About This Tool
YouTube enforces strict character limits across video metadata that directly impact discoverability and watch time. Titles max out at 100 characters, descriptions at 5,000, and tags at 500 total characters. Exceeding these limits prevents upload completion or forces YouTube to truncate your carefully crafted metadata. More critically, YouTube's interface truncates titles at approximately 60 characters in search results and descriptions at 150 characters before the "Show more" button appears on mobile. A 95-character title might look complete in your upload dashboard but get cut off at "How to Fix Your Leaking Faucet Without Calling a Plumb..." in search, destroying your call-to-action completely. Similarly, burying your video's value proposition at character 200 of the description means mobile viewers never see it unless they actively expand the text. This tool provides real-time character counting with color-coded visual progress bars, search result preview simulations showing exact truncation points, and tag parsing to show exactly how YouTube will display your metadata across all platforms. See your title as it appears in search results, verify your description hook fits the visible preview window, and count total tag characters before hitting the upload limit. Your data stays completely private with no server uploads, making this completely safe for pre-release video planning and competitive metadata analysis.
YouTube Character Limits by Field Type
YouTube applies different character limits to each metadata field. Understanding these limits prevents upload errors and maximizes visibility:
Video Title (100 characters maximum):
- Hard limit of 100 characters for all accounts
- Search results truncate at approximately 60 characters
- Mobile apps may truncate even earlier (50-55 characters)
- Titles appear in watch page, search results, suggested videos, and browse features
- Front-load keywords and value proposition in first 60 characters
Video Description (5,000 characters maximum):
- Hard limit of 5,000 characters for all accounts
- First 100-150 characters visible before "Show more" button
- Mobile shows even less (approximately 100 characters)
- Links, timestamps, and CTAs in first 150 characters get more clicks
- YouTube indexes full description for search, not just visible portion
Video Tags (500 characters total, not per tag):
- Total of 500 characters across all tags combined
- Individual tag length technically unlimited but keep under 30 characters
- YouTube displays tags to creator only, not viewers
- Used for search ranking and video associations (less impact than title/description)
- Recommended: 5-10 tags maximum for optimal performance
Violating these limits prevents upload or forces YouTube to truncate without warning. This tool shows real-time counts for all three fields so you stay within bounds while maximizing your available space.
How YouTube Truncates Titles in Search Results
YouTube truncates titles at approximately 60 characters in search results, with exact cutoff varying by device and context:
Truncation Rules by Platform:
- Desktop search results: 60-70 characters before "..."
- Mobile app search: 50-55 characters before "..."
- Suggested videos sidebar: 55-60 characters before "..."
- Home page browse: 60-65 characters before "..."
- Playlists: 60-70 characters before "..."
Why Title Truncation Matters:
- Viewers decide to click based on visible title text only
- Cut-off titles lose their call-to-action or value proposition
- Truncation looks unprofessional compared to titles that fit
- Search rankings favor click-through rate; incomplete titles get fewer clicks
Title Optimization Strategy:
- Place primary keyword and benefit in first 50 characters
- Use 60 characters as the "safe zone" for full visibility across devices
- Put secondary details, year, or channel name after character 60
- Test your title on mobile before publishing (most views come from mobile)
Example Optimization:
- Bad (95 chars): "How to Fix Your Leaking Kitchen Faucet Without Calling an Expensive Plumber - Easy DIY Guide 2026"
- Truncated: "How to Fix Your Leaking Kitchen Faucet Without Calling an Expe..."
- Good (58 chars): "Fix Leaking Faucet in 5 Minutes - No Plumber Needed (DIY)"
- Visible fully, CTA intact, keyword front-loaded
This tool shows a search result preview for titles over 60 characters, letting you see exactly what gets cut before you publish.
Description First 150 Characters Strategy
YouTube displays only the first 100-150 characters of your description before the "Show more" button. This visible preview must hook viewers immediately:
What Appears in Description Preview:
- Desktop: First 120-150 characters visible
- Mobile app: First 100-120 characters visible
- Line breaks count as characters, reducing visible text
- Links show full URL length (use link shorteners sparingly)
Front-Load These Elements:
- Video value proposition ("Learn how to...")
- Primary call-to-action ("Download template: [link]")
- Timestamps for quick navigation ("0:00 Intro, 2:15 Setup, 5:30 Results")
- Critical links (course enrollment, product page, free resource)
Move Below the Fold:
- Long-form explanations and context
- Social media links (viewers rarely click these)
- Affiliate disclosures (required but not a hook)
- Channel description boilerplate
- Secondary resources and bonus content
Description Template (Optimized for Preview):
- Characters 1-30: Hook and primary benefit
- Characters 31-100: Main CTA or link
- Characters 101-150: Secondary CTA or timestamp summary
- Characters 151+: Full timestamps, resources, social links, disclosures
Example Optimization:
- Bad: "Hey everyone! Thanks for watching my channel. In this video, I'm going to show you something really cool that I think you'll enjoy. Make sure to like and subscribe for more content like this!"
- Good: "Free SEO checklist: [link] - Rank your site in 30 days with these 15 steps. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro, 2:15 Keyword Research, 7:30 On-Page SEO..."
This tool shows a description preview for text over 150 characters, simulating exactly what viewers see before clicking "Show more."
Video Tag Best Practices and Character Budgets
YouTube allows 500 total characters for tags, but overusing tags can harm your video's performance:
How YouTube Uses Tags:
- Tags help YouTube understand video context when title/description are unclear
- Tags influence "related videos" suggestions on other videos' watch pages
- Tags have minimal direct impact on search rankings (title/description matter more)
- Irrelevant or excessive tags trigger spam filters
- Tags are visible only to you (not to viewers)
Recommended Tag Strategy (YouTube's Official Guidance):
- Use 5-10 tags maximum (quality over quantity)
- First 2-3 tags should be highly specific to your exact video topic
- Next 3-5 tags can be broader category terms
- Final 2-3 tags for channel branding or series names
- Keep individual tags under 30 characters for readability
Effective Tag Examples by Priority:
- Specific: "chocolate chip cookie recipe" (exact video topic)
- Specific variation: "chewy chocolate chip cookies" (alternate search term)
- Medium: "cookie recipes", "baking recipes" (category)
- Broad: "cooking tutorial", "easy desserts" (niche)
- Brand: "YourChannelName", "YourSeriesName" (discovery)
Tag Mistakes to Avoid:
- Stuffing all 500 characters with tangentially related tags
- Using competitor channel names or trending but unrelated topics (spam)
- Single-word tags that are too generic ("food", "video", "tutorial")
- Repeating the exact same keywords from title/description
- Misleading tags to game the algorithm (results in strikes)
Character Budget Strategy:
- 10 tags at 30 characters each = 300 characters (well under 500 limit)
- Leaves room for longer descriptive phrases when needed
- Easier to manage and update as video performance data comes in
- Less likely to trigger spam detection
This tool parses your comma-separated tags, shows individual tag count, and alerts you when approaching 500 characters so you can optimize before hitting the limit.
YouTube SEO Character Limit Optimization
Character limits create constraints, but strategic optimization makes every character count for search rankings and click-through rate:
Title SEO Priorities (within 60 characters):
- Primary keyword in first 5 words (YouTube weights title start heavily)
- Clear benefit or outcome ("Learn X", "Fix Y", "Ultimate Z Guide")
- Numbers for specificity ("5 Steps", "10 Tips", "2024 Method")
- Brackets for secondary info work well: "Main Benefit [Bonus Detail]"
- Avoid clickbait that over-promises (hurts retention metrics)
Description SEO Structure:
- First sentence (30-50 chars): Primary keyword and topic
- Next 100 characters: Supporting keywords naturally integrated
- After 150: Full keyword variations, related topics, resources
- Include 3-5 semantic keyword variations for topic coverage
- Timestamps improve watch time (viewers jump to relevant sections)
Keyword Density Guidelines:
- Primary keyword: 2-3 times in title + description (avoid stuffing)
- Secondary keywords: 1-2 times each
- Natural language beats forced repetition (YouTube detects spam)
- Use synonyms and related terms for semantic relevance
Mobile-First Optimization:
- 70% of YouTube watch time is mobile (optimize for smaller screens)
- Mobile truncates titles at 50-55 characters (stricter than desktop)
- Mobile shows only 100 characters of description before fold
- Test your metadata on mobile before publishing
A/B Testing Your Metadata:
- YouTube Studio allows title/description edits post-publish
- Track click-through rate (CTR) in YouTube Analytics after changes
- Wait 7-14 days between tests for statistical significance
- Small CTR improvements compound into significant view growth
Use this tool during pre-production to draft multiple title/description variants, then test the most promising options after publish to optimize performance over time.