Meta description
Also known as meta description tag · description meta tag
A <meta name="description"> tag that summarizes the page in one to two sentences and is often used as the snippet under the title in search results.
What it is
The meta description is a meta tag in <head> whose content attribute holds a short summary of the page. It does not appear on the page itself but is read by search engines and social platforms as a candidate description.
Why it matters
A good description acts as ad copy in search results, influencing click-through even though it is not a direct ranking factor. Concise, factual descriptions also give AI engines a clean summary to quote or paraphrase when surfacing your page in an answer.
How to verify
View source and look for <meta name="description" content="..."> in <head>, confirming it is present, unique, and roughly 50-160 characters. Use Search Console's URL Inspection or a SERP preview tool to see whether Google uses it or rewrites its own snippet.
How to fix
Write a unique, compelling description of about 120-155 characters that accurately summarizes the page and includes the primary keyword naturally. Avoid duplicate descriptions across pages and do not stuff keywords; if a page has no useful summary, it is fine to let Google generate one.
Related terms
- Title tagThe <title> element in a page's <head> defines its canonical name, shown as the clickable headline in search results and as the browser tab label.
- Open Graph and Twitter Card tagsOpen Graph and Twitter Card meta tags tell social platforms and chat apps how to render a link preview: its title, description, and image.
- Concise AnswersLeading each question-style heading with a direct 1-3 sentence answer before any elaboration, so the core response stands alone.
- Google Search ConsoleA free Google tool that confirms you own a site and reports how Google crawls, indexes, and ranks it.
Official references
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