Short answer: Shopify accepts product titles up to 255 characters, but that is not the number that matters. What matters is how much each channel shows. Google Search shortens titles to fit the screen, Google Shopping shoppers usually see only the first 70 characters or so, and Meta recommends 65 or fewer for Facebook and Instagram. Put the words that sell the product first, and keep the title you show people around 70 characters or less.
The limits, channel by channel
| Where | Field | Hard limit | What to aim for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your Shopify store | Product title | 255 characters | 70 or fewer |
| Google Search | SEO title (page title) | No fixed limit in Google; Shopify’s field takes 70 | 60 or fewer, which is what Shopify recommends |
| Google Shopping | Product title in your feed | 150 characters | Most important details in the first 70 |
| Facebook & Instagram | Catalog title | 200 characters | 65 or fewer |
Why one title is not enough
Most stores write one product title and let it travel everywhere. If you never edit the search engine listing, Shopify fills your Google result from the product title and description. Unless you set something else, the same words usually end up in your Google Shopping feed and your Facebook and Instagram catalog too.
The trouble is that each place reads a title differently:
- On your product page, the title sits next to photos, price and description. It can be short and clean, because the page explains the rest.
- In Google Search, the title is a headline in a list of ten. Google writes that there is no limit on a title’s length, but the title link is truncated as needed to fit the device width. Anything after the cut is invisible, so a long title loses its ending.
- In Google Shopping, the title is most of what a shopper reads next to the image. Merchant Center lets you use up to 150 characters and recommends using them, but it also notes that people usually notice only the first 70 or fewer. So the start of the title has to do the work, and the rest adds detail for matching searches.
- On Facebook and Instagram, titles are shown small on product cards. Meta recommends 65 characters or fewer so they are not cut off.
How to write a product title that works everywhere
- Lead with what it is. The product type in plain words: “Linen Pillow Cover”, not “The Coastal Collection”.
- Add the detail people filter by. Size, material, colour or model, whichever a shopper would type. “Linen Pillow Cover 45×45cm, Washed Linen”.
- Brand where it helps. If people search for your brand, put it at the front of the Shopping title. If they don’t, it can go at the end.
- No promotional words. Merchant Center asks you to leave out promotional text, all caps and symbols. “SALE”, “Free shipping” and “!!!” belong in your offer, not your title.
- One product, one title. Don’t repeat the same keyword three times. Google says there’s no reason to repeat words or phrases in a title.
Example
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Product title | Coastal Pillow | Washed Linen Pillow Cover, 45×45cm |
| SEO title | Coastal Pillow – My Store | Washed Linen Pillow Cover With Hidden Zip | My Store |
| Google Shopping title | Coastal Pillow | My Store Washed Linen Pillow Cover 45×45cm, Hidden Zip, Sand, Sage or Charcoal |
| Facebook & Instagram title | Coastal Pillow | Washed Linen Pillow Cover, 45×45cm |
Same product, four jobs. The store title stays tidy, the SEO title fits Google’s headline, and the Shopping title front-loads what it is and then adds the details people search for.
Check yours in a few seconds
Paste your titles into our free Shopify title & meta description checker. It counts characters for each channel, flags promotional wording and shows a preview of your Google result. It runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
Doing this for a whole catalog
Writing these versions of every title by hand is the part nobody gets around to. ProductReady writes the first three for you today, from your own product details: product title and description, SEO title and meta description, Google Shopping title and description, and an AI summary. Facebook & Instagram catalog titles and descriptions are coming next. You preview every change, apply in one click and can undo from version history. It also re-checks your catalog every month, so new and changed products don’t slip through.
Sources
- Google Search Central, Influencing title links in Google Search
- Google Merchant Center Help, Title [title]
- Shopify Help Center, Adding keywords to your page titles and meta descriptions
- Meta Business Help Center, Product title specifications
- Shopify’s 255-character product title cap, documented by Matrixify: Shopify limits