Nothing is more annoying than writing the perfect caption and having it cut off with "…more" — or rejected outright. Each platform has its own limits, and the number that matters is often much shorter than the maximum.
Character limits by platform
| Platform | Field | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| X (Twitter) | Post (free account) | 280 |
| Caption | 2,200 | |
| Bio | 150 | |
| TikTok | Caption | 4,000 |
| Post | 3,000 | |
| Headline | 220 | |
| YouTube | Title | 100 |
| YouTube | Description | 5,000 |
| Post | 63,206 | |
| SMS | One message | 160 (70 with emoji) |
| Meta description | ~155–160 shown |
Platforms change their limits from time to time, so check the official help pages for anything critical.
The limit that actually matters: the preview
Most feeds show only the first part of a post before a "more" link:
- Instagram shows about the first 125 characters of a caption.
- LinkedIn shows around 210 characters on desktop, fewer on mobile.
- YouTube shows roughly the first 100–150 characters of a description above the fold.
Put the hook, the key message or the link in that first line.
How to check your text fits
- Open the free Character Counter.
- Type the limit in Character limit — for example 280 for X.
- Paste or write your text. You'll see characters with and without spaces, words and lines as you type, and how much room is left.
Things that count more than you think
- Emoji can count as two characters on some platforms, and switch SMS to a shorter 70-character limit.
- Links on X always count as 23 characters, however long the URL is. Elsewhere, shorten them with the URL Shortener.
- Line breaks and spaces count as characters.
- Hashtags and mentions count in full.
FAQ
Are characters the same as words? No — see Character Count vs Word Count. Platforms count characters; essays and articles usually count words with the Word Counter.
Is my text saved? No. The counter runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Try it now
Check your next caption with the free Character Counter.
Related reading
See How to Hit an Exact Word Count Every Time and How Long Should a Meta Title and Description Be?. Browse the full blog for more guides.