What Is a Website Title: Definition and Examples (2026)

A website title is the text that describes an individual page of a website. It appears in browser tabs and can also appear in search results.

According to Google, the title link (a.k.a. the website title found in a search result) is often the main information people use to decide which search result to click. A descriptive title tells readers whether your page has the product or answer they need.

Learn how website titles work, where to find yours, and how to write one that captures a reader’s attention.

What is a website title?

A website title is the text inside a page’s HTML <title> element, located in the document’s <head> section. In SEO, it’s also called a title tag, SEO title, or page title.

Despite the name, a website title describes an individual page, not an entire website. Your homepage, product listings, and blog posts can each have a title.

In Shopify, you can edit a page’s SEO title in its search engine listing settings. The homepage title has a separate setting under Online Store > Preferences.

Google uses the <title> element, along with other information, to generate a title link in search results. It can display different wording drawn from page headings, prominent text, or links pointing to the page.

For example, a jewelry collection page could contain:

Here, “Faux Leather Shoes” describes the collection, and “Nova Walk” identifies the brand. The visible heading on the page could simply read “Faux Leather Shoes.”

Website title vs. title tag vs. page title vs. site title

These terms refer to different parts of a website. Check whether someone means the HTML title, the visible page heading or H1 tag, or the website’s name.

In APA and MLA citations, “website title” refers to the website’s name, separate from an individual article or page title. This article uses the SEO meaning.

Why are website titles important?

A descriptive website title is an on-page SEO element that identifies the page’s subject and helps searchers assess whether it matches their needs. For example, “Waterproof hiking boots for women” specifies the product and intended shopper.

Accurate titles influence clicks, but adding keywords doesn’t guarantee higher rankings or more traffic. In the first four months of 2026, 68.01% of US Google searches ended without a click on any result, according to SparkToro’s analysis of Similarweb desktop and mobile web data. 

Your title needs to describe what readers can find after clicking, such as product specifications or a detailed tutorial. Titles identify your pages across four surfaces:

• Browser tabs. The HTML title labels each open page so visitors can find it among other tabs.
• Search results. The clickable title link describes the destination. Google can generate wording that differs from your HTML title.
• Social link previews. Shared links display a headline, often taken from a separate Open Graph og:title tag. This can differ from the HTML title.
• Bookmarks. Browsers typically use the page title as the default name when someone saves a page.

Where to find a website title

• Check the browser tab
• Search for the page on Google
• View the page source
• Check the SEO field in your store admin

Use these four methods to compare a page’s published title, its appearance in Google, and the text saved in your store settings:

Check the browser tab

Open the page in a desktop browser and read the text beside its favicon, the small icon representing the website. 

Hover over the tab if the title is cut off. Check the tab label separately from the heading displayed within the page.

Search for the page on Google

Search for the page’s URL or its topic and brand name. Read the clickable headline above the result’s description.

This is Google’s title link. It can differ from your HTML title, so check the page source before assuming your title was saved incorrectly.

View the page source

Right-click the page and select View Page Source. Press Ctrl+F on Windows or Command+F on Mac, then search for <title>.

The text between the opening <title> and closing </title> tags is the title supplied in the page’s HTML.

Check the SEO field in your store admin

For a standard web page in Shopify, open Online Store > Pages and select the page. Find Search engine listing preview, click Edit website SEO, and review the Page title field. Edit the text and click Save.

For your homepage, open Online Store > Preferences. Under Social sharing image and SEO, edit the Home page title field and click Save.

After saving, check the published page’s source to confirm the title your theme outputs.

Tips for writing the best website titles

• Be compelling
• Be concise
• Aim to inform
• Stay relevant
• Go for something unique
• Frontload the target keyword
• Include your store name

Write each title around the page’s subject, the reader’s needs, and the space available in search results. These tips can also help you create strong website titles:

Be compelling

Give readers a specific reason to visit the page. Name the outcome a tutorial teaches or a product feature shoppers care about. 

Use claims such as “best” or “top-rated” only when the page explains the comparison or provides ratings that justify them.

Be concise

Use 60 characters as a working target, counting spaces and your store name. Google has no fixed character limit, but it truncates title links to fit the available device width. Even a title under 60 characters can be cut off.

In Shopify, review the Search engine listing preview on the product details page. Use it to check your wording and length. The preview shows a possible search result. Google determines the final display.

Aim to inform

Describe what visitors will find after clicking. A product title can identify the item and a defining feature. A tutorial title can name the task readers will learn to do. 

If the title promises a comparison, the page needs to explain the differences between the options.

Stay relevant

Use keywords that align the page’s content with the reader’s intent. A guide to candle scents needs a different title from a tutorial on making candles.

Avoid keyword stuffing, or repeating the same phrase or adding near-identical variations to attract more searches. Google warns that repeated keywords can make titles look spammy. Use your main phrase naturally and spend the remaining space describing the page.

Go for something unique

Give every page a distinct title that describes its content. Repeating the same generic title across your store makes individual pages harder to identify.

For similar products, include a distinguishing detail, such as the model or material. For collections, name the specific category customers can browse.

Frontload the target keyword

Place the main topic or target keyword near the beginning so readers can identify it if the ending is truncated. Keep the wording natural, and move longer promotional phrases after the words that describe the page.

Include your store name

Place your store name at the end of product, collection, and blog titles, separated by a pipe (|) or a dash (-). On the homepage, putting the store name first can introduce the brand before describing what it sells.

Shopify themes automatically generate title tags that include your store name. Check the published page’s <title> before adding it manually to an SEO field. If your theme already adds the name, don’t duplicate it.

Website title examples for every store page

These examples show how Nova Walk, a fictional leather goods brand, could title different store pages. Character counts include spaces, punctuation, and the store name.