SERP Preview

Truncation is by pixel width, not characters

Titles are cut around 580 pixels and descriptions around 920 on desktop, both narrower on mobile. Character counts are a proxy that fails on wide text: an all-caps title of 50 characters truncates where 60 lowercase characters fit comfortably. Previewing at the actual rendered width is the only reliable check.

The URL line is now a breadcrumb

Google displays the site name and a breadcrumb path rather than the raw URL, derived from the URL structure or from BreadcrumbList structured data. Long parameterised URLs no longer clutter the result, but a deep or inconsistent path still produces a breadcrumb that reads badly.

Google frequently rewrites both fields

Titles are replaced when judged a poor match, often with an H1 or on-page text. Descriptions are regenerated from page content on most queries to match the specific search. A preview shows your best case, not a guarantee — the defence against rewriting is an accurate, specific title rather than a keyword-stuffed one.

Bold matching draws the eye

Query terms appearing in the title or description are bolded, which is a large part of why a result gets clicked. Including the phrase people actually search, near the front where truncation cannot reach it, is worth more than fitting more words in.

Preview mobile as well

Most searches are mobile, where the available width is smaller and titles wrap to two lines more often. A title that fits desktop fits mobile; the reverse is not true, so checking the tighter case is the safe habit.