Character Limits on Every Platform
A character limit is the largest number of characters that a platform accepts in one field, such as a post, a title or a bio. A post on X takes 280 characters, a YouTube title takes 100 and one SMS takes 160.
This guide lists the character limits of the main platforms in two tables. The first table has limits that we read on the platform's own pages. The second has limits that are widely reported but that we could not confirm on an official page.
Character limits confirmed by the platform
| Platform | Field | Limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| X (Twitter) | Post | 280 characters | X Help Center |
| YouTube | Video title | 100 characters | YouTube Help |
| YouTube | Video description | 5,000 characters | YouTube Help |
| Discord | Message | 2,000 characters, 4,000 with Nitro | Discord Support |
| Mastodon | Post | 500 characters by default | Mastodon documentation |
| Google Search | Page title | No limit, but cut in the results to fit the device | Google Search Central |
| Google Search | Meta description | No limit, but cut in the results to fit the device | Google Search Central |
The X Help Center adds that subscribers of X Premium can write longer posts. On Mastodon each server can set its own limit, which is why the documentation calls 500 the default.
Character limits that are widely reported
We could not read these limits on an official help page of the platform. The numbers below are the ones that social media guides and counters agree on. Treat them as a guide and trust the counter inside the app.
| Platform | Field | Reported limit |
|---|---|---|
| Caption | 2,200 characters | |
| Bio | 150 characters | |
| Post | 3,000 characters | |
| TikTok | Caption | 4,000 characters |
| Post | 63,206 characters | |
| Telegram | Message | 4,096 characters |
| Message | Not published |
Platforms change these numbers without notice. A limit that was true last year can be wrong today, so check before you plan a campaign around it.
How long is one SMS?
One SMS holds 160 characters, or 70 characters if it contains an emoji or a letter outside the basic SMS alphabet. The messaging company Twilio explains the numbers in its documentation.
| Text contains | One SMS | Each part of a longer message |
|---|---|---|
| Only basic letters, digits and signs (GSM-7) | 160 characters | 153 characters |
| An emoji or other Unicode character (UCS-2) | 70 characters | 67 characters |
A longer text is split into parts and put together again on the phone that receives it. Each part is shorter because a few characters are used to number the parts. So one emoji can turn a text of 150 characters from one SMS into three.
Why your count can differ from the platform's count
A character is not counted the same way everywhere. X is the clearest example, because its developer documentation publishes the rules.
| In a post on X | Counts as |
|---|---|
| A Latin letter, a digit, a space, common punctuation | 1 character |
| An emoji, however complex | 2 characters |
| A Chinese, Japanese or Korean character | 2 characters |
| A link of any length | 23 characters |
So a post of 270 letters plus five emojis is at the limit of 280 on X, while a plain character counter shows 275. Mastodon also counts every link as 23 characters.
The rule of thumb: a counter gives the length of the text, and the platform decides what that length costs. Leave a small margin when the text has emojis or links.
Is there a character limit for Google titles and descriptions?
No. Google Search Central states that there is no limit on how long a title element or a meta description can be. Both are cut in the search results as needed, typically to fit the width of the device.
- There is no official number. Figures such as 60 characters for a title and 160 for a description are habits of the SEO trade, not rules from Google.
- The cut depends on width. A title of wide letters is cut earlier than a title of narrow letters with the same count.
- Front-load the text. Put the words that matter at the start, where they survive a cut.
How to check the length of your text
Count the text before you post it. Paste it in the word counter and read Characters, which includes spaces, as the platforms do.
- Paste or type the text in the box.
- Read the number next to Characters.
- Compare it with the limit in the tables above, and keep a margin for emojis and links.
Our counter counts a simple emoji as one character and some combined emojis as more than one. X counts every emoji as two, so on X the count in the app is the one that decides. If the text sits in a document, the guide on how to check word count in Word and Google Docs shows where the same numbers are.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the character limit on X (Twitter)?
- 280 characters for a post, as stated in the X Help Center. Emojis count as two characters and every link counts as 23.
- Do spaces count as characters?
- Yes. Platforms count spaces, and so does the Characters number of our Word Counter.
- How many characters is one SMS?
- 160 characters with basic letters and signs, or 70 characters if the text contains an emoji or another Unicode character.
- What is the character limit for a meta description?
- Google sets no limit. It cuts the description in the search results to fit the width of the device.
- Does WhatsApp have a character limit?
- WhatsApp does not publish one that we could find in its Help Center, so this guide gives no number.