What is YouTube’s character limit for a description?

YouTube’s description limit is 5,000 characters, counted as what you see (grapheme clusters), including multi-part emoji, rather than raw code points. It updates automatically if YouTube changes the number, since the counter reads it from the same limit table SkedCast’s composer uses.

Is this a separate counter built just for YouTube?

No — it is the same multi-platform counter as our general caption and character counter, arranged so YouTube’s row and questions are easy to find from a YouTube-specific search.

Does the counter store or send my caption anywhere?

No, counting happens entirely in your browser as you type; nothing is uploaded, saved, or sent to a server.

How does the counter measure length for YouTube?

It counts grapheme clusters, so what you see as one character — including a multi-part emoji — counts as one, matching how YouTube itself counts a caption.

Can I check the same caption against other platforms too?

Yes, the same text is measured against every platform SkedCast supports at once, so you can see which platforms it fits and which ones need a shorter variant.

How many hashtags should a YouTube caption use?

It varies by platform and audience, but a smaller, relevant set of hashtags usually performs better than the maximum allowed; the hashtag count helps you stay deliberate about it.

Does the YouTube character limit include spaces?

Yes — this counter counts every character you type, including spaces, the same way YouTube does: by grapheme cluster (what you actually see) rather than raw code points, so a word count and a character count will always read differently for the same caption.

Is the limit different for a YouTube bio, comment or ad than for a description?

This counter measures the description limit specifically. YouTube’s bio, comments, ads and other surfaces often carry their own separate limits that this tool does not check — use the YouTube row above only for the description you are counting.

Free tool

YouTube character counter

This YouTube character counter shows how long your caption is against YouTube’s real description limit of 5,000 characters, live as you type. It is the exact same multi-platform counter behind our general caption and character counter — this page just leads with the YouTube row and answers YouTube-specific questions below it. The same text is checked against every other platform SkedCast supports at the same time, so you can see whether one caption fits everywhere before you decide what to post where.

Your caption

Characters: 138
Words: 20
Hashtags: 3

Fits on each platform

X (Twitter)Post text · 280 max · weighted (links 23, emoji 2)142 left
BlueskyPost text · 300 max162 left
ThreadsPost text · 500 max362 left
PinterestPin description · 800 max662 left
InstagramCaption · 2,200 max2,062 left
TikTokCaption · 2,200 max2,062 left
LinkedInPost text · 3,000 max2,862 left
TelegramMessage text · 4,096 max3,958 left
YouTubeDescription · 5,000 max4,862 left
Facebook PagesPost text · 63,206 max63,068 left

How to use the YouTube character counter

Paste or type your YouTube caption. Put your draft YouTube caption or post text into the box; nothing you type is uploaded anywhere.
Read the YouTube row first. Find YouTube in the per-platform list to see its exact limit, the characters left, and whether you are over.
Check every other platform too. Scroll the same list to see the identical caption measured against every other platform SkedCast supports, all in one pass.
Watch words and hashtags. The summary above the list also counts total words and hashtags, so you can keep your hashtag set deliberate.
Trim or write a platform-specific variant. If the YouTube row shows over-limit, shorten the caption or write a separate version just for YouTube instead of cutting every version to the tightest limit.

Worked examples

YouTube’s real character limit

YouTube’s description limit is 5,000 characters, counted as what you see (grapheme clusters), including multi-part emoji, rather than raw code points. That is the same number shown in the counter’s YouTube row, and the same rule SkedCast’s own composer enforces before a post ships.

3 hashtags, 42 words, one pass

A caption with 3 hashtags and 42 words shows all three counts — characters, words and hashtags — next to the YouTube row and every other platform’s row, updating as you type.