Knowing the limit is the easy part — it's usually one search away. What's harder to find in one place is the combination of what the platform's hard limit is, where it truncates in the feed before the reader has to take an action, and where content actually tends to perform within that range. That's what this guide covers for each platform.
Quick reference table
| Platform | Hard limit | Truncates at | Sweet spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twitter / X | 280 chars | No truncation | Under 200 chars |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 chars | ~210 chars | 1,000–1,500 chars |
| LinkedIn article | 125,000 chars | No truncation | 1,000–2,000 words |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 chars | ~125 chars | 138–150 chars visible; more if story-driven |
| YouTube title | 100 chars | ~60–70 chars in search | Under 60 chars |
| YouTube description | 5,000 chars | ~157 chars | Key info first 200 chars |
| Facebook post | 63,206 chars | ~477 chars | 40–80 chars for ads; 1–2 sentences for posts |
| TikTok caption | 2,200 chars | ~100 chars | Under 150 chars |
| Google Ads headline | 30 chars | None — strict limit | Use all 30 |
| Google Ads description | 90 chars | None — strict limit | Use all 90 |
| Email subject line | Varies by client | 40–60 chars | Under 50 chars |
| Email preview text | Varies by client | 85–100 chars | Under 90 chars |
Need to check your character or word count quickly before posting?
Open Word CounterTwitter / X
Twitter / X
Character limit280(standard accounts)
X Premium25,000
URLs count as23 charsregardless of actual length
Images, videos, polls0 charsdo not count toward limit
What actually works: Posts under 200 characters consistently outperform posts that go up to the 280 limit. The extra 80 characters rarely add value that compensates for the attention cost of reading longer. If you can say it in one sentence, say it in one sentence.
Post limit3,000 chars
Feed truncation~210 charsthen "see more"
Article limit125,000 chars
Comment limit1,250 chars
What actually works: The first 210 characters determine whether anyone clicks "see more." Put the hook, the specific claim, or the unusual statement in those first two sentences — not the context. Context can come after the expand. Posts between 1,000 and 1,500 characters tend to perform better than very short posts (not enough substance to engage) or posts close to the 3,000 character limit (too much friction for a feed environment).
Caption limit2,200 chars
Feed truncation~125 charsthen "more"
Hashtag limit30 per postcount toward the 2,200 limit
Story text250 chars
Bio150 chars
What actually works: Instagram is a visual-first platform, so the caption is secondary to the image in most cases. The first 125 characters carry disproportionate weight — use them to give the image context or to create the question the rest of the caption answers. Hashtags placed at the end rather than inline keep the visible caption readable. For longer, story-driven captions, Instagram's audience is actually receptive to 300–500 word posts on the right content type, particularly in education and personal development niches.
YouTube
YouTube
Title limit100 chars
Title in search results~60–70 charsbefore truncation
Description limit5,000 chars
Description in search~157 charsbefore truncation
Tags500 chars total
What actually works: Keep titles under 60 characters so they don't truncate in search results — the keyword that matters most should appear before the 60-character mark, not after it. Descriptions are frequently treated as an afterthought, but the first 157 characters are indexed by Google Search separately, so they function more like a meta description than a loose body of text. Timestamps in the description improve watch time by helping viewers navigate directly to the section they want.
Post limit63,206 chars
Feed truncation~477 charsthen "see more"
Ad headline40 chars
Ad primary text125 charsbefore truncation in feed
What actually works: Facebook's audience skews toward longer posts compared to Twitter or Instagram, particularly for personal or community content. But for ads specifically, primary text over 125 characters gets truncated in most placements, so treat 125 as the practical limit for anything commercial. For organic posts, the sweet spot is context-dependent — short posts with a strong hook and a link tend to outperform long posts for content that leads off-platform.
TikTok
TikTok
Caption limit2,200 chars
Feed truncation~100 chars
Hashtag limitNo fixed limitbut 3–5 is typical best practice
What actually works: TikTok is an audio-visual platform where the caption is largely secondary to the video itself. Keep the caption concise — under 150 characters — and use the first 100 to reinforce the video's hook for anyone reading rather than watching with sound. Keyword-rich captions do influence TikTok's search visibility, which has become a meaningful traffic source as the platform's search function has matured.
Google Ads
Google Ads (Responsive Search Ads)
Headline30 charsup to 15 headlines per ad
Description90 charsup to 4 descriptions per ad
Display URL path15 chars each2 path fields
Final URLNo limit
What actually works: Google Ads limits are strict constraints, not soft guidelines — an ad over the limit simply won't serve. Use every character available rather than leaving headroom. For headlines, the first position is the most consistently shown, so your primary keyword or strongest claim belongs there rather than in position 8 or 9. Include at least one headline that directly mirrors the search query the ad group targets — the keyword match increases relevance score and often improves click-through rate.
Google Ads vs Performance Max
Performance Max campaigns have different asset limits — headlines up to 15 (same 30-char limit), descriptions up to 5 (same 90-char limit), and additional asset types including images, logos, and video. The copy limits above apply specifically to Responsive Search Ads in standard Search campaigns.
Email subject lines
Subject line (desktop)~60 charsbefore typical truncation
Subject line (mobile)~30–40 charsvaries significantly by client
Preview text85–100 charsvaries by client
What actually works: Subject lines are not headlines — they're context that determines whether the email opens at all, in an inbox full of competition. Keep subject lines under 50 characters for the widest compatibility across email clients and devices, and front-load the most important word or phrase rather than building toward it. Preview text is a second subject line that most senders ignore entirely — using it to continue or complement the subject rather than repeat it measurably improves open rates.
Blog posts and long-form content
Blog posts don't have a platform-imposed character limit, which is simultaneously freeing and misleading — the absence of a hard ceiling doesn't mean longer is better. Word count for blog content is worth thinking about in two separate dimensions: what search engines reward, and what readers actually finish.
Google has explicitly confirmed that word count is not a ranking signal by itself. What does correlate with ranking is comprehensive coverage of the topic relative to competing pages — which in practice often means longer content, but the causal relationship runs through depth, not length. Adding words that don't add information does nothing for rankings and actively reduces the proportion of readers who reach the end.
Practical word count benchmarks by content type
- News and announcements: 300–500 words. Short is appropriate here.
- Informational posts (how-to, explainers): 1,500–2,500 words. Enough to cover the topic properly without padding.
- Competitive, comprehensive guides: 2,500–4,000 words. Justified when the topic genuinely requires that depth.
- Anything over 4,000 words: Only where the content cannot be responsibly covered in less. Content this long should have a clear, navigable structure — a table of contents, clear headings, and a design that lets readers jump to what they need.
Reading time is often more useful than word count as a practical guide. At an average reading pace of around 200–250 words per minute for online content, a 1,500-word post takes about six to seven minutes to read from start to finish. Whether your audience will spend that time depends entirely on whether the content earns it — check your reading time before publishing alongside word count, and ask honestly whether the topic justifies asking for that much of someone's attention.
Frequently asked questions
What is the character limit on Twitter/X?
Standard accounts have a 280-character limit per post. Twitter Blue (X Premium) subscribers can post up to 25,000 characters. URLs always count as 23 characters regardless of their actual length, and images, videos, and polls do not count toward the limit.
How long should a LinkedIn post be?
LinkedIn allows up to 3,000 characters for personal posts. Posts are truncated at around 210 characters in the feed, requiring a "see more" click to expand. Content between 1,000 and 1,500 characters tends to perform well — enough room to make a real point without requiring the kind of commitment a long-form article demands.
Is there a word limit for Instagram captions?
Instagram captions allow up to 2,200 characters, though only the first 125 characters are visible before a "more" truncation in the feed. Hashtags count toward the 2,200-character limit, and the maximum number of hashtags is 30 per post.
What are the character limits for Google Ads?
For responsive search ads: headlines are 30 characters each (up to 15 headlines), and descriptions are 90 characters each (up to 4 descriptions). Display paths are 15 characters each. These limits are strict — the ad will not serve if they are exceeded.
How long should an email subject line be?
Most email clients show 40 to 60 characters before truncating the subject line, though mobile devices often show fewer — sometimes as little as 30 characters. The practical target is under 50 characters, with the most important word or phrase placed at the start rather than the end.
Does word count affect SEO for blog posts?
Not directly — Google has confirmed that word count alone is not a ranking signal. What matters is whether the content fully covers the topic relative to competing pages. In practice, thorough coverage of a complex topic often results in longer content, but adding words without adding substance does not improve rankings.
How do I quickly count characters or words before posting?
Paste your text into a word counter tool before copying it into the platform. This lets you check length, reading time, and character count without relying on the platform's own interface, which sometimes truncates silently or counts differently.