YouTube Character Counter — Guide 2026
YouTube video titles can be up to 100 characters, but only the first 70 characters display in most search views before truncation.
Video descriptions support up to 5,000 characters, but only the first 157 characters show before "show more" — this preview also appears in search results.
Tags
YouTube allows up to 500 total characters across all tags. Individual tags can be up to 30 characters.
Tips for YouTube titles and descriptions
- Keep titles under 60 characters to avoid truncation on all screen sizes
- Put your primary keyword near the beginning of the title
- Include key links and timestamps within the first 157 characters of descriptions
- Use chapters (timestamps) in descriptions to improve watch time
Other platform counters
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the YouTube video title character limit?
YouTube video titles can be up to 100 characters. About 70 characters are shown in search results before truncation.
What is the YouTube description character limit?
YouTube video descriptions allow up to 5,000 characters. Only the first 157 characters appear as a preview in search results.
How many characters can YouTube tags have?
Each YouTube tag can be up to 30 characters. Total tags for a video are limited to 500 characters.
Does YouTube description length affect SEO?
Yes. Keyword-rich descriptions of at least 200–300 words generally help with discovery.
What is the YouTube channel description limit?
YouTube channel descriptions are limited to 1,000 characters.