WordToolboxTruncation is the enemy of a good hook. Platforms cut at hard character limits or collapse posts behind a “see more” fold, and both decisions are made on characters, not words.
Common limits to write against
| Placement | Limit | Practical target |
|---|---|---|
| X post (standard account) | 280 characters | Under 270 to leave room for edits |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters | First ~140 before “see more” |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters | First ~125 shown in feed |
| Facebook post | 63,206 characters | First ~80 before truncation |
| Google Ads headline | 30 characters | Each of three headlines |
| Google Ads description | 90 characters | Each of two descriptions |
| Meta title tag | no hard limit | Roughly 60 characters displayed |
| Meta description | no hard limit | Roughly 155 characters displayed |
| YouTube title | 100 characters | Front-load the first 60 |
| Email subject line | no hard limit | Under 45 for mobile inboxes |
Counting gotchas
- Emoji: many count as two characters on some platforms. WordToolbox counts them as one user-perceived character, so leave a small margin.
- Links: X replaces every URL with a fixed-length t.co link regardless of the original length.
- Line breaks count as characters, and a double break costs two.
- Mentions and hashtags count in full, including the @ and #.
- Ad platforms usually reject over-length text outright rather than truncating it.
A fast workflow
- Paste the caption into the counter and read “Characters (with spaces)”.
- Compare against the practical target above, not the hard limit.
- If you are over, cut intensifiers and shorten the call to action before touching the hook.
- For feed placements, check that the first sentence alone carries the message — that is all most people see.