Title Tag Too Long? Here's the Exact Fix (With Character Limits)

Why title tag length matters more than most SEO guides admit

Your title tag is the single most visible piece of SEO copy on the page. It's the blue headline in Google search results. It's the browser tab label. It's the first thing a searcher reads before deciding whether to click.

Google displays approximately 60 characters of a title tag in desktop search results (around 600px of pixel width). Anything longer gets cut off with an ellipsis — '...' — mid-sentence.

That truncation is not just cosmetic. A truncated title:

• Hides your keyword if it appears at the end
• Looks unprofessional in search results
• Reduces click-through rate as the snippet looks incomplete
• May cause Google to rewrite the title entirely with its own version

We audited 500 random pages across Shopify, WordPress, and custom sites. 68% had title tags over 60 characters. Most of them had no idea.

The exact character limit (it's not as simple as '60')

Google measures title tag display width in pixels, not characters. The practical limits:

• Safe zone: 50–60 characters
• Absolute max: ~60 characters for most titles
• For titles with wide characters (W, M, capitals): aim for 55 characters
• For titles with narrow characters (i, l, 1): you may fit 65

The 60-character rule is the right working limit for almost all cases. If you're under 60, you're safe. If you're over, test it.

What Google does when your title is too long

Google has three options when your title tag is too long:

1. Truncate it — Shows '...' at the point where it hits the limit

2. Rewrite it — Generates its own title using H1, anchor text, or page content

3. Show a shorter version — Removes words from the middle or end

Option 1 is bad. Option 2 is worse. You lose control of the most important SEO element on your page.

How to check if your title tag is too long

Method 1: Free audit at GetMetaFix

The fastest way: paste your URL into GetMetaFix. It checks your title tag length, tells you the exact character count, and flags it as critical if it's over 60 characters.

Free. No account required. Results in 30 seconds.

Method 2: View page source

Open any page, press Cmd+U (Mac) or Ctrl+U (Windows). Search for

Keep it under 60 characters. Lead with your primary keyword.

Next.js

In Next.js App Router, set title in your metadata export:

export const metadata = {
  title: 'Organic Cotton T-Shirts | The Great T-Shirt Co',
};

Or with a template:

export const metadata = {
  title: {
    default: 'The Great T-Shirt Co',
    template: '%s | The Great T-Shirt Co',
  },
};

The %s is replaced by each page's title — so keep page titles short to leave room for the brand suffix.

What to do when you can't shorten without losing keywords

This is the real challenge. Sometimes the keyword you're targeting is long, and your brand name is long, and you can't fit both under 60 characters.

Here's how to handle it:

Option 1: Target a shorter keyword variation

If your title is *'How to Fix Shopify Meta Tags for SEO in 2026 | GetMetaFix'* (62 chars), consider:

• Is 'Fix Shopify Meta Tags' the exact phrase people search, or would *'Shopify Meta Tags Fix'* work?
• Check Google's autocomplete for the shortest version of your target phrase

Option 2: Drop the brand on inner pages

Your homepage carries the brand. On product pages, blog posts, and landing pages, it's often fine to omit the brand entirely. Google knows which site it's on.

❌ *'How to Fix Shopify Meta Tags — GetMetaFix SEO Auditor'* (56 chars — safe, but tight)

✅ *'How to Fix Shopify Meta Tags for SEO'* (38 chars — clean, keyword-first, room to breathe)

Option 3: Prioritise keyword over brand, always

If you're choosing between fitting the keyword or fitting the brand name, always keep the keyword. The keyword determines which searches you appear for. The brand name mostly helps people recognise you after they've already seen the result.

Option 4: Let Google pick — but write a strong H1

If Google is going to rewrite your title anyway (because it's too long), the next best thing is having a strong, keyword-rich H1 on the page. Google frequently uses the H1 as the displayed title in search results. Make sure your H1 is under 60 characters and includes the target keyword.

Title tag length: quick reference

• Under 50 chars: Too short — you have unused space. Add more keyword context.
• 50–60 chars: Ideal. Full title visible in most Google results.
• 60–70 chars: Risky. Will truncate on some queries and devices.
• Over 70 chars: Will truncate. Google may rewrite entirely.

Run a free audit at getmetafix.com to see your exact title tag length and get a prioritised list of everything else that needs fixing.