Meta description over 985 pixels wide
What it is
The meta description, the content of <meta name="description">, is estimated to be wider than 985 pixels when shown as a search snippet. How much fits depends on the letters and the screen, and the end of a description that does not fit is replaced by an ellipsis.
Why it matters
Google truncates snippets as needed to fit the device width. Whatever falls after the cut goes unseen, so a closing offer or call to action does no work. The estimate is rough, and a description only a few characters over it may well fit, which is why this is a low-severity opportunity.
How Asky checks it
Asky reads the first <meta name="description"> in the page’s raw HTML (one added by JavaScript is not seen) and trims whitespace at both ends of its content. It does not measure rendered text: the width is estimated as the number of characters × 7 pixels, and an estimate above 985 is reported. In practice that means 141 characters or more, whatever the letters. 985 pixels is an industry estimate of snippet width, not a limit Google publishes. Because 141 is below 155, a description of 141 to 155 characters is reported here but not as over 155 characters; a longer one raises both.
Reported as an opportunity with low severity.
How to fix it
- Put the main point first, then trim to 140 characters or fewer. That also keeps it under the over 155 characters limit.
- Keep at least 70 characters, or it is reported as below 70 characters.
- Remove filler and anything the title already says.
- If a template or plugin generates descriptions, set its length limit to 140 characters.
- To leave it as it is: if the description is only a little over and its first 140 characters stand on their own, mark the issue resolved.
Example
The description of https://example.com/pricing at 148 characters (estimated at 1,036 pixels), then trimmed to 134 (938 pixels):
<!-- Before: 148 characters -->
<meta name="description" content="Compare Example Co pricing plans for marketing teams and agencies, with monthly or yearly billing, volume discounts, a free trial and no setup fees.">
<!-- After: 134 characters -->
<meta name="description" content="Compare Example Co pricing plans for marketing teams and agencies, with monthly or yearly billing, volume discounts, and a free trial.">