YouTube Character Counter
Count characters for YouTube titles, descriptions, comments, community posts, channel descriptions, and Shorts in real time. Built-in 70-character search-visibility hint and 157-character above-the-fold indicator.
100 characters left
0 words
You have 70 characters of search-visible space before truncation.
All YouTube Character Limits
| Field | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Video title | 100 characters | Search results truncate around 70 characters |
| Video description | 5,000 characters | First ~157 chars visible before 'Show more' |
| Comment | 10,000 characters | Both top-level and reply comments |
| Community post | 5,000 characters | Requires 500+ subscribers |
| Channel description | 1,000 characters | First ~150 chars appear in search snippets |
| Shorts title | 100 characters | Shorts shelf shows ~40 chars |
| Tags (combined) | 500 characters | All tags, separated by commas |
| Hashtags per video | 15 hashtags | Above 15, all hashtags are ignored |
| Channel name | 100 characters | Display name shown across YouTube |
| Custom URL | 30 characters | youtube.com/@yourhandle |
| Playlist title | 150 characters | Visible on playlist tiles |
| Playlist description | 5,000 characters | Same cap as video descriptions |
Why the 70-Character Search Truncation Matters
YouTube titles can be 100 characters long, but search results, suggested-video tiles, and notification panels truncate around 70 characters on most layouts. The exact cutoff varies by device and viewport, but 70 is a reliable planning target. Anything past character 70 is structurally invisible at the moment of click decision.
Practical implication: front-load your primary keyword and the value proposition in the first 55-65 characters. Treat characters 65-100 as bonus content for the watch page, not for search discovery. The tool above shows a dedicated “Search-result visibility” bar under the Title tab so you can calibrate this in real time.
Why the 157-Character Description Fold Matters
On the YouTube watch page, only the first ~157 characters of your description appear above the “Show more” fold. Most viewers never click it. That makes those 157 characters the highest-value real estate in your description.
Best use of the first 157 characters:
- One-sentence hook that complements (not repeats) the title.
- Primary keyword in plain language.
- Single link CTA if you have one (newsletter, sponsor, related video).
Everything past 157 characters is for the few viewers who hit “Show more” - typically your most engaged audience. Use that space for chapter timestamps, full link list, equipment / book references, and longer context.
YouTube Title Best Practices
Lead with your primary keyword
YouTube weights the first words of the title heavily for search ranking. "How to optimize Next.js performance" beats "A guide to optimizing the performance of Next.js applications" - same intent, keyword in front.
Use 55-65 characters for SEO clarity
This range fits in the search-result snippet, mobile suggested-video tiles, and notification text. Anything longer gets truncated where it matters most.
Numbers and brackets work but do not overdo them
"7 React patterns" or "[Tutorial] Debugging hooks" earn extra clicks. Stacking too many of these patterns in one title triggers the same fatigue viewers feel toward clickbait.
Skip filler words
"How to actually really improve your YouTube channel growth in 2026" - cut "actually really" and "in 2026". 8 wasted characters that could carry value.
Match your title and thumbnail
If the thumbnail says one thing and the title says another, click-through rate suffers. The two should reinforce a single promise.
YouTube video titles are capped at 100 characters. Search results and suggested-video tiles truncate around 70 characters on most layouts, so the strongest practice is to land your primary keyword in the first 55-65 characters and use the full 100 only when necessary for context.
YouTube descriptions can be up to 5,000 characters. Only the first ~157 characters appear above the fold on the watch page before the 'Show more' link. Front-load your hook, your primary keyword, and any link CTAs in those first 157 characters.
YouTube comments can be up to 10,000 characters. Comments with questions or genuine reactions consistently drive more replies than long monologues. Most engagement happens on comments under 280 characters.
YouTube Community posts are capped at 5,000 characters. Channels need at least 500 subscribers to access the Community tab. Posts under 280 characters tend to outperform longer ones because the feed format rewards scannable content.
Channel descriptions can be up to 1,000 characters. The first ~150 characters appear as a search snippet and in the About preview, so lead with what the channel is about, who it is for, and your upload schedule.
Shorts titles share the 100-character limit with long-form videos. The Shorts shelf and feed tiles only show approximately 40 characters before truncation, so the first words must hook hard. Add a #shorts hashtag if relevant - it does not affect ranking but improves discoverability for some viewers.
Tags have a 500-character cap across all tags combined. Each tag should be a focused keyword, ideally 2-3 words. YouTube has stated tags carry minimal ranking weight in 2026; titles, descriptions, and viewer signals matter far more.
Up to 15 hashtags per video are recognized. If you exceed 15, YouTube ignores all of them. Hashtags above the title display the first 3 from the description. Best practice: pick 2-3 most relevant hashtags and put them in the description, not the title.
Yes. Spaces, line breaks, punctuation, and emojis all count toward the character limits. Emojis typically count as 2-4 characters each due to Unicode encoding.
No. Everything runs locally in your browser. Your draft never leaves your device. Close the tab and it is gone.
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