meta-description

SEO On-Page: Meta Description

Owns writing and review rules for <meta name="description">. It is a candidate source for search snippets, not a guarantee of the text Google will display.

Inputs

Read root contextus.md when present. Confirm page type, primary search intent, locale, verified page-specific facts, current description, body coverage, sibling-page descriptions, and the intended next action when one exists.

Rules

• Write an accurate, useful summary or pitch for the specific page.
• Lead with information that distinguishes this page from sibling pages.
• Use query-relevant language naturally, without a keyword list.
• Length is a warning, not a hard gate. Google has no fixed meta-description length limit and truncates snippets as needed for the device and result context.
• A description may exceed traditional character guidance when it remains concise and useful. Flag descriptions too short to explain value or too long because of filler, repetition, or boilerplate.
• Use a CTA only when it suits the page task. Do not force marketing CTAs into legal, documentation, status, or informational pages.
• Include price, author, date, availability, or compatibility only when present and current on the page.
• Apply the Swap Test: if a description can move unchanged to a sibling page, it is not specific enough.
• Localize from the target market's query language and intent; do not translate and truncate.
• Google primarily creates snippets from page content and may show different text for different queries. Ensure the H2/body can substantiate the description's promise.
• Do not claim a fixed CTR, ranking, or traffic increase. A meta description is not a direct ranking control.

Output

• Recommended description and a non-binding length warning when useful.
• Brief rationale tied to intent and page-specific facts.
• Body-coverage warning if the page cannot substantiate the proposed description.
• Sibling duplication or cannibalization warning when applicable; do not restructure pages.

Primary reference

• Google: snippets and meta descriptions

Related Skills

• page-metadata, title-tag, heading-structure
• localization-strategy, translation, google-search-console