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Social Media Character Limits Comparison 2026: All Platforms

2026-07-02

Side-by-side comparison of character limits across X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, and more.

Post/Caption Limits at a Glance

X (Twitter): 280 characters (25,000 for Premium). Instagram: 2,200 characters. LinkedIn: 3,000 characters. Threads: 500 characters. YouTube Description: 5,000 characters. TikTok: 4,000 characters. Facebook: 63,206 characters. Each platform has a different philosophy about content length, from X's brevity to Facebook's essentially unlimited text.

Bio/Profile Limits Compared

X Bio: 160 characters. Instagram Bio: 150 characters. LinkedIn Headline: 220 characters. Threads Bio: 150 characters (shared with Instagram). YouTube Channel Description: 1,000 characters. TikTok Bio: 80 characters. TikTok has the shortest bio limit, while LinkedIn offers the most space for professional descriptions.

How Different Platforms Count Characters

Not all platforms count characters the same way. X counts CJK characters as 2 and always counts URLs as 23 characters. Instagram and Threads count most characters as 1. LinkedIn counts all characters equally. Understanding these differences is crucial for cross-platform posting.

Visible Text vs. Total Limit

Most platforms show only a preview of longer posts. X: Full 280 visible. Instagram: First 125 characters visible in feed. LinkedIn: First 140 characters visible before "see more". YouTube: First 150-200 characters of description visible. The visible portion is what drives engagement — optimize for it.

Cross-Platform Posting Strategy

When cross-posting, don't just copy the same text everywhere. Tailor your message to each platform's limit and audience. Use PostLen to check all platform limits simultaneously — type once and see how your text fits across every platform. Focus on platforms where your target audience is most active.

Use PostLen to check your character count before posting.

Try PostLen →