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YouTube character counter
Check video titles and descriptions against YouTube’s limits, and see how much of the title shows in search.
YouTube limits
- Video title100 characters
- Description5,000 characters
Last checked October 2026.
Tips
- Keep the keyword and the promise in the first 60 characters of the title.
- Use the first lines of the description for the summary and the key link.
How much of a YouTube title and description people see
A YouTube title can be up to 100 characters and a description up to 5,000. Both limits are generous; the harder limit is what viewers actually see. In search results and suggested videos, titles are often cut around 60–70 characters, and on phones the cut can come earlier depending on the layout.
Put the words that matter in the first 60 characters: the topic someone would search for and the promise of the video. Anything after that may be hidden in many places, so use it for detail that is nice to have. Checking the length before you upload saves rewriting a title that looks fine in Studio but is cut everywhere else.
In the description, the first two or three lines show above the fold on the watch page, and part of the opening can appear in search. Use those lines for a plain summary and the one link you most want people to click. Sponsor disclosures belong near the top; timestamps, credits and secondary links can come lower down.
Hashtags in the description count toward the 5,000 characters. YouTube can show the first few near the title, and it ignores all hashtags on a video that uses too many (more than 60 at the time of writing — check current terms). A few relevant hashtags are enough.
YouTube does not accept the angle brackets < and > in titles or descriptions at the time of writing, so remove them when you paste text from elsewhere. Emoji are allowed but take room in a short title; use them only when they add meaning.
| Field | Limit | What usually shows |
|---|---|---|
| Title | 100 characters | Often cut around 60–70 characters in search and suggestions |
| Description | 5,000 characters | The first two or three lines above the fold |
| Tags | 500 characters in total | Not shown to viewers |
Questions
How many characters can a YouTube title be?
Up to 100 characters. Titles are often cut around 60–70 characters in search and suggested videos, so keep the key words and the promise in the first 60.
How long can a YouTube description be?
Up to 5,000 characters. Only the first two or three lines show before viewers expand it, so start with a summary and your main link rather than a block of links.
What is the best length for a YouTube title?
Short enough to be read in full where most people find the video. Many creators aim for about 60 characters or fewer, but a longer title can work if its first part makes sense on its own. Compare titles using the click-through rate in YouTube Studio.
Do hashtags count toward the YouTube description limit?
Yes. Hashtags in the description are part of the 5,000 characters. YouTube ignores all hashtags on a video that uses too many, more than 60 at the time of writing — check current terms.
Do YouTube Shorts have the same title limit?
Shorts use the same 100-character title field as long videos. In the Shorts player the title sits over the video and space is tight, so shorter titles tend to read better.
Why does YouTube reject my title or description?
Common reasons are going over the limit or using characters YouTube does not accept, such as < and >. Paste the text here to check its length, remove any angle brackets, and try again.
How many characters can YouTube tags have?
Tags share a limit of 500 characters in total at the time of writing — check current terms. YouTube says tags play a small role in discovery, mostly for commonly misspelled words, so spend more effort on the title and description.