ℹ Info SEO

Meta Description Too Long — Optimize for Search Results Display

Google typically shows 150-160 characters in search result snippets.

What's the issue?

Your <meta name="description"> exceeds 160 characters. Google typically displays 150-160 characters in search result snippets, so content beyond that limit is cut off with an ellipsis.

Why it matters

Truncated message — Your carefully crafted pitch gets cut mid-sentence
Lost call to action — If your CTA is at the end, it may not be visible
Inconsistent display — Different devices and search engines truncate at different points

How Google handles long descriptions

Google's snippet display depends on:

Device — Mobile shows fewer characters than desktop
Pixel width — Wide characters reduce the visible count
Search query — Google may show a different portion of your description based on the query

Context	Approximate limit
Desktop	~155-160 chars
Mobile	~120-130 chars

How to fix it

Trim to 150-160 characters while keeping the core message:

<!-- Too long (200+ chars) -->
<meta name="description" content="This is our comprehensive resource for learning all about web development including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and many popular frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, and Svelte with tutorials for beginners and advanced developers" />

<!-- Better (155 chars) -->
<meta name="description" content="Learn web development with tutorials on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and more. Free resources for beginners to advanced developers." />

Tips for concise descriptions

Lead with the value — Most important info first
One clear message — Don't list everything
Cut redundant words — "and many more" can usually be removed
Use active voice — Shorter and more compelling

Check your Open Graph tags

Related articles

Missing og:title

The og:title tag is essential for social sharing. Without it, platforms will use the page title or URL.

og:title Is Too Long

Titles longer than 60 characters may be truncated on social platforms.

og:title Is Too Short

Short titles may not be descriptive enough for social sharing.

Missing og:description

The og:description tag provides a summary of the page content for social platforms.

og:description Is Too Long

Descriptions over 160 characters may be truncated on social platforms.

og:description Is Too Short

Short descriptions miss the opportunity to engage users.

OpenGraph MCP Server

Inspect OG tags directly from your editor

The OpenGraph MCP server lets you inspect and analyze Open Graph meta tags directly from your AI-powered editor or assistant. It provides two tools:

inspect_og — Fetch and score OG tags for any URL
suggest_og_tags — Generate recommended meta tag HTML

Add the server to your project's .cursor/mcp.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "opengraph": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "opengraph-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Cursor after adding the configuration.

Add to your .vscode/mcp.json file (requires GitHub Copilot extension):

{
  "servers": {
    "opengraph": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "opengraph-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Make sure you have GitHub Copilot with MCP support enabled.

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "opengraph": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "opengraph-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

The config file is at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows.

Add to your ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "opengraph": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "opengraph-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Windsurf after modifying the configuration.

Add to your Zed settings.json under context_servers:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "opengraph": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "opengraph-mcp"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Open settings with Cmd+, and add the configuration.

Usage examples

▶ "Inspect the OG tags of github.com"

▶ "Suggest OG meta tags for my website https://example.com"

▶ "Check if my blog post has proper Open Graph tags"