Social Media

Back to basics: online marketing character limits

Digital marketing is full of character limits. While some may call these limitations, it’s one of a  marketer’s primary jobs to make sure the message matches the medium.

Whether you’re working on social media marketing, digital advertising campaigns, or search engine optimization, every platform and medium you’re working with has character limits of which you must be aware. Seasoned professionals and newbies alike must keep up-to-date with the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, including character limits.

Social media marketing character limits

The length of social media posts varies widely across platforms. While keeping it short and sweet works for one platform, others demand longer explanations.

And remember, just because you can write a long post doesn’t mean you should, but that’s a post for another day. The tried and true of knowing who your target audience is and the messages that resonate with them never goes out of style.

Social Media Marketing Character Limits
FacebookStatus Update63,206
InstagramCaption2,200
InstagramHashtags30
LinkedInCompany Page Update700
LinkedInPersonal Profile Status Update3,000
LinkedInPublisher Post Headline100
LinkedInPublisher Post Body Text110,000
TwitterTweet280
YouTubeVideo Title100
YouTubeVideo Description5,000
InstagramCaption2,200
InstagramHashtags30

Sample LinkedIn post with accurate character counts:


Digital advertising character limits

When continuously optimized, digital advertising can be a cost-effective way to drive relevant traffic to your website and generate leads.

Digital Advertising Character Limits
Facebook Ads - CarouselHeadline40
Facebook Ads - CarouselText125
Facebook Ads - CarouselLink Description25
Facebook Ads - Instant Experience (formerly known as Canvas)Headline40
Facebook Ads - Instant Experience (formerly known as Canvas)Text125
Facebook Ads - Instant Experience (formerly known as Canvas)Image Description30
Facebook Ads - NewsfeedHeadline40
Facebook Ads - NewsfeedText125
Facebook Ads - NewsfeedLink Description30
Instagram Ads - CarouselText125
Instagram Ads - CarouselHashtags3030 hashtags
Google Ads - Expanded Text AdText Headline303 headlines per ad
Google Ads - Expanded Text AdText Description902 descriptions per ad
Google Ads - Expanded Text AdURL Path152 paths per ad
Google Ads - Responsive Text AdText Headline30Two 15 character path fields
Google Ads - Responsive Text AdText Description904 descriptions per ad
Google Ads - Responsive Text AdDisplay URL Path152 paths per ad
LinkedIn Ads - Single ImageHeadline200Copy truncates after 70
LinkedIn Ads - Single ImageDescription300Copy truncates after 100
LinkedIn Ads - Carousel ImageIntroductory Text255Copy truncates after 150
LinkedIn Ads - Carousel ImageHeadline Text (ads linking to a URL)45
LinkedIn Ads - Carousel ImageHeadline Text (ads linking to Lead Gen form)30
LinkedIn Ads - VideoIntroductory Text600
LinkedIn Ads - VideoHeadline200
LinkedIn Ads - TextHeadline25
LinkedIn Ads - TextDescription75
Microsoft Search Advertising (formerly known as Bing Ads)Title303 headlines per ad
Microsoft Search Advertising (formerly known as Bing Ads)Ad Text902 descriptions per ad
Microsoft Search Advertising (formerly known as Bing Ads)URL Path152 paths per ad
Microsoft Search Advertising (formerly known as Bing Ads) - Responsive AdTitle30Two 15 character path fields
Microsoft Search Advertising (formerly known as Bing Ads) - Responsive AdAd Text904 descriptions per ad
Microsoft Search Advertising (formerly known as Bing Ads) - Responsive AdURL Path67

Sample LinkedIn Ad with accurate character counts:

SEO character limits

Optimizing your title tags and meta descriptions is another way to improve your website’s SEO footprint while also helping users understand what your company is about.

SEO Character Limits
Title Tag50-60 (600 pixels)
Meta Description160 or less

Example of Search Engine Results Page (SERP) with visible title tag and meta description:

Need help with your digital marketing presence?

Getting to know character limits is just the tip of the iceberg. You must also understand image sizes, video production, and so much more.

If your organization needs help to develop a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, partner with a health tech marketing agency that understands how to connect with your target audience.

Let’s talk!

Note: This post was originally published in 2020 and has been updated to reflect new character counts.

Brian Shilling

Brian is our Executive Vice President of Client Operations with experience leading diverse teams of marketers and designers in strategic marketing, content creation, and crafting comprehensive messaging and positioning platforms for our healthcare and tech clients. To learn more about Brian's experiences and qualifications, visit our leadership team page.