by our friendly team.">

NoticeThe meta description is 197 characters. Search results cut it at about 160, mid-sentence.

fail-long

<meta name="description" content="Cakes, Leeds">

NoticeThe meta description is only 12 characters: there is room for a reason to click.

fail-short

<meta name="description" content="Hand-made wedding cakes in Leeds, delivered and set up on the day. Tastings every Saturday: book yours.">

PassedThe meta description is 103 characters, which fits a search result.

pass-103