Social Media Character Counter
Write or paste a post once and see how it fits every major platform. Live progress bars cover X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads, Pinterest, YouTube and more, with X-style weighting for links and emoji, hashtag checks and the preview cut-off before “more”.
Last updated:
Cuts at the last whole word that fits the selected field.
Limits reflect the platforms' published values as of 2026 and can change. Some apps count emoji or links differently; when a post is within a few characters of the limit, test it in the app.
How to use the Social Media Character Counter
- Write or paste your post into the text box. All counters update as you type.
- Pick the platforms you post to with the chips, or leave all of them on.
- Read the bars: green fits, orange is within 10% of the limit, red is over and shows by how many characters.
- Check the hashtags and the visible preview notes under each card so the hook is not hidden behind “more”.
- Trim and copy: choose a field in “Copy trimmed for” to copy a version that fits that limit.
Social media character limits (2026)
These are the limits the counter checks. A hard limit means the app will not let you post or save longer text; a recommended length is a guideline from the platform's ad tools, where longer text still works but gets cut off in the preview.
| Platform | Field | Limit | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| X (Twitter) | Post / Premium post | 280 / 25,000 | Weighted: links count as 23, emoji and CJK characters as 2 |
| X (Twitter) | Bio / display name | 160 / 50 | |
| Caption / comment | 2,200 | About 125 characters show before “more”; max 30 hashtags | |
| Bio | 150 | ||
| Post | 63,206 | Long posts fold after a few lines | |
| Facebook ads | Primary text / headline | 125 / 40 (recommended) | Longer text is truncated in many placements |
| Post / comment | 3,000 / 1,250 | About 210 characters show before “see more” on desktop | |
| Headline / About | 220 / 2,600 | ||
| TikTok | Caption / bio / comment | 4,000 / 80 / 150 | The caption limit was raised from 2,200 in 2024 |
| Threads | Post / bio | 500 / 150 | One topic tag per post |
| Pin title / description | 100 / 500 | The first 30–40 title characters show in most feeds | |
| YouTube | Title / description | 100 / 5,000 | More than 60 hashtags and YouTube ignores them all |
| YouTube | Channel description / comment | 1,000 / 10,000 | |
| Bluesky | Post / profile description | 300 / 256 | Counted as visible characters (graphemes) |
| Mastodon | Post | 500 | Default; some servers allow more |
| Title / text post | 300 / 40,000 |
How the counting works
For most fields the counter uses visible characters (grapheme clusters): a letter, a space, a line break, an accented letter or a whole emoji such as 👍🏽 each count as 1. That matches what Bluesky does and is close to most other apps. Some platforms store emoji as two UTF-16 code units, so tick Count emoji as 2 when you need a safety margin.
X uses its own weighted count. Characters in the basic Latin, Latin-1, Greek, Cyrillic, Hebrew, Arabic and similar ranges weigh 1; Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters weigh 2; every emoji weighs 2; and each link is shortened to a t.co address that always counts as 23, however long the original URL is. A post fits when its weighted total is 280 or less, which is why an all-Japanese post holds about 140 characters.
Tips for writing one post for many platforms
- Put the hook first. Instagram shows about 125 characters and LinkedIn about 210 before the fold, so the first line has to work on its own.
- Write for the tightest limit, then expand. Turn on “Sort by tightest limit” to see which field is the bottleneck, write that version first and add detail for roomier platforms.
- Keep hashtags at the end and adjust the number per platform: one topic tag on Threads, a few on X and LinkedIn, and no more than 30 on Instagram.
- Use line breaks on purpose. They improve readability but each one counts as a character, and a break early in a caption pushes the “more” link up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the character limit on each social media platform?
Common limits are 280 for an X post (25,000 for Premium long posts), 2,200 for an Instagram caption, 63,206 for a Facebook post, 3,000 for a LinkedIn post, 4,000 for a TikTok caption, 500 for a Threads post, 500 for a Pinterest description and 100 for a YouTube title. The table on this page lists the profile and title fields too.
Why does X count my post differently from other counters?
X weights characters. Latin letters, digits and most punctuation count as 1, while emoji and Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters count as 2, and every link counts as 23 no matter how long it is. This tool applies the same weighting to the X fields only.
How many characters show before “more” on Instagram and LinkedIn?
Instagram shows roughly the first 125 characters of a caption in the feed, and LinkedIn shows about the first 210 on desktop (less on mobile) before “see more”. The exact cut depends on the screen and line breaks, so keep your hook in the first line.
How many hashtags can I use?
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, YouTube ignores all hashtags on a video if there are more than 60, and Threads supports one topic tag per post. X, LinkedIn and TikTok have no hard number, but a few relevant hashtags usually work better than a long list.
Do emoji count as one character or two?
Most apps show an emoji as one symbol, but many store it as two or more UTF-16 code units, and X counts each emoji as 2. By default this tool counts what you see (1 per emoji) on non-X fields; tick “Count emoji as 2” for a stricter, safer count.
Do spaces and line breaks count?
Yes. Every platform counts spaces, punctuation and line breaks as characters, so a blank line between paragraphs uses up characters too.
Are these limits up to date?
The limits reflect the platforms' published values as of 2026. Platforms change them from time to time, so check the official help pages if a post is close to the limit.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.