Character limits by platform (2026)
| Platform | Hard limit | Visible before "…more" |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram caption | 2,200 | ~125 characters |
| Instagram bio | 150 | all |
| TikTok caption | 4,000 | ~1,000 (then "more") |
| X (Twitter) post | 280 (25,000 for Premium) | all / long posts collapse |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 | ~210 characters |
| YouTube title | 100 | ~70 in search results |
| YouTube description | 5,000 | ~157 above the fold |
| Pinterest description | 500 | ~50 in feed |
Why the cutoff matters more than the limit
Almost nobody hits the hard limit — but nearly everyone wastes the visible part. On Instagram, those first ~125 characters are the only ones that appear in the feed; if your hook, offer, or question sits below the fold, it may as well not exist. Front-load the one sentence that earns the tap, then use the rest for context, credits, and keywords.
Quick wins
- Put the hook in character 1–100, never after a wall of emoji.
- Line breaks survive on Instagram and LinkedIn — short paragraphs read far better than a block.
- Hashtags count toward the limit everywhere. Park them at the end.
- Emoji can count as 2+ characters on some platforms — this counter counts them the strict way, so you'll never be over.
FAQ
Does Instagram cut captions at exactly 125 characters?
It's approximate — the real cutoff depends on device width and line breaks (a newline can trigger "…more" even earlier). Treat 125 as your budget for the part that must be seen.
Do hashtags work better in the caption or first comment?
Instagram has said reach is essentially the same. Caption keeps everything in one place; first comment keeps the caption clean. Pick for aesthetics, not algorithm myths.