Social Media Character Limits 2026: Complete Comparison Chart
Social media character limits vary dramatically by platform—from Twitter/X’s 280 characters (or 25,000 for Premium) to Facebook’s massive 63,206 character posts. This comprehensive comparison chart covers every major platform’s limits for 2026, including posts, bios, comments, and optimal lengths for engagement. Bookmark this page as your go-to reference for social media text limits.
Master Comparison Chart: All Platforms
Posts/Main Content
| Platform | Post Limit | Optimal Length | Visible Before Truncation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twitter/X (standard) | 280 chars | 71-100 chars | Full |
| Twitter/X (Premium) | 25,000 chars | 280-500 chars | 280 chars |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 chars | 138-150 chars | ~125 chars |
| Facebook post | 63,206 chars | 40-80 chars | ~150-200 chars (mobile) |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 chars | 1,300-2,000 chars | ~200-210 chars |
| TikTok caption | 4,000 chars | 150-300 chars | ~55-60 chars |
| YouTube description | 5,000 chars | 1,000-2,000 chars | 100-157 chars |
| Pinterest pin | 500 chars | 220-232 chars | 50-60 chars |
| Threads | 500 chars (+10K text attachments) | 100-200 chars | Full |
| WhatsApp status | 700 chars | Under 300 chars | Varies |
Bios/Profile Summaries
| Platform | Bio Limit | Optimal Use |
|---|---|---|
| Twitter/X | 160 chars | Keywords + personality |
| 150 chars | Keywords + CTA | |
| 101 chars | Brief identity | |
| LinkedIn headline | 220 chars | Keywords + value prop |
| LinkedIn About | 2,600 chars | Full story + keywords |
| TikTok | 80-160 chars | What you create |
| YouTube | 1,000 chars | Channel overview |
| 500 chars | Niche focus | |
| Threads | 150 chars (linked to Instagram) | Identity statement |
Comments
| Platform | Comment Limit |
|---|---|
| Twitter/X | 280 chars (25K Premium) |
| 2,200 chars | |
| 8,000 chars | |
| ~1,250 chars | |
| TikTok | 150 chars |
| YouTube | 10,000 chars |
| N/A | |
| Threads | 500 chars |
Direct Messages
| Platform | Message Limit |
|---|---|
| Twitter/X | 10,000 chars |
| 1,000 chars | |
| 20,000 chars | |
| 1,900 chars | |
| TikTok | N/A |
| 65,536 chars |
Platform-by-Platform Quick Reference
Twitter/X
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Tweet (standard) | 280 chars |
| Tweet (Premium) | 25,000 chars |
| Bio | 160 chars |
| Display name | 50 chars |
| Username | 15 chars |
| DM | 10,000 chars |
Key detail: Links always count as 23 characters regardless of length
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Caption | 2,200 chars |
| Bio | 150 chars |
| Username | 30 chars |
| Name | 30 chars |
| Comments | 2,200 chars |
| Hashtags | 30 max |
Key detail: Only ~125 chars show before “…more”
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Post | 63,206 chars |
| Bio | 101 chars |
| Page description | 155 chars |
| Comment | 8,000 chars |
| Ad headline | 40 chars |
| Ad primary text | 125 visible |
Key detail: Posts under 80 chars get highest engagement
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Post | 3,000 chars |
| Headline | 220 chars |
| About | 2,600 chars |
| Comment | 1,250 chars |
| Connection request | 300 chars |
| Article | 120,000+ chars |
Key detail: Longer posts (1,800-2,100 chars) perform best
TikTok
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Caption | 4,000 chars |
| Bio | 80-160 chars |
| Username | 24 chars |
| Display name | 30 chars |
| Comment | 150 chars |
Key detail: Caption limit expanded from 300 to 2,200 to 4,000 for SEO optimization
YouTube
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Title | 100 chars |
| Description | 5,000 chars |
| Tags (total) | 500 chars |
| Comment | 10,000 chars |
| Channel description | 1,000 chars |
| Playlist title | 150 chars |
Key detail: First 157 chars of description show in search snippets
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Pin description | 500 chars |
| Pin title | 100 chars |
| Board title | 50 chars |
| Bio | 160-500 chars |
Key detail: Keywords more important than hashtags
Threads
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Post | 500 chars |
| Reply | 500 chars |
| Text attachment | 10,000 chars |
Key detail: Cross-posting to Instagram available
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Message | 65,536 chars |
| Status caption | 700 chars |
| Business template | 1,024 chars |
| Group description | 500 chars |
Key detail: Marketing messages truncated to 5 lines
SMS
| Standard Message | Limit |
|---|---|
| GSM-7 encoding | 160 chars |
| Unicode (emojis) | 70 chars |
| Multi-part GSM | 153 per segment |
| Multi-part Unicode | 67 per segment |
Key detail: One emoji changes limit from 160 to 70
Optimal Lengths vs. Maximum Limits
Where Shorter Wins
| Platform | Max Limit | Optimal for Engagement |
|---|---|---|
| Twitter/X | 280 chars | 71-100 chars |
| 63,206 chars | 40-80 chars | |
| 2,200 chars | 138-150 chars | |
| TikTok | 4,000 chars | 150-300 chars |
Where Longer Wins
| Platform | Max Limit | Optimal for Engagement |
|---|---|---|
| 3,000 chars | 1,300-2,000 chars | |
| YouTube description | 5,000 chars | 1,000-2,000 chars |
| Blog content | N/A | 1,500-2,500 words |
Recent Changes (2024-2026)
Limits That Increased
TikTok captions: Expanded from 300 to 2,200 to 4,000 characters LinkedIn posts: Expanded from 1,300 to 3,000 characters Twitter/X Premium: Introduced 25,000 character limit Threads: Added 10,000-character text attachments (Sept 2025, free)
Limits That Stayed Constant
Instagram: 2,200 caption, 150 bio Facebook: 63,206 post YouTube: 100 title, 5,000 description
Platform-Specific Notes
Emoji Character Counts
Most platforms: Emojis count as 2 characters (Unicode)
Complex emojis: Can count as 4-11 characters
- Skin tone variants: 4+ chars
- Family emojis: 7-11 chars
- Flag emojis: 4 chars
Hashtag Considerations
| Platform | Hashtag Limit | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 3-5 (IG official) or 20-30 (data) | |
| Twitter/X | Unlimited | 1-2 |
| Unlimited | 3-5 | |
| TikTok | 5 (new limit) | 3-5 |
| 30 | 1-2 (5-10 max) | |
| 20 | 2-5 | |
| YouTube | 15 max | 3-5 (first 3 above title) |
Link Handling
Twitter/X: All links = 23 characters Instagram: Links in captions not clickable (bio only) Facebook: Links display fully LinkedIn: Links may affect reach TikTok: Business accounts only (in bio)
Cross-Platform Content Strategy
When Repurposing Content
From long to short:
- LinkedIn post → Twitter thread
- YouTube description → Instagram caption
- Blog post → Multiple social posts
Adaptation needed:
- Check character limits
- Adjust for platform norms
- Optimize for platform-specific engagement patterns
One Message, Multiple Platforms
Example 100-word message:
Twitter (280 chars): Condense to key point + link
Instagram (2,200 chars): Full message + hashtags + CTA
LinkedIn (3,000 chars): Expand with professional context
TikTok (4,000 chars): Hook + SEO keywords + hashtags
Frequently Asked Questions
Which platform has the highest character limit?
Facebook posts at 63,206 characters, though WhatsApp messages (65,536) and LinkedIn articles (120,000+) are higher for their respective content types.
Which platform requires the shortest content?
TikTok comments (150 chars) and bios (80 chars) are among the shortest. For posts, SMS (160 chars standard) is most restrictive.
Do limits differ by region or account type?
Yes, some limits vary. TikTok caption limits vary by region. Twitter/X Premium gets extended limits. Business accounts may have different features.
How often do character limits change?
Major changes happen 1-2 times per year typically. LinkedIn and TikTok expanded limits in recent years. Monitor platform announcements.
Should I use the maximum characters available?
Not necessarily. Optimal engagement lengths are often much shorter than maximums (except LinkedIn, where longer performs better).
Do spaces count as characters on all platforms?
Yes, spaces count as characters on all major platforms.
Key Takeaways
- Character limits vary dramatically: 80 chars (TikTok bio) to 63,206 chars (Facebook post)
- Optimal engagement lengths are usually shorter than maximum limits
- LinkedIn is the exception—longer posts (1,800-2,100 chars) perform best
- First visible characters matter most due to truncation
- Emojis typically count as 2 characters
- Limits change over time—TikTok and LinkedIn expanded recently
- Cross-platform content needs adaptation, not just copying
Conclusion
This comparison chart gives you the reference you need to create platform-optimized content across all major social networks. Remember that maximum limits and optimal lengths are often different—what a platform allows isn’t always what performs best. Bookmark this page and check back for updates as platforms evolve their character limits. Try our free letter counter → to verify your content meets each platform’s requirements before posting.