diff --git a/docs/getting-started-installation.md b/docs/getting-started-installation.md
index 18edd5587dd4f..8d6aedac5eb15 100644
--- a/docs/getting-started-installation.md
+++ b/docs/getting-started-installation.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ---
 id: installation
 title: Installation
+description: Docusaurus was designed from the ground up to be easily installed and used to get your website up and running quickly!
 ---
 
 Docusaurus was designed from the ground up to be easily installed and used to get your website up and running quickly.
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-1.x/lib/core/DocsLayout.js b/packages/docusaurus-1.x/lib/core/DocsLayout.js
index 04e0b54e64dc1..0f99ff4f0b3b7 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-1.x/lib/core/DocsLayout.js
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-1.x/lib/core/DocsLayout.js
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class DocsLayout extends React.Component {
           separateOnPageNav: hasOnPageNav,
         })}
         title={title}
-        description={content.trim().split('\n')[0]}
+        description={metadata.description || content.trim().split('\n')[0]}
         language={metadata.language}
         version={metadata.version}
         metadata={metadata}>
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-1.x/lib/server/readMetadata.js b/packages/docusaurus-1.x/lib/server/readMetadata.js
index 20d0409dfda2f..28badc878f225 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-1.x/lib/server/readMetadata.js
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-1.x/lib/server/readMetadata.js
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ const SupportedHeaderFields = new Set([
   'hide_title',
   'layout',
   'custom_edit_url',
+  'description',
 ]);
 
 let allSidebars;
@@ -175,7 +176,9 @@ function processMetadata(file, refDir) {
     versionPart = 'next/';
   }
 
-  metadata.permalink = `${docsPart}${langPart}${versionPart}${metadata.id}.html`;
+  metadata.permalink = `${docsPart}${langPart}${versionPart}${
+    metadata.id
+  }.html`;
 
   // change ids previous, next
   metadata.localized_id = metadata.id;