Character Counter – Twitter, Instagram & TikTok Limits
Caption Character Limits for Every Platform
The Instagram caption character limit is 2,200 characters — but only the first 125 or so appear before the “more” link, so the opening line is what actually gets read. TikTok allows the same 2,200, while X caps free accounts at 280.
| Platform | Field | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Caption | 2,200 | |
| Bio | 150 | |
| Comment | 2,200 | |
| TikTok | Caption | 2,200 |
| TikTok | Bio | 80 |
| X (Twitter) | Post — free account | 280 |
| X (Twitter) | Post — Premium | 25,000 |
| YouTube | Video title | 100 |
| YouTube | Description | 5,000 |
| Post | 3,000 | |
| Headline | 220 | |
| Post | 63,206 | |
| Pin description | 500 | |
| Threads | Post | 500 |
The limit is not the target
Hitting 2,200 characters on Instagram is almost always a mistake. Captions that perform tend to run 140–220 characters: one hook line, one payoff, one call to action. Everything past the truncation point is read by a small fraction of people who tapped “more” — write as if that line is the whole caption, because for most viewers it is.
Why emoji count differently
A single emoji is rarely one character. Most sit at two, and compound emoji built from several code points — flags, skin-tone variants, family emoji — can run to seven or more. Platforms count these the same way, which is why a caption that looks well under the limit can still get rejected. The counter above measures emoji the way the platforms actually do.
Platforms adjust these limits from time to time. If a field rejects text that this table says should fit, trust the platform and trim.
Character Counter for Every Social Media Platform
This free character counter checks your text against the exact character limits of X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest — all at once, in real time. Type or paste your post above and every platform bar updates instantly, turning orange as you approach the limit and red if you go over. It also counts words, characters without spaces, and emojis, and it handles emojis correctly as single characters, which many basic counters get wrong.
Current Character Limits by Platform
As of 2026, the limits every creator should know: X (Twitter) allows 280 characters for standard accounts (Premium subscribers get up to 25,000). Instagram captions allow 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 appear before the “more” cut-off, so front-load your hook. Instagram bios are limited to 150 characters. TikTok captions allow 2,200 characters while TikTok bios allow just 80 — the tightest bio limit of any major platform. YouTube titles cap at 100 characters, though only about 70 display in search results, and descriptions allow 5,000. LinkedIn posts allow 3,000 characters with a “see more” fold after roughly 210. Facebook technically allows 63,206 characters, but engagement data consistently favors posts under 80 characters. Pinterest descriptions allow 500.
Why Character Count Affects Your Reach
Staying under the limit is only half the story — length affects performance. Short tweets tend to get more engagement than ones that use all 280 characters. On Instagram and TikTok, the caption text before the fold determines whether people tap “more,” which is itself an engagement signal. YouTube titles that get truncated in search lose click-through rate, so keeping the key words in the first 60–70 characters matters more than filling all 100. Writing to the platform’s display limit, not just its technical limit, is what separates optimized posts from truncated ones.
A Note on Emojis and Special Characters
Emojis are not always one character in a platform’s eyes. On X, most emojis count as two characters against the 280 limit. Some complex emojis (like family or skin-tone variants) are built from several combined code points. This counter displays the human-visible character count, which matches how Instagram and TikTok count, and shows your emoji total separately so you can mentally adjust for X if your post is emoji-heavy and close to the limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many characters can a tweet have? 280 characters for standard accounts. X Premium subscribers can post up to 25,000 characters.
Do spaces count as characters? Yes — every platform counts spaces toward the limit. This tool shows both counts so you can see the difference.
Why does Instagram cut off my caption? Instagram shows roughly the first 125 characters in the feed and hides the rest behind “more.” Your full caption is still there — put the hook first.
Is my text stored anywhere? No. Everything is counted in your browser and nothing is uploaded or saved.