Meta Tag Checker

Validate your HTML meta tags for SEO. Check title tags, meta descriptions, Open Graph, Twitter Cards, and viewport settings.

Missing or wrong viewport? See how to write the viewport meta tag, and which values to avoid. For JSON-LD and microdata, the schema markup validator checks the structured data Google uses for rich results.

Essential Meta Tags for SEO

<title>

The title tag is the most important on-page SEO element. It appears in search results and browser tabs. Keep it under 60 characters and include your primary keyword.

<title>Your Page Title | Brand Name</title>

<meta name="description">

The meta description appears in search results below the title. Write a compelling description under 160 characters that encourages clicks.

<meta name="description" content="Your compelling description here.">

<meta name="viewport">

Essential for responsive design. Without it, mobile devices will render your page at desktop width and scale it down.

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">

Open Graph Tags

Control how your page appears when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other platforms. Includes og:title, og:description, og:image, and og:url.

<meta property="og:title" content="Your Title">

Twitter Card Tags

Similar to Open Graph but specifically for Twitter/X. Use twitter:card, twitter:title, twitter:description, and twitter:image.

<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">

Title and Meta Description Length

Google does not publish a character limit for either. It cuts a title or a description when it no longer fits the width of the result, so the real limit is in pixels and depends on the letters: a title full of W and M is cut sooner than one full of i and l. Google also rewrites titles and descriptions it considers a poor match for the query.

This checker therefore uses ranges that fit in practice rather than a hard rule: 10 to 60 characters for the title and 50 to 160 for the meta description. Outside them you get a warning, never an error, because a long title is not broken, it is only likely to be shortened.

Lengths are measured on the text people see. In the source, Tom & Jerry is 15 characters; on screen it is "Tom & Jerry", 11. Counting the raw source flags titles as too long when they are not. The tags are read with the same HTML parser browsers use, so an apostrophe inside a value, or attributes written in an unusual order, are read correctly.

Search results and social cards are written for different readers. To see the card your page produces when the link is shared, and whether its image is the right size, use the Open Graph checker.

Why Meta Tags Matter for SEO

Meta tags provide search engines with information about your webpage. While not all meta tags directly affect rankings, they influence how your page appears in search results, which affects click-through rates.

A well-crafted title tag and meta description can significantly improve your organic CTR, driving more traffic without improving your ranking position. Open Graph and Twitter Card tags ensure your content looks professional when shared on social media, increasing engagement and referral traffic.

Use our meta tag checker to validate your HTML and ensure all essential meta tags are present, correctly formatted, and following current best practices.

Common Meta Tag Mistakes

Missing Title Tag

Without a title tag, search engines generate one from your page content. The result is often ugly and unhelpful, leading to lower click-through rates.

Title Too Long

Google cuts titles that do not fit the width of a result, which is usually somewhere past 50 to 60 characters. Put the words that matter first, so a cut costs nothing.

Duplicate Meta Descriptions

Using the same meta description on multiple pages confuses search engines and wastes the opportunity to target different queries on each page.

Missing Viewport Tag

Without the viewport meta tag, mobile browsers render your page at desktop width and scale it down, so responsive layouts never apply and text is tiny on phones.

No OG Image

When shared on social media without an og:image tag, platforms either show no image or pick a random one from your page. A 1200 x 630 image is Facebook's recommended size; the Open Graph checker loads yours and measures it.

Relative OG URLs

Open Graph image and URL tags must use absolute URLs (https://...). Relative paths like /images/og.jpg will not work on any social platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are meta tags and why are they important?

Meta tags are HTML elements placed in the <head> section of a web page that provide metadata about the page. They tell search engines, browsers, and social media platforms information like the page title, description, character encoding, and viewport settings. While not all meta tags directly affect rankings, they influence how your page appears in search results and social shares.

How many meta tags does a page need?

At minimum, every page should have a <title> tag, a meta description, a viewport meta tag for responsive design, and a charset declaration. For social sharing, add Open Graph tags (og:title, og:description, og:image) and a Twitter Card tag. That is typically 7-10 meta tags for a well-optimized page.

Does the meta description affect search rankings?

Google has confirmed that meta descriptions are not a direct ranking factor. However, a well-written meta description significantly improves click-through rate (CTR) from search results, which can indirectly influence rankings. Google may also rewrite your meta description if it does not match the search query well.

What are Open Graph meta tags?

Open Graph (OG) tags are meta tags that control how your page appears when shared on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack, and Discord. The key OG tags are og:title, og:description, og:image, og:url, and og:type. Without them, platforms will try to guess your content, often with poor results.

Should I use the meta keywords tag?

No. Google has explicitly stated it ignores the meta keywords tag and has done so for over a decade. Bing also ignores it. Using it is not harmful but it is a waste of space. Focus your SEO efforts on the title tag, meta description, and actual page content instead.

What is the canonical meta tag?

The canonical tag (<link rel='canonical' href='...'>) is technically a link tag, not a meta tag, but it is placed in the <head> alongside meta tags. It tells search engines which version of a page is the authoritative one, preventing duplicate content issues when the same content is accessible under multiple URLs.

How do I add meta tags to my HTML?

Place meta tags inside the <head> section of your HTML document, typically near the top. Each tag is self-closing and uses attributes like 'name' or 'property' with a 'content' attribute. Example: <meta name='description' content='Your description here'>. Our checker can verify your syntax is correct.

Can I check how my link looks when shared?

Yes, with the Open Graph checker. It reads the og: and twitter: tags, loads the og:image and checks it against Facebook and X limits, then shows an approximate card for each.

Is this meta tag checker free?

Yes, with no account. Enter a URL or paste HTML, including a page on localhost, and see which tags are present, which are missing and which are outside the usual ranges.