Approximate search result
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Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator (Free, With Formula)
Work out the hourly rate you need as a freelancer after tax, expenses, time off and unbillable hours. Free calculator with the formula and a worked example.
- Title length
- 53 characters, good length
- Description length
- 156 characters, good length
Search engines rewrite titles and descriptions and cut by pixel width, not characters, so treat this as a guide.
This tool is provided for general information. Results depend on what you enter and are not professional advice.
The short answer
Search engines cut titles and descriptions by pixel width, not a fixed character count, so there is no exact limit. As a guide, titles of about 30 to 60 characters and descriptions of about 70 to 160 usually display without being cut off. Type your title, description and address to see an approximate preview and count.
The title and description you write for a page are your one chance to speak directly to someone deciding whether to click. If the title is cut off in the middle of a phrase, or the description says nothing useful, you lose clicks you have already earned by ranking. This tool shows an approximate preview and tells you when your text is likely too long or too short.
How to use this tool
- Enter your page title, the text in the title tag.
- Enter your meta description.
- Enter the page address so the preview can show the site and path.
- Read the preview and the counts. Edit until the result reads well and nothing important is cut.
The preview is not a screenshot of a live search result, and no tool can promise one. It is a working guide to help you write better text.
Why there is no exact limit
Search results are drawn in a fixed width of screen space. A title such as "Illumination" takes far less room than one filled with capital letters and wide characters, even at the same number of characters. So search engines cut by width, and the width available also varies between desktop and mobile. Character counts are the practical proxy. The commonly cited comfort zone for titles is around 60 characters, and for descriptions around 155 to 160. This tool uses those as guide values, and where your browser allows it, it also estimates the pixel width of your title using a standard font, which is a slightly better indicator.
What makes a good title
Lead with what the page is. Someone scanning results reads the start first. Put the main topic there.
Be specific. "Freelance hourly rate calculator" says more than "Calculator".
Match what the page delivers. A title that promises something the page does not offer may win a click and lose the visitor.
Write for one reader. Avoid stuffing several keywords into one title. It reads badly and rarely helps.
Keep it unique. Duplicate titles across pages make each page harder to tell apart.
What makes a good description
Summarise the page honestly. Say what the reader will get.
Use the space. A one-line description wastes room that could answer a question or give a reason to click.
Include what matters early. If it is shortened, the end is lost first.
Do not repeat the title. Add new information.
Avoid promises you cannot keep. Especially on this site: we never promise income, and neither should your description.
Search engines may rewrite your snippet
Sometimes the title or description shown in results is not the one you wrote. Search engines generate their own when they believe it suits the query better, for example by pulling a sentence from the page. You cannot fully control this. What you can do is write clear, accurate text, make sure each page has a distinct purpose, and keep the page's own headings and opening lines strong, since they are often used as a fallback.
Where this fits in SEO
Titles and descriptions are a small part of a much bigger picture. Good ones help a page that already ranks earn more clicks, but they cannot make a weak page rank. Ranking depends on useful content, links, and a site people trust. If you are learning the wider skill, our article on learning SEO as an income skill explains where to start, and our guide to blogging shows how the pieces fit together. To track which links bring visitors, use the UTM link builder.
Common mistakes
Writing to a character count instead of to a reader. Length is a constraint, not the goal.
Keyword stuffing. It looks spammy and often gets rewritten.
Duplicate titles and descriptions across many pages. Every page needs its own.
Leaving the description empty. The search engine will choose text for you, and it may not be what you would have written.
Never revisiting old pages. A better title can lift clicks without changing rankings.
Assumptions and limits
The preview is a simulation using guide lengths, not real search data. It does not show rich results, dates, ratings, sitelinks or how a particular device draws the result. The pixel estimate depends on your browser and a standard font, so treat it as approximate. Everything runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to us.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a title tag be?
There is no official limit, because search results are cut by pixel width. About 30 to 60 characters usually fits, and wide letters take more room than narrow ones. Put the most important words first, so that if the end is cut off, nothing essential is lost.
How long should a meta description be?
Around 70 to 160 characters is a sensible range. Longer descriptions may be shortened in results. The description should summarise the page accurately and give someone a reason to click.
Do meta descriptions affect rankings?
Google has said meta descriptions are not a ranking factor. They matter because a clear, accurate description can make a result more appealing, which can affect how many people click. Titles carry more weight for both relevance and clicks.
Why does Google show a different title or description from mine?
Search engines often rewrite titles and descriptions when they think another version better matches the search or the page. Writing a clear, accurate title and description that reflect the page's content reduces how often that happens, but it cannot be prevented entirely.
How we keep this calculator accurate
The formulas on this page are standard arithmetic, written out in full above so you can check them. Each one is covered by automated tests that compare the calculator against independently worked examples and round-trip checks, and the worked example is generated by the same code as the calculator. We use no third-party data, exchange rates or fee tables, because those go stale; fees and rates are always numbers you enter. If you spot a mistake or an assumption that does not fit your situation, please tell us. Our earnings disclaimer and editorial approach explain how the site works.
Written by
The editorial team behind How To Make Money Online, responsible for researching, writing, and fact-checking every guide on this site against current platform terms and fees.