Word & Character Limits
A cheat sheet of the length limits that matter — social posts, SEO tags, messages, ads, and essays. Check your text against any of them in the Word Counter.
Social media
| Where | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| X / Twitter post | 280 chars | Spaces and punctuation count; links count as 23. |
| X / Twitter bio | 160 chars | Short and keyword-led works best. |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 chars | Only the first ~125 show before "more". |
| Instagram bio | 150 chars | One line of value, plus a link. |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 chars | First ~210 show before "see more". |
| LinkedIn headline | 220 chars | Appears under your name everywhere. |
| Facebook post | 63,206 chars | But aim under ~80 for engagement. |
| TikTok caption | 2,200 chars | Hook in the first line. |
| YouTube title | 100 chars | ~70 show in most placements. |
| YouTube description | 5,000 chars | First ~150 show above the fold. |
SEO & web
| Where | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title tag | ~60 chars | Google truncates by pixel width (~600px). |
| Meta description | 120–155 chars | Under 120 gets padded; over 160 is cut. |
| URL slug | ≤ 75 chars | Shorter, keyword-focused slugs rank cleaner. |
| Image alt text | ~125 chars | Describe the image; screen readers cut longer. |
| H1 heading | 20–70 chars | No hard cap, but keep it scannable. |
Messaging & ads
| Where | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SMS (single message) | 160 chars | Longer texts split into 153-char parts. |
| Email subject line | 40–60 chars | Mobile cuts past ~35; keep it front-loaded. |
| Email preview text | 90–110 chars | Shown next to the subject in most inboxes. |
| Google Ads headline | 30 chars | Up to three headlines per ad. |
| Google Ads description | 90 chars | Up to two descriptions per ad. |
Academic & professional writing
| Where | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| College essay (Common App) | 650 words | 250-word floor; do not pad to the max. |
| Abstract | 150–250 words | One paragraph; check the journal's exact cap. |
| Cover letter | 250–400 words | One page, three or four short paragraphs. |
| Professional bio | 50–100 words | 20–30 words for a conference programme. |
| Blog post | 600–1,200 words | In-depth guides run 1,500–2,500. |
How to Use This Cheat Sheet
Find your format above, then paste your text into the Word Counter and compare. For social posts, SEO tags, SMS, and ads, watch the Characters figure — those limits are about display space. For essays, abstracts, and articles, watch the Words figure instead. Both update live as you type, so you can trim or expand to land exactly on target.
Why Hitting the Limit Matters
A limit is a contract with the reader and the platform. Run past a character cap and your post, title, or description gets truncated mid-thought; fall short of a word target and an essay reads thin. Knowing the number before you write keeps you drafting toward it instead of cutting in a panic later. For the thinking behind length, read How Long Should It Be? and Cut Your Word Count Without Losing Meaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do character limits count spaces?
Most do. X (Twitter), SMS, and meta descriptions all count spaces, punctuation, and line breaks toward the limit, so the figure to watch is the full character count including spaces. A few style guidelines count only visible characters without spaces, which is why the Word Counter shows both Characters and Characters (no spaces) side by side. When in doubt, assume spaces count.
Why is the SEO title limit in pixels, not characters?
Google truncates the title tag based on pixel width — about 600 pixels — not a fixed character count, because wide letters like W and M take more room than i or l. A rough rule of 50 to 60 characters keeps most titles inside that width, but a title full of wide letters can be cut earlier. Front-load the important words so they survive any truncation.
What is the safest length for a meta description?
Aim for 120 to 155 characters. Under 120 often gets padded by Google with text pulled from the page, and over about 160 gets truncated with an ellipsis. The 120 to 155 range gives you a full, controlled snippet on both desktop and mobile. Lead with the value proposition so the most useful words show even if the tail is cut.
Are these limits in words or characters?
It depends on the medium. Social platforms, SMS, SEO tags, and ads are measured in characters, because they fit a fixed display space. Academic and professional writing — essays, abstracts, cover letters — is measured in words, because the count reflects depth rather than display width. Each row labels which unit applies, and the Word Counter shows both at once.
How do I check my text against one of these limits?
Paste your text into the Word Counter and watch the live Words and Characters figures. Compare the relevant number to the limit in the table here. For character limits like a 280-character post or a 160-character SMS, use the Characters stat; for essays and articles, use Words. Everything updates as you type, so you can trim or expand to hit the target exactly.