Title tag checker

Paste up to 20 URLs, or type one title. We read each page's title tag, measure it in characters and pixels, show where Google may cut it on desktop and mobile, and compare it with the H1.

Short answer: Google has no fixed title length. It cuts a title “as needed, typically to fit the device width”, so pixels matter more than characters. This checker measures both, shows where Google would likely cut the title on desktop and on a phone, and flags the problems that lead Google to rewrite a title.

What it checks for each URL

Present, and only once. A missing or empty title tag means Google writes its own. With more than one <title> it isn’t clear which one Google uses.
Length. Characters, and width in pixels from Arial’s letter widths at 20px. We estimate a cut at about 600px on desktop and after two lines of about 340px on a phone. Google doesn’t publish its cut-offs, so treat these as estimates.
The H1. Same, close or different. Google uses headings as a source for title links and may replace a title that doesn’t match the page.
Boilerplate. “Untitled”, “Home”, framework leftovers like “Create Next App”, or just the site name on an inner page. Google’s documentation says to avoid vague descriptors like “Home”.
Duplicates across the URLs you paste, and the separator and brand part, with the pixels it uses.

What to fix first

Missing, empty and boilerplate titles.
Duplicates. Distinct titles are also a quick test for near-duplicate pages.
Titles likely to be cut. Put the words people search for first, then trim.
Brand placement. Put it last on inner pages, so a cut takes the brand and not the keywords.
Titles that disagree with the H1.

Google has to recrawl a page before a new title shows, and it may still rewrite it (see title rewrite). Draft options with the AI title generator, preview the snippet in the SERP preview, and read how we rewrite titles on pages that already rank.

Limits

We read the HTML the server sends: the first title and the first H1, with no JavaScript. A title set by a script may differ from what Google sees after rendering. The preview is drawn from our estimates, and Google’s font and cut-off vary by device.

Questions

How long should a title tag be?

Google has no fixed limit. It truncates a title link "as needed, typically to fit the device width", so width matters more than the character count. About 600px on desktop is the usual estimate. People often quote 50 to 60 characters as a rule of thumb, but that isn't a Google number, and wide letters use more room. Our own writing rule on Versely is 50 characters or fewer. That's our choice, not a Google rule.

Why does Google show a different title than the one I wrote?

Google builds title links from several sources: the title element, the main visible title, headings such as the H1, og:title and more. Its documentation lists reasons it may replace yours: a half-empty title, obsolete or inaccurate text, several equally prominent headings, or a language that doesn't match the page.

Should the title match the H1?

They should agree on the topic, but they don't need to be identical. The title is written for the search result, the H1 for the reader who has arrived. A title that says something the page doesn't is the kind Google may replace.

Are duplicate titles a problem?

Google's guidance is to avoid repeated or boilerplate text in title elements and give each page distinct text that describes its content. Two pages with one title are harder for people and for Google to tell apart. If you can't write a different title for a page, ask whether it should be its own page.

Should my brand name be in the title?

Google suggests branding titles concisely, with a delimiter such as | or a hyphen. Our advice: lead with the brand on the homepage, and on other pages put it last, so the words people search for come first, where they are least likely to be cut.

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