Google responsive display ads allow 30-character short headlines (up to 5) and 90-character long headlines (1 required). Descriptions support 90 characters (up to 5), and business names are limited to 25 characters. Performance Max campaigns follow similar limits but require at least one headline of 15 characters or fewer for optimal ad combinations. Understanding these specifications ensures your display advertising delivers across Google’s vast network of partner sites, apps, and YouTube placements.

This comprehensive guide covers character limits for Google Display Network, Performance Max, Demand Gen campaigns, and IAB industry standards.

Quick Reference: Google Display Ad Character Limits

Responsive Display Ads

Performance Max Assets

Critical requirement: Performance Max needs at least one headline of 15 characters or fewer.

Demand Gen Campaigns

Responsive Display Ad Specifications

Responsive display ads automatically adjust size, appearance, and format to fit available ad spaces across the Google Display Network. Google combines your provided assets to create optimal ad combinations.

Short Headlines (30 characters)

Purpose: Primary text that appears on most ad placements

Short headlines must communicate your core message in limited space. They appear prominently across all responsive display placements.

Writing strategies:

• Lead with your strongest benefit
• Include brand name when space allows
• Use action verbs to drive clicks
• Avoid redundant words

Examples (30 characters or less):

• “Free Shipping Over $50” (21 chars)
• “Save 40% This Weekend Only” (26 chars)
• “Get Your Free Quote Today” (25 chars)
• “Shop New Arrivals Now” (21 chars)
• “Premium Quality Guaranteed” (25 chars)

Long Headlines (90 characters)

Purpose: Extended messaging for placements with more space

Long headlines give you room to expand on short headlines with additional context, benefits, or details.

Structure recommendation:

[Value proposition] + [Supporting benefit] + [CTA or urgency]

Examples (90 characters or less):

• “Transform your home office with ergonomic furniture. Free delivery and easy 60-day returns.” (89 chars)
• “Discover premium skincare products trusted by dermatologists. Shop now and save 25% today.” (88 chars)

Descriptions (90 characters)

Purpose: Supporting text that appears below headlines on larger placements

Descriptions provide additional context that complements your headlines. Not all placements display descriptions, so headlines must work independently.

Best practices:

• Add information not covered in headlines
• Include trust signals (ratings, guarantees)
• Mention specific benefits or features
• Include a soft call-to-action

Example: “Rated 4.9/5 by 50,000+ customers. Hassle-free returns. Order now for next-day delivery options.”

Business Name (25 characters)

The business name appears consistently across all responsive display variations. Keep it recognizable and aligned with your brand.

Considerations:

• Use official brand name
• Avoid taglines in this field
• Ensure consistency with landing page branding

Call-to-Action Options

Google provides predefined CTA buttons for responsive display ads. You cannot write custom CTA text, but you can choose from options that best match your campaign goal.

Available CTAs:

• Shop Now
• Learn More
• Get Quote
• Apply Now
• Sign Up
• Contact Us
• Book Now
• Download
• Install
• Visit Site

CTA selection tips: Choose a CTA that matches your conversion goal. E-commerce campaigns benefit from “Shop Now,” while lead generation campaigns work better with “Get Quote” or “Contact Us.”

Performance Max Character Limits

Performance Max campaigns use AI to serve ads across all Google channels: Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. Asset requirements differ slightly from standard responsive display ads.

Asset Requirements

Minimum assets required:

• 3 short headlines (30 characters each)
• 1 long headline (90 characters)
• 2 descriptions (90 characters each)
• 1 business name (25 characters)

Maximum assets allowed:

• 15 short headlines
• 5 long headlines
• 5 descriptions

The 15-Character Headline Rule

Critical insight: Performance Max requires at least one headline of 15 characters or fewer.

This shorter headline ensures ads can render properly across all placement sizes, including small mobile banner positions. Without a 15-character headline, Google cannot generate all possible ad combinations.

Examples (15 characters or fewer):

• “Shop Now” (8 chars)
• “Save 50% Today” (14 chars)
• “Get Started” (11 chars)
• “Free Trial” (10 chars)
• “Learn More” (10 chars)

Performance Max Best Practices

Headline diversity:

• Include keyword-focused headlines
• Include benefit-focused headlines
• Include CTA-focused headlines
• Include brand-focused headlines
• Include promotional headlines

Description variety:

• Highlight different product benefits
• Address different customer pain points
• Include various trust signals
• Test different calls-to-action

Asset optimization:

• Provide maximum assets when possible
• Google’s AI will test combinations
• Review asset performance reports
• Replace underperforming assets

Performance Max vs. Responsive Display

While both formats share similar character limits, Performance Max offers broader reach and more automation. Here’s how they compare:

When to use each:

• Responsive Display: Focused display campaigns with specific targeting
• Performance Max: Broad reach campaigns leveraging Google’s AI across all surfaces

Demand Gen Campaign Specifications

Demand Gen campaigns appear on YouTube (including Shorts), Discover feed, and Gmail. These placements reach users during discovery moments with visually engaging formats.

Key Differences from Display

Longer short headlines: Demand Gen allows 40-character short headlines (vs. 30 for standard display)

This extra 10 characters provides more flexibility for compelling messaging in these premium placements.

No long headline: Demand Gen uses only short headlines, so your 40-character headlines must carry the full message.

Demand Gen Asset Specifications

Writing for Discovery Placements

YouTube context: Users are in entertainment mode. Headlines should intrigue and entice without feeling like ads.

Discover feed context: Users are browsing personalized content. Headlines should feel like natural content recommendations.

Gmail context: Ads appear in Promotions tab. Headlines should stand out among other promotional emails.

Examples (40 characters):

• “Discover the Workout Everyone’s Talking About” (45 chars - too long)
• “The Workout Everyone’s Talking About” (36 chars - fits)
• “Why 1M+ People Switched to This App” (35 chars - fits)
• “Your Perfect Weekend Getaway Awaits” (35 chars - fits)

Demand Gen Video Specifications

Video assets enhance Demand Gen campaigns significantly. While optional, videos dramatically improve performance on YouTube placements.

Video requirements:

• Aspect ratios: 16:9 (landscape), 9:16 (vertical), 1:1 (square)
• Minimum length: 10 seconds
• Maximum length: No limit, but 15-60 seconds recommended
• Text overlays: Keep minimal for readability

Text in video considerations: Burned-in text on videos doesn’t count toward character limits, but keep it brief. Viewers scroll quickly, especially on YouTube Shorts.

IAB Display Ad Standards

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) sets industry standards for digital advertising formats. While character limits vary by creative approach, IAB defines file size limits that indirectly affect text content.

Standard IAB Ad Sizes

File Size Impact on Text

Initial load (50KB): All assets loaded before user interaction

File size constraints affect how much text you can include in static image ads. More text requires more image data.

Subload (100KB): Additional assets loaded after initial render or user interaction

Animated ads or rich media can load additional text content after initial display.

Text on Image Best Practices

IAB recommendations:

• Ensure text is legible at actual ad size
• Consider smallest display dimensions
• Maintain adequate contrast ratios
• Account for mobile screen density

Character suggestions by format:

These are guidelines based on typical design approaches. Actual limits depend on font size, image complexity, and design style.

HTML5 Display Ad Standards

For custom HTML5 ads (rather than responsive), IAB provides additional specifications:

Animation limits:

• Maximum 15 seconds of animation
• Looping allowed but must stop after 15 seconds
• User-initiated animation can continue

CPU load:

• Initial load should not exceed 40% CPU
• Ads must not interfere with page performance

Third-party tags:

• Must be SSL-compliant (HTTPS)
• Click tracking required
• Viewability tracking encouraged

Cross-Platform Display Advertising

Google Display Network Placements

Where responsive display ads appear:

• Partner websites (millions of sites)
• Mobile apps (Android and iOS)
• YouTube video pages
• Gmail promotions tab
• Google Discover feed

Placement considerations:

• Ad sizes automatically adjust
• Not all placements show descriptions
• Headlines must work standalone
• Mobile placements dominate volume

Programmatic Display Standards

Beyond Google, programmatic platforms follow similar conventions:

Common headline limits:

• Short: 25-30 characters
• Long: 80-100 characters

Common description limits:

• Primary: 80-100 characters
• Secondary: 60-80 characters

When advertising across multiple demand-side platforms (DSPs), use the most restrictive limits as your standard.

Mobile vs. Desktop Considerations

Display ad behavior differs significantly between devices:

Mobile placements:

• Dominate impression volume (70%+ of display impressions)
• Shorter attention spans
• Smaller text display
• Touch interaction
• Short headlines critical

Desktop placements:

• Larger ad formats available
• Long headlines more visible
• Descriptions more likely to display
• Higher engagement rates on some formats
• Better for complex messaging

Cross-device strategy: Write for mobile first. If your short headlines work on small mobile banners, they’ll perform well everywhere.

Writing Effective Display Ad Copy

Headline Strategies

Answer-first approach: Lead with the benefit or solution your product provides.

Example progression:

• Weak: “Check Out Our New Products” (generic)
• Better: “Premium Shoes Under $100” (specific benefit)
• Best: “Save 40% on Premium Shoes” (specific + urgency)

Character-efficient writing:

• Use “&” instead of “and” (saves 2 chars)
• Use numerals for numbers
• Remove unnecessary articles (“a”, “the”)
• Choose shorter synonyms

Description Strategies

Complement, don’t repeat: Descriptions should add new information, not echo headlines.

Structure:

[Additional benefit] + [Trust signal] + [CTA]

Example:

• Headline: “Save 40% on Premium Shoes”
• Description: “Free shipping over $75. Easy 30-day returns. Shop now and transform your wardrobe.”

Business Name Optimization

25-character limit strategies:

• Full brand name if it fits
• Recognizable abbreviation if needed
• Domain name as fallback

Examples:

• “Nike” (4 chars) - ideal
• “American Express” (16 chars) - fits
• “Northwestern Mutual” (18 chars) - fits
• “International Business Machines” - won’t fit, use “IBM”

Testing and Optimization

Asset Performance Review

Google provides performance ratings for display assets:

• Best: Highest performing asset
• Good: Strong performance
• Low: Consider replacing

Check asset performance monthly and replace “Low” performers with new variations.

A/B Testing Approach

What to test:

• Benefit-focused vs. feature-focused headlines
• Short vs. long messaging
• Different value propositions
• Various calls-to-action

Testing timeline: Allow 2-4 weeks for sufficient impression volume before drawing conclusions.

Common Display Ad Mistakes

Avoid these pitfalls:

1. Repeating headline in description: Wastes valuable space. Each element should add unique value.

2. Ignoring the 15-char requirement: Performance Max campaigns will underperform without at least one short headline.

3. Generic messaging: “Best Products Here” tells users nothing. Be specific about benefits.

4. Too many competing messages: Each headline should focus on one clear benefit.

5. Forgetting mobile: Most impressions are mobile. Write for small screens first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between short and long headlines in display ads?

Short headlines (30 characters) appear on all placements, including smaller ad units. Long headlines (90 characters) display only on larger placements where more text fits. Always prioritize your short headline messaging.

Do I need to fill all available asset slots?

While not required, providing more assets gives Google more combinations to test. Performance Max campaigns particularly benefit from maximum asset variety.

Why does Performance Max require a 15-character headline?

Performance Max serves ads across all Google surfaces, including very small placements. A 15-character headline ensures your ads can render properly everywhere.

Should I use the same text for display and search ads?

Not necessarily. Display ads interrupt browsing (push advertising), while search ads respond to queries (pull advertising). Display copy should focus on awareness and interest, while search copy can be more direct.

How do IAB standards affect my Google display ads?

Google responsive display ads handle IAB formatting automatically. IAB standards matter more when creating custom HTML5 or static image ads for programmatic platforms.

Can I use all caps in display ad headlines?

Google allows all caps but recommends against it. Mixed case typically performs better and appears less aggressive.

Key Takeaways

• Responsive display ads: 30-char short headlines (up to 5), 90-char long headlines (1), 90-char descriptions (up to 5)
• Performance Max: Requires at least one headline of 15 characters or fewer
• Demand Gen: Allows 40-char short headlines (longer than standard display)
• Business name: 25 characters across all Google display formats
• IAB standard formats: 50KB initial load, 100KB subload limits
• Headlines must work standalone since descriptions don’t appear on all placements
• Provide diverse assets to enable Google’s AI optimization

Conclusion

Display advertising character limits vary by format and platform. Google responsive display ads use 30-character short headlines and 90-character long headlines with 90-character descriptions. Performance Max adds the requirement for at least one 15-character headline. Demand Gen offers slightly more flexibility with 40-character headlines. Across all formats, prioritize your short headline messaging since it appears universally. Provide diverse assets covering different benefits, features, and calls-to-action to enable Google’s machine learning optimization. Try our free letter counter → to verify your display ad copy meets platform requirements before launching campaigns.