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Character Counter

Live count with limits for meta tags, social posts, and every platform you write for.

Character limits that actually matter

Different platforms truncate at different points. Writing to the correct limit is the difference between a message that lands and one that gets cut off mid-sentence.

Common platform limits

  • Meta title — 60 characters (Google truncates ~580px)
  • Meta description — 160 characters desktop, 120 mobile
  • Twitter / X — 280 characters
  • Instagram caption — 2,200 characters (2 lines visible before "more")
  • LinkedIn post — 3,000 characters (3 lines visible)
  • TikTok caption — 2,200 characters
  • YouTube title — 100 characters (60 visible on most devices)
  • YouTube description — 5,000 characters
  • Etsy title — 140 characters
  • Amazon title — 200 characters
  • Google Ad headline — 30 characters
  • Google Ad description — 90 characters
  • SMS — 160 characters (billed per segment)

Why character count matters more than you think

  • Truncation — overflow is cut with an ellipsis. The important part of your message gets hidden.
  • Mobile first — Instagram cuts at roughly 125 characters on mobile. If your hook is in line 3, nobody sees it.
  • CTR — meta descriptions with a complete call-to-action get up to 30% higher click-through.
  • Ad delivery — Google Ads rejects headlines over 30 characters at the platform level.

Tips for staying within limits

  1. Front-load the value. The first 30 characters matter most on almost every platform.
  2. Cut adverbs. "Very quickly" becomes "quickly." "Really helpful" becomes "helpful."
  3. Use numerals. "10" instead of "ten" saves 2 characters.
  4. Kill the filler. "In order to" → "To." "At this point in time" → "Now."
  5. Preview before publishing. Every platform shows the truncation in live preview.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the character limit for a meta description?

160 characters on desktop, 120 on mobile. Google may truncate earlier depending on pixel width.

What is the Twitter character limit?

280 characters for standard accounts. Longer posts require Twitter Blue.

Does Instagram count spaces and emojis?

Yes. Spaces count as 1 character. Emojis count as 1–2 depending on the emoji.

What is the YouTube title limit?

100 characters maximum, but only about 60 are visible on most devices. Front-load your keywords.

Counts are exact but platform display depends on device, font, and pixel width. Verify truncation in the platform's own preview before publishing.