YouTube description character counter
Type or paste your description. We show the live character count, mark where YouTube hides the rest behind "Show more" on mobile (~140 chars), and the hard cap (5000 chars). Frontload the hooks and links above the cutoff so they're visible without a tap.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube description character limit?
5000 characters is the hard cap. Above that, YouTube truncates the upload at 5000 — the rest of your description is dropped silently. The limit is the same on long-form videos and Shorts. Spaces, line breaks, emoji, and hashtags all count. The counter above shows the running total live and warns before you cross the cap.
How long can a YouTube description be before it gets cut off?
On mobile, YouTube truncates the visible description at roughly 100-150 characters before showing a "Show more" link. The exact cutoff depends on screen width — wider phones show ~150 chars, narrower ones cut at ~100. The counter above flags 140 as the practical mobile cutoff. Anything below that is visible without a tap; anything above is hidden until the viewer expands.
What's the best length for a YouTube Shorts description?
Front-load the most important content (hook, link, key hashtag) in the first 100-140 characters so it shows above the "Show more" fold on mobile. Total length isn't a ranking signal — YouTube doesn't reward longer descriptions. But the SEO signal IS the keyword density in the first 250 characters, which YouTube weights higher when classifying the video for the algorithm. Aim for 150-300 characters of substantive copy + hashtags at the end.
Where does YouTube cut the description with Show More?
On mobile (where 80%+ of Shorts viewing happens), the description is cut to roughly the first 100-150 characters. The exact pixel count depends on screen size, font scaling, and whether the user has accessibility settings on. On the desktop video page, the truncation happens around 150-200 characters depending on browser width. The 140-char marker in the counter above is the safe assumption.
Do hashtags count toward the YouTube description character limit?
Yes. Every character — letters, numbers, # symbols, spaces, emoji, line breaks — counts toward the 5000-char cap. A typical 10-hashtag block at the end of a description eats around 100-150 characters. Keep that in mind when balancing prose copy vs hashtag stuffing; hashtags past 15 don't help ranking and just consume budget.
Should I put my links in the YouTube description?
Yes — the description is the canonical place for clickable links. Put the most important link (your channel subscribe URL, your other social, your store) on line 1 or line 2. Lines 3+ are below the Show More cutoff on mobile and effectively invisible to most viewers. URLs become clickable automatically as long as they include the protocol (https://). No need to use a URL shortener unless you need analytics.
Does the YouTube description help with SEO and ranking?
Yes, but as one signal among many. YouTube classifies videos using the title, the first ~200 characters of the description, and the hashtags. Keyword density in those zones helps the algorithm understand what the video is about during the cold-start phase. Past 200 characters, the description is mostly for viewer-facing context (links, credits, sponsor disclosures) and contributes minimally to ranking.
What can I put in a YouTube description?
Anything that fits in 5000 characters and follows YouTube's content policy. Common patterns: 1-2 sentence summary at the top, then a link block, then chapter timestamps (for long-form), then social links, then sponsor disclosure if applicable, then hashtags as the last block. Avoid clickbait phrasing in the first 140 characters — that's what shows in the feed and triggers viewer skepticism.