The 150-character title limit, and what happens when you exceed it

What the error means

Titles have a hard limit of 150 characters. Longer titles are truncated or rejected.

Why Google rejects it

The limit exists because only the first part of a title is shown in most placements. Everything after it is wasted, and overlong titles often signal keyword stuffing.

How to fix it

1. Put the identifying information first: brand, product, key attribute.
2. Move descriptive detail into the description where it belongs.
3. Watch automatically generated titles that concatenate every variant option. They overrun the limit quietly.

A typical case

Auto-generated titles that concatenate brand, product, colour, size, material and pack count routinely land at 180+ characters. Move everything after the first 60 characters into the description and the count clears without losing information.

Common causes

Template concatenates every attribute

A product title template can append brand, collection, color, size, material, pack count, and campaign text to every item. The resulting feed title can exceed the 150-character maximum even when the storefront title itself is short. Compare the submitted title with the title shown on the product page and look for repeated words or fields that add no useful distinction.

Feed uses a different title field

A channel integration may send an SEO title, metafield, or generated value instead of the product's visible name. Editing the main title then appears to have no effect in Merchant Center. Inspect the integration's mapping and check the actual submitted product value before changing every storefront page.

Variant options are duplicated

An integration may append multiple option labels or combine parent and variant titles in the wrong order. This is common in catalogs with color, size, material, and bundle options. A feed export reveals whether the excess characters come from the parent title or variant attributes.

Promotional copy is in the title

A sale prefix, shipping offer, or temporary campaign phrase makes titles longer and may also violate editorial rules against promotional text. Promotions belong in supported promotion data or sale-price fields, not in the core product name. Check whether one campaign template affected a large set of items.

Title is within limit but truncated in display

Google allows a title value up to 150 characters, but Shopping ads and free product listings typically display up to about 70 characters. A title can meet the submission limit and still hide its most useful detail in the visible result. Put the product identity and distinguishing attribute first.

Fix it on your platform

On Shopify

1. In the Google & YouTube sales channel app settings, verify whether Merchant Center receives the product title or the SEO title. Edit the field the integration actually maps, then check the submitted value in Merchant Center.
2. Review Shopify product titles and variant options for repeated prefixes or attributes. Keep the product name concise and let the channel represent supported variant values in their own attributes.
3. If a feed app constructs titles from templates or metafields, edit the template once and preview representative items before resyncing the full catalog.
4. For a sale, remove time-limited copy from product names and use Shopify's price and supported promotion setup so the base title remains stable.

On WooCommerce

1. Open a product in WordPress and compare its product name with the title field mapped by the Merchant Center feed plugin. SEO title and product name can be separate values.
2. Inspect the feed plugin's title template for tokens such as site name, product category, size, or color that are appended more than once. Preview simple and variable products before saving.
3. For variable products, make the common product title useful, then ensure variant-specific color or size data is submitted in the corresponding feed fields instead of duplicating all options in the title.
4. Remove sale banners or shipping language from title templates. Use product price, sale price, and promotion features for offer details.

On other platforms

1. Find the product title field mapped to the feed in your commerce platform or channel connector. Do not assume the visible page heading is the submitted value.
2. Review automated title rules for duplicated brand, site name, category, or variant options. Preview several types of products, including bundles and variants.
3. Put the most distinguishing information near the start because display surfaces truncate long titles even when the feed value is under 150 characters.
4. Use supported sale and promotion fields for temporary offers; keep the title about the product itself.

How to confirm it is fixed

1. In Merchant Center's product details or Needs attention view, check the exact title value and issue for the affected item. Do not rely only on the storefront heading.
2. Confirm the corrected title is no longer than 150 characters and places identifying attributes first; aim for 70 characters or fewer when that can describe the item clearly.
3. Resubmit or sync the product data, then check Diagnostics or Needs attention after processing. Google may take time to reflect updates.
4. Run the feed check to review catalog title patterns, and spot-check the page title against the submitted title.
5. Check that the title still distinguishes the actual variant and contains no temporary promotion or irrelevant claims.

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