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 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.

Can I post text only on YouTube?

No. Every YouTube post needs at least one image or video; the caption rides along with the media.

Will YouTube cut off a long caption?

In the feed, yes: YouTube shows roughly the first 157 characters and hides the rest behind "…more", so put the hook and any call to action first.

How many hashtags can a YouTube post have?

SkedCast flags anything over 60 hashtags on a YouTube post before it publishes, so a post never goes out with tags YouTube would drop.

What happens to a link in a YouTube post?

The link counts at its real length, and YouTube shows no link-preview card for it.

Free tool

YouTube character counter

YouTube’s description limit is 5,000 characters. Paste or type your text and this counter shows how many characters you have used and how many are left as you type, counting emoji and spaces the way YouTube does. It checks the same text against every other network at once, so you can see where one version fits. YouTube posts take up to 5,000 characters, shows about 157 before "…more", and allows up to 60 hashtags.

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
Google Business ProfilePost description · 1,500 max1,362 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 do you 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.

What are the YouTube rules to know?

The limits SkedCast’s composer checks for YouTube before a post goes out, read from the same rules table the composer uses.

Text limit	5,000 characters
How length is counted	As you see it: one emoji or accented letter counts as one character
Hashtags	Up to 60 per post; extras are flagged before publishing
Where the caption is cut off in the feed	About 157 characters before "…more", so lead with the point
Text-only posts	Not allowed: every post needs an image or video
Links in the text	No link-preview card
First comment	Supported: SkedCast can post a first comment right after publishing
Feed crop	16:9 in the feed preview
Images	Not published by SkedCast to this platform

Good to know

YouTube cannot post text without a video — every post requires exactly one video.
YouTube does not support image, photo, or carousel posts via the API.
YouTube does not support GIF posts.
YouTube does not support document/PDF posts.
YouTube does not support polls, threads, stories, or link posts via the publishing API.

What does it look like in practice?

A 400-character caption on YouTube

YouTube shows about the first 157 characters before "…more", so 243 of the 400 are hidden until someone taps. Put the hook in those first 157.

65 hashtags on YouTube

That is 5 over the 60 SkedCast allows for YouTube, so the post is flagged before it publishes rather than going out with tags dropped.

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.