A meta description is a short summary of a web page’s content, placed in the HTML <head> as a meta tag. Search engines often display the meta description beneath a page’s title in search results, giving users a preview of what the page is about before they click.

The meta description is not a direct ranking signal but it influences click-through rate, which can affect overall search performance.

How a meta description looks

In HTML:

<head>
  <title>How to migrate from Squarespace to a static site</title>
  <meta name="description" content="Step-by-step guide to moving a Squarespace site to a static, code-based platform, including content export, redirects, and DNS." />
</head>

In a Google search result:

How to migrate from Squarespace to a static site Step-by-step guide to moving a Squarespace site to a static, code-based platform, including content export, redirects, and DNS. example.com › guides › migrate-from-squarespace

Length and formatting

Aspect	Recommended
Character count	150–160 characters (Google often truncates beyond this)
Pixel width	Approximately 920 pixels on desktop, less on mobile
Tone	Concise, descriptive, written for human readers
Format	One sentence, sometimes two; no HTML tags

Google may rewrite or replace meta descriptions that don’t match the search query well, displaying its own auto-generated snippet instead.

What makes a good meta description

Accurately describes the page content so users know what to expect
Includes the primary keyword or topic of the page (helps Google decide whether to use it)
Written for human click intent, what would make someone want to read more
Unique per page, duplicate meta descriptions across many pages reduce their value
Action-oriented when appropriate, verbs and specific outcomes
Honest, misleading descriptions hurt long-term trust and search performance

What to avoid

Generic boilerplate. “Welcome to our website” tells users nothing
Keyword stuffing. Repeating terms unnaturally to game search engines
Identical descriptions across many pages. Each page benefits from a unique description
Excessive length. Anything beyond ~160 characters typically gets truncated
HTML or special characters. Plain text only

Meta description and SEO

The meta description is not a ranking factor in modern search algorithms. Google has confirmed this multiple times. However:

Better descriptions can improve click-through rate (CTR), more clicks per impression
Higher CTR can correlate with better long-term search performance (though Google has been ambiguous on whether CTR is a direct signal)
The description is often used by social platforms and link previewers when shared

When Google rewrites meta descriptions

Google increasingly chooses its own snippet rather than using the page’s meta description, particularly when:

The query specifies content the meta description doesn’t address
The meta description is too short or generic
The meta description doesn’t accurately reflect the page
The page has content that more directly answers the query

Studies suggest Google rewrites meta descriptions on a majority of search results. This means meta descriptions still matter, but the page’s overall content matters more.

Open Graph and Twitter Cards

Separate meta tags control how pages appear when shared on social platforms:

<!-- Open Graph (Facebook, LinkedIn, most social platforms) -->
<meta property="og:title" content="..." />
<meta property="og:description" content="..." />
<meta property="og:image" content="..." />

<!-- Twitter Card -->
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="..." />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="..." />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="..." />

These often duplicate the meta description content but use different tags. Both sets are typically generated together.

Where meta descriptions are set

Platform	How meta descriptions are set
WordPress	Field in editor (with SEO plugin like Yoast or Rank Math)
Shopify	Field in product/page editor
Squarespace	”SEO Description” field
Wix	”SEO” panel for each page
Webflow	Field in page settings
Static site generators	Set in frontmatter or page metadata
Custom sites	Templated based on page data

Most platforms allow per-page meta descriptions; some also allow site-wide defaults that fill in when a page-level description isn’t set.

Common misconceptions

“Meta description directly affects rankings.” It does not; it affects click-through rate, which can indirectly influence performance.
“You should include keywords in meta descriptions.” Including relevant terms helps Google decide whether to use the description, but stuffing hurts readability.
“Meta description length should be exactly 160 characters.” That’s a guideline, not a hard limit; quality and clarity matter more than hitting an exact length.
“Google always uses the meta description provided.” Google often substitutes its own snippet based on the query.