How to Add & Edit Meta Descriptions in WordPress (and How to Auto-Generate with AI)

Meta descriptions are one of the first impressions potential visitors get of your website in search results. They are a short summary of your page and can influence your click-through rate.

Because of this, they need to be concise, keyword-rich, and unique for every page, meaning writing meta descriptions by hand can quickly feel overwhelming.

That’s where AI can help. With tools like Jetpack AI Assistant, you can generate compelling meta descriptions in seconds while still controlling what search engines show. In this guide, you’ll learn how to auto-generate meta descriptions for your WordPress site using AI to save time without sacrificing quality.

What is a meta description?

A meta description is a summary of a webpage or post. Search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo display it beneath your page title in search engine result pages (SERPs).

A strong meta description tells people what to expect before they click your link. It should be clear, concise, and aligned with the keywords your audience is searching for.

For example, here’s a meta description for a blog post about baking bread:

“Learn how to bake homemade sourdough bread with this step-by-step recipe. Perfect for beginners looking to master the art of baking.”

This attracts people searching for beginner-friendly, step-by-step recipes.

While search engines sometimes rewrite meta descriptions, providing your own helps guide what appears on it and can increase the chances of someone choosing your link.

Foundations of a strong meta description for SEO

Meta descriptions don’t directly boost search rankings, but can make a big difference in clicks. More clicks show search engines that your page is useful and engaging, which can positively impact your SEO.

A strong meta description:

• Clearly explains your page contents, so visitors know what to expect.
• Includes the keywords and phrases people are actually searching for, matching search intent.
• Entices readers to click with a compelling reason to learn more.

Because every page or blog post needs a meta description for better SEO, writing them all can quickly become tedious or overwhelming. Leveraging AI tools can help simplify and accelerate this process.

Why use AI to write meta descriptions?

AI tools can make creating meta descriptions — and improving other parts of your website — faster and easier.

Adding an AI plugin to your WordPress site helps analyze your content and generate strong meta descriptions tailored to your pages. You still have complete control and can edit them whenever you like. This approach saves time while keeping the quality of your website high.

How to auto-generate meta descriptions in WordPress with Jetpack AI Assistant

The easiest way to use AI for meta descriptions is with Jetpack AI Assistant. 

Jetpack provides an all-in-one suite of tools to help your site stay secure, perform at its best, and rank higher in search results. It includes features like automated backups, malware scanning, site performance optimization, SEO enhancements, and more — all integrated so you don’t need multiple plugins.

To get started, install the core Jetpack plugin:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New
2. Search for “Jetpack”
3. Install and activate the plugin

Once active, follow the plugin instructions to connect it to your WordPress.com account. 

Generate AI meta descriptions for all pages

Jetpack’s SEO tools include AI-generated metadata. To enable automatic meta descriptions:

1. Go to Jetpack → Settings → Traffic
2. Scroll to the Search Engine Optimization section
3. Toggle on “Automatically generate SEO title, SEO description, and image alt text for new posts”

That’s it! From now on, when you publish new posts, Jetpack will automatically create your meta descriptions.

Generate AI meta descriptions manually for each page (Optional)

If you want more control, you can generate meta descriptions for individual posts or pages:

1. Open the post or page you wish to edit
2. Click the Jetpack icon in the top right to open the sidebar
3. Find the SEO panel
4. Choose what you want to generate: title, description, or alt text
5. Click “Generate Metadata”

Jetpack’s AI assistant reads your content and creates a concise description that you can use as-is or tweak to fit your needs.

Tips to write better meta descriptions with AI

While AI is convenient, reviewing the final result is important to ensure it follows best practices and accurately reflects your page content.

Here are a few tips to make your meta descriptions more effective:

• Check the length: Keep it within 150-160 characters to avoid cutting off words in search results.
• Include keywords: Add terms people search for to improve relevance and visibility.
• Write for people: Make sure the description reads naturally and matches the page content.
• Make it engaging: Use active words that encourage clicks, such as “Learn,” “Discover,” or “Get tips.”
• Add value beyond the title: Include details or context that the title doesn’t already cover.

Follow these recommendations, and you’ll get better results no matter which AI tool you use. Next, let’s look at other plugins and tools that can also help with meta descriptions.

Other plugins and tools that help

With so many SEO plugins now offering AI features, it’s easier than ever to find tools that help generate meta descriptions. A few examples include:

• Yoast SEO: Offers AI helpers, though advanced tools, and requires a paid plan.
• All in One SEO (AIOSEO): Includes a ChatGPT-powered AI Content Generator in its paid version.
• Rank Math: Provides Content AI access, including meta description generation.

For a simpler, all-in-one solution, Jetpack lets you manage SEO, performance, security, backups, and more from a single dashboard.

Why Google might rewrite your meta description

Even with a perfect description, Google rewrites snippets for over 70% of search results. This usually happens if your description:

• Doesn’t match the user’s specific search query.
• Is keyword-stuffed rather than conversational.
• Is too long (over 920 pixels or ~160 characters).

Save time with additional Jetpack AI Assistant features

Jetpack AI Assistant makes creating meta descriptions and managing your site’s SEO, performance, and content easier than ever — all from a single, streamlined dashboard. Everything is built into the WordPress editor, so you can manage your site more efficiently while keeping your content fresh and clear.

You can use it to write full blog posts, build detailed pages, create structured lists, generate images, design forms and tables, translate content, and get feedback to improve your writing. This gives you more time to focus on your ideas while the AI handles the tasks that usually take up your day.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ideal length for a WordPress meta description?

The best length for a meta description is between 150 and 158 characters. This count includes spaces. If you write more than this limit, Google will usually cut off the end of your sentence and replace it with “…” in the search results. This looks unprofessional and might hide your most important details.

You should also know that Google actually measures this by pixels rather than just counting letters. The limit is about 960 pixels wide on desktop screens. On mobile phones, the space can be even smaller. A good rule is to put your main keyword and the most important information in the first 120 characters. This ensures that mobile users see your main point even if the end gets cut off.

Does Google use meta descriptions as a direct ranking factor for SEO?

No, Google has stated that meta descriptions do not directly increase your ranking position. They do not work the same way as keywords in your title or main content. You will not jump to the number one spot just because you put a specific keyword in this description tag.

However, they are still very important for your success. The meta description acts as your advertisement in the search results. A well-written description convinces people to click on your link instead of a competitor’s link. When more people click on your site, known as a high Click-Through Rate or CTR, it sends a positive signal to search engines that your content is interesting. This user behavior can help your rankings improve over time.

Why is Google showing a different meta description than the one I wrote?

This is a very common frustration for website owners. Google rewrites meta descriptions for about 70% of the search results it shows. It does this because its goal is to answer the specific question a user typed into the search bar. If your written description does not perfectly match that specific search, Google will look for a sentence in your article that does match and use that instead.

You cannot force Google to use your text. You can only improve your chances. You do this by writing descriptions that accurately summarize the page content and include the keywords people are actually searching for. If your description is just a list of keywords or doesn’t make sense, Google is almost guaranteed to ignore it and generate its own snippet from your paragraphs.

Can I auto-generate meta descriptions in WordPress using AI?

Yes, using AI is now a standard and effective way to handle this task. Writing unique summaries for hundreds of blog posts takes a lot of time and mental energy. AI tools can scan your entire article in seconds to understand what it is about. Then the tool creates a summary that fits the character limit perfectly.

Tools like Jetpack AI Assistant are built specifically for this inside WordPress. They are often better at this task than humans because they do not get tired or lazy. They ensure every single page has a description. This prevents “blank” descriptions that might hurt your SEO performance. You should still review the AI output quickly to make sure the tone matches your brand voice before you hit publish.

What happens if I leave the meta description field blank in WordPress?

If you leave this field empty, you are leaving your search appearance up to chance. WordPress does not automatically fill this in for you by default. When the field is blank, Google has to guess what to show. It will grab the first few sentences of your post or a random section that contains the search keyword.

What is the difference between an excerpt and a meta description in WordPress?

These two features look similar but they do different jobs. An excerpt is a summary used by your WordPress theme. It appears on your blog home page, category pages, or in your RSS feed to show readers a preview of your post. It is meant for people already on your website.

A meta description is hidden code meant for search engines. It lives in the HTML of your site. Regular visitors will not see it unless they look at the source code or see your site on Google. While you can sometimes use the same text for both, it is better to treat them differently. Write excerpts to encourage reading the full post. Write meta descriptions to encourage clicking from a Google search result.

Should I include keywords in my meta description?

Yes, you should definitely include your main focus keyword. When a user searches for a term and that term appears in your description, Google often highlights it in bold text. This bold text catches the user’s eye and proves to them that your article is relevant to what they need.

However, you must not just list keywords. This is called “keyword stuffing” and it looks like spam. Google is smart enough to detect this and will likely penalize your site or ignore your description completely. The best approach is to write a natural, readable sentence that happens to contain the keyword. Think of it as writing a helpful sentence for a human, not a list of words for a robot.

How do specific characters or emojis affect my meta description?

Using special characters or emojis can be a clever way to stand out. A star, a checkmark, or a number can break up the wall of text on a search results page. This visual difference often attracts the eye and can increase your clicks.

But you must be careful. Not all emojis display correctly on all devices. If Google thinks the emojis look spammy or distracting, it will simply remove them from your snippet. If you use them, stick to simple, common symbols and only use one or two. Do not use them to replace words. Ensure your sentence still makes perfect sense even if the emoji disappears.