Character limits for every social network in 2026
A caption that fits Instagram is seven times too long for Bluesky, and X counts an emoji as two. These are the text limits of the networks SPREVA publishes to, as it checks them before anything goes out, with what each network actually counts.
Rodolfo MotaFounder of SPREVA
The short version
Instagram and TikTok take 2,200 characters, LinkedIn 3,000, Facebook 63,206, Threads 500, Bluesky 300 and X 280, where a link counts as 23 and an emoji as 2. A YouTube title takes 100 characters and its description 5,000 bytes. A Pinterest description takes 800. The other networks are in the second table below. Every number is the one SPREVA checks before publishing, last compared with each network's documentation in September 2026.
Not every network counts the same thing
“Characters” sounds simple until a post is cut off. Here is where it is not:
- X weighs its characters. A link counts as 23 whatever its length, and an emoji or a Chinese, Japanese or Korean character counts as 2.
- Bluesky counts what you see. An emoji or an accented letter is one character, however it is stored.
- YouTube and Farcaster count bytes. An emoji, an accented letter or a non-Latin letter takes more than one, so a description in Portuguese or Japanese fills up sooner than one in English.
- Mastodon depends on the server. A standard server allows 500 characters, but each server sets its own limit, and SPREVA reads it when you connect the account.
The networks most people post to
The text limit, and the other limit that most often stops a post:
| Network | Text | Also worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| 2,200 characters | Carousels of up to 10; Reels from 3 seconds to 15 minutes; the first comment, also 2,200 | |
| TikTok | 2,200 characters | Photo posts of up to 35 photos, with a title of up to 90 characters |
| 63,206 characters | Up to 10 photos in one post | |
| 3,000 characters | Up to 20 images; PDF documents of up to 300 pages | |
| X | 280, weighted | Up to 4 images; video up to 140 seconds; a longer text becomes a thread of up to 25 posts |
| Threads | 500 characters | Carousels of 2 to 20; video up to 5 minutes |
| Bluesky | 300 characters | Up to 4 images, or one video of up to 3 minutes |
| YouTube | A title of 100 characters | A description of 5,000 bytes; no < or > in either |
| 800 characters of description | A title of 100; alt text of 500; carousels of 2 to 5 | |
| Google Business Profile | 1,500 characters | One photo; no video on updates |
Every other network SPREVA publishes to
Communities, chats, blogs and newsletters each have their own idea of a post:
| Network | Text | Also worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Mastodon | 500 on a standard server | Each server sets its own limit; 4 images on a standard one |
| Tumblr | 40,960 characters | Up to 30 images and 30 tags |
| A title of 300 characters | Text posts of up to 40,000 characters | |
| Telegram | 4,096 characters | 1,024 when a photo, video or document is attached |
| Discord | 2,000 characters | Up to 10 files in one message |
| Slack | 39,000 characters | Folded behind “Show more” past 4,000 |
| VK | 16,384 characters | Up to 10 photos and videos, combined |
| MeWe | 63,206 characters | Up to 20 photos |
| Lemmy | A title of 200 characters | A body of up to 10,000 |
| Farcaster | 320 bytes | Up to 2 links, shown as previews |
| Nostr | 8,000 characters | Up to 4 images or short videos |
| Dribbble | 4,000 characters | A title of 100; one image of exactly 400x300 or 800x600 pixels |
| Twitch | 500 characters | A chat message or an announcement |
| Kick | 500 characters | And at most 2,048 bytes, whichever comes first |
| Whop | 40,000 characters | An optional title of 300 |
| Moltbook | 40,000 characters | A title of 300, required; one post every 30 minutes |
| WordPress | A title of 255 characters | Up to 20 images, featured image included |
| Medium | A title of 100 characters | Up to 3 tags |
| DEV Community | A title of 128 characters | Up to 4 tags; a description of 280 |
| Hashnode | 80,000 characters | Up to 15 tags |
| listmonk | A subject of 200 characters | A preview line of up to 150 |
When one text has to fit them all
Post the same text to Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and it has to fit the strictest of them. In SPREVA, the counter under the text follows the strictest network still using it, and turns red the moment one of them is over.
When one network needs less, open its row under Per account and give it a shorter text of its own; the others keep the long one. Nothing is cut after it goes out: a post with any account over its limit cannot be scheduled until it fits. How to adapt one post for each network.
Let SPREVA do the counting
Connect your accounts and write once: SPREVA checks every network's limits as you type, when you schedule and again right before sending, across 31 networks. Every plan starts with a 7-day trial.
Questions
Does an emoji count as one character?
On most networks, yes. On X it counts as two, and on YouTube and Farcaster, which count bytes, it takes up four or more.
Does a link count toward the limit?
Yes, as part of the text. On X every link counts as 23 characters, however long it is. On Bluesky a link in a post without a picture becomes a card instead. How links work on Bluesky.
What happens to a post that is too long?
In SPREVA it cannot be scheduled until it fits: the account over its limit is marked, with its own counter. On X, a longer text is split into a thread of up to 25 posts instead.
Why is my YouTube description too long when it has fewer than 5,000 characters?
YouTube counts bytes, not characters, so emoji and accented or non-Latin letters take more room. SPREVA counts the same way and tells you before you publish.
Written by
Rodolfo Mota
Founder of SPREVA
Makes SPREVA in Portugal: the Studio, the tools an agent works with, and the publishing behind them.
Keep reading
- How to adapt one post for Instagram, LinkedIn and XWrite one post and adapt it for Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky and Threads without rewriting it every time: a caption per network, each network's limits checked before it goes out, and scheduling on every account at once.
- How to schedule Bluesky posts, and send the same one to Threads and XSchedule Bluesky posts with link cards, images and alt text, and send the same post to Threads and X with a text for each. What differs, and what SPREVA checks.
- How to schedule LinkedIn posts, PDF carousels includedSchedule LinkedIn posts with text, images, a video or a PDF people swipe through: how it works in SPREVA, how each one shows, and the limits checked first.