YouTube Character Counter

The YouTube character counter is a free, live tool that tells you exactly how many characters and words you have written for every surface on YouTube. Paste or type your video title, description, tags, channel description, community post, or comment into the box above and watch the counter update in real time. It flags the moment you cross YouTube’s character limits so you never waste hours editing a description only to find the platform truncates the last line of your call to action.

YouTube is ruthless about cut-offs. A title that looks clean in your editor may show as “How I Grew My Channel From 0 To…” on mobile search. A description that reads beautifully in Google Docs can hide your affiliate link behind a “Show more” tap. Community posts get clipped mid-sentence. This counter fixes that by showing the exact character count, the remaining characters, and a visual warning as you approach each surface’s ceiling.

YouTube character limits by surface

Every input on YouTube has its own ceiling. Use this counter to stay safely inside each one, and remember that emojis and some special characters can count as two or more characters depending on the encoding.

Video title: 100 characters

YouTube allows up to 100 characters in a video title, but the visible portion on search results, suggested videos, and mobile is closer to 60 to 70 characters. Front-load your keyword and hook in the first 60 characters so nothing important gets clipped.

Video description: 5,000 characters

The description field holds up to 5,000 characters, which is roughly 800 words. Only the first 120 to 150 characters appear above the “Show more” fold on desktop and mobile, so put your hook, primary link, and main keyword in that opening block.

Tags: 500 characters total

YouTube caps the total tag field at 500 characters across all tags combined, including commas and spaces. Individual tags can run up to around 30 characters each. Put your most important tag first, since YouTube weights position.

Channel name: 100 characters

Channel names allow up to 100 characters, but short, memorable names perform better in search and on mobile avatars. Pick something pronounceable and brandable.

Channel description: 1,000 characters

The “About” section of your channel accepts 1,000 characters. Use this space to describe who you are, what your channel covers, and your upload schedule. Include keywords naturally to improve channel discovery.

Community post: 280 or 500 characters

Text-only community posts are limited to 280 characters. If you attach a poll, image, or video, the limit expands to around 500 characters. Keep the hook in the first sentence since the feed truncates long posts.

Comments: 10,000 characters

YouTube comments allow a very generous 10,000 characters, which is more than enough for a pinned comment full of timestamps, resources, and links. Use the counter to make sure long pinned comments stay inside the ceiling.

Playlist title and description

Playlist titles are limited to 150 characters and playlist descriptions to 1,000 characters. Treat the playlist title like a mini video title and include the core keyword.

Shorts caption

YouTube Shorts share the standard 100-character title limit and the 5,000-character description limit, but only the first line of the caption is visible on the Shorts player. Keep the hook tight and put hashtags at the end.

How to use the YouTube character counter

• Pick the surface you are writing for, such as title, description, tags, or community post.
• Paste or type your text into the counter box above.
• Watch the live character count, word count, and remaining character indicator update as you edit.
• Trim or expand until you land inside the target range for that surface.
• Copy the finished text and paste it straight into YouTube Studio.

Use cases for creators and marketers

Writing titles that improve CTR

Click-through rate is the single biggest lever on YouTube. A strong title usually lives between 50 and 70 characters, which leaves room for the keyword, a curiosity hook, and a specific number or outcome. Use the counter to test variations quickly and avoid any version that gets truncated on mobile search.

Optimizing descriptions with timestamps, links, and SEO

A well-built description does four jobs at once: it hooks the viewer in the first 120 characters, stacks timestamps for chapters, lists links and resources, and feeds keywords to YouTube’s ranking system. Use the counter to confirm your description stays under 5,000 characters even after you add affiliate disclosures, social links, and chapter markers.

Placing hashtags in the description

YouTube recognizes up to 15 hashtags in a description, and only the first three show above the title. Put your most important hashtag first and keep the group near the end of the description so it does not eat into your hook. The counter helps you see how much room hashtags consume inside the 5,000-character budget.

Community posts that drive engagement

Community posts are your best tool for keeping subscribers warm between uploads. Because the text-only limit is only 280 characters, every word has to pull weight. Use the counter to get the hook, question, and call to action into a single tight block.

Pinned comments with resources

A pinned comment is prime real estate. Use the 10,000-character ceiling to list timestamps, correct mistakes, link related videos, and answer common questions. The counter makes it easy to keep this block organized.

Best practices for YouTube copy

• First 120 characters of the description are sacred. They appear above the “Show more” fold, so put your hook, primary link, or main keyword there.
• Front-load your video title. The first 60 characters are what viewers read on mobile and in search results, so lead with the keyword and the promise.
• Top tags go first. YouTube gives more weight to the earliest tags in the tag field, so order them from most important to least important.
• Use numbers and specifics. Titles like “7 ways” or “in 30 days” outperform vague titles and still fit comfortably inside 100 characters.
• Write for humans, then for search. A keyword-stuffed title that reads like a robot will lose the click no matter how well it ranks.
• Reuse a description template. Keep a standard block for social links, affiliate disclosures, and CTAs so every upload stays consistent and compliant.
• Test emojis carefully. Some emojis count as two characters and some are stripped from search previews, so preview your title before publishing.

Frequently asked questions

Does the YouTube character counter count spaces and emojis?

Yes. The counter treats every visible character as one, including spaces, punctuation, and emojis. YouTube itself sometimes counts complex emojis as two characters, so leave a small buffer if your copy leans heavily on emojis.

What is the maximum YouTube video title length?

The hard cap is 100 characters, but the visible portion on mobile and in search is closer to 60 to 70 characters. Treat 70 as your real working limit.

How long can a YouTube description be?

YouTube descriptions can run up to 5,000 characters, which is about 800 words. Only the first 120 to 150 characters appear above the fold.

What is the YouTube tag limit?

All tags combined cannot exceed 500 characters, including commas. Individual tags usually stay under 30 characters.

How many characters can a YouTube community post have?

Text-only community posts are limited to around 280 characters. Adding a poll, image, or video extends the text field to roughly 500 characters.

Is there a character limit on YouTube comments?

Yes. Comments top out at 10,000 characters, which is large enough for pinned comments with timestamps, resources, and links.

Does the counter work for YouTube Shorts?

Yes. Shorts use the same 100-character title limit and 5,000-character description limit as regular videos. The counter works the same way.

Schedule your YouTube posts with Postiz

Once your title, description, tags, and community post are sized correctly, you still need to get them scheduled, cross-posted to other platforms, and analyzed. Postiz is an open-source social media scheduling tool that plugs directly into YouTube, Shorts, and every other major network. Draft your video copy once, schedule it across YouTube, Instagram Reels, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn, and keep every upload on-brand from a single calendar.

Pair the YouTube character counter with Postiz to move from writing to publishing without the copy-and-paste chaos. Start scheduling on Postiz and keep every YouTube upload inside the limits and on time.