Meta Descriptions

Priority 1: Your story's subtitle.

Priority 2: First ~160 characters of content (if no subtitle).

Medium uses this for the meta description tag.

Also used for Twitter/Facebook sharing previews.

Always add a subtitle—never leave it blank.

150-160 characters: Optimal display length.

Include keywords: Natural placement of primary keyword.

Call to action: 'Learn how to...' or 'Discover why...'

Complement the headline: Expand, don't repeat.

Headline: '5 TypeScript Tips Every Developer Should Know'

Good Subtitle: 'From strict mode to generics, these patterns will improve your code quality and team collaboration.'

Bad Subtitle: 'TypeScript tips for developers' (too vague, wastes space)

If no subtitle, Medium pulls from your opening paragraph.

First 160 chars may be cut off mid-sentence.

This often results in poor meta descriptions.

Always set an explicit subtitle instead.

Open published story > Click '...' > Edit story.

Modify the subtitle.

Save and publish changes.

Meta description updates immediately.

Google may take days/weeks to reflect changes.