YouTube Title Character Counter
Count your YouTube title and description as you type. See where the 100-character title limit, the ~60-character search cutoff, and the 5,000-character description limit land — with a live search preview. No signup, nothing uploaded.
Valid, but past the ~60-character search cutoff — the end may be hidden in search and suggested.
Under the 5,000-character limit. Front-load the first ~157 characters — that is all viewers see before "...more".
Preview truncates the title at ~60 characters and the description at ~157 characters — close to what YouTube shows before hiding the rest. Exact cutoffs vary by device and layout.
Turn your script into a natural AI voiceover.
Once your title and description are dialed in, MindLink Voice Studio can voice your script in a natural-sounding voice — perfect for intros, narration, and faceless channels. Paste your script, pick a voice, and export.
Who uses a YouTube title counter
Anyone who publishes on YouTube and wants titles and descriptions that land right.
YouTubers & creators
Write titles that stay fully visible in search and suggested feeds instead of getting cut off at the worst possible word.
Channel growth & SEO
Front-load keywords in the first 60 title characters and the first 157 description characters where they carry the most weight.
Brand & social teams
Keep titles on-brand and within limits before scheduling uploads across a content calendar.
Editors & VAs
Check a client’s titles and descriptions against the real limits before publishing, without logging into their channel.
Product & tutorial videos
Make sure the key benefit and link land above the "...more" fold so viewers act without expanding.
Non-English titles
Longer scripts and accented characters eat into the limit fast — count them accurately before you hit publish.
How to check your YouTube title length
Four steps — though the counts update the moment you type.
- 1
Paste your title
Type or paste your video title into the title box. The counter shows characters against the 100-character hard limit and the ~60-character search cutoff as you type.
- 2
Watch the color states
Green means your title fits inside the ~60-character search cutoff, amber means it is valid but will get truncated in search and suggested, and red means it is over the 100-character limit YouTube enforces.
- 3
Add and check your description
Paste your description into the second box. It counts against the 5,000-character limit and flags whether your important lines land inside the first ~157 characters shown before "...more".
- 4
Compare with the live preview
The search preview truncates your title at ~60 characters and your description at ~157, so you can see exactly what a viewer reads before deciding to click.
Writing titles and descriptions that rank and get clicked
YouTube gives you 100 characters for a title, but that number is misleading. In search results, suggested videos, and most mobile layouts, titles are truncated at roughly 60 characters. Everything past that point is replaced with an ellipsis, so a 95-character title might look great in the upload form and still lose its punchline everywhere it actually appears. The safest approach is to write for 60 characters and treat the remaining 40 as an optional tail that only shows on the watch page.
Put your most important words first. If a viewer scanning a feed has to read to character 70 to understand what your video is about, most of them will have scrolled past already. Lead with the hook or the primary keyword, then support it: “10 Easy Weeknight Dinners (30 Minutes)” works because the value is legible in the first few words, even truncated.
Descriptions have far more room — 5,000 characters — but the same front-loading rule applies, only harder. Only about the first 157 characters (roughly two to three lines) show before the “...more” link, and on the watch page it is often just the first line or two. That opening window is prime real estate: it doubles as your search snippet and the text a viewer reads before deciding to expand. Write a real sentence that summarizes the video and includes your main keyword naturally — do not waste it on “Subscribe and hit the bell.”
Use the space below the fold for the details that help both viewers and YouTube understand your video: timestamps, links, a short outline, and a few relevant hashtags. Character length itself is not a ranking factor, but comprehension and click-through are — and both are shaped by whether your title survives truncation and whether your description earns the expand. Counting as you write is the simplest way to keep both inside the windows that matter.
Your titles never leave your device
This counter runs entirely as a small piece of JavaScript in your browser tab. Nothing you type into the title or description box is uploaded, logged, or stored anywhere — there is no account and no server round-trip. That also means it keeps working if your connection drops after the page has loaded.
MindLink counter vs the alternatives
Compared on what matters when you just need to check title and description length fast.
| Feature | MindLink | TubeBuddy | VidIQ | By hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live title character count | Yes | Yes (extension) | Yes (extension) | No — guess or count manually |
| Shows ~60-char search cutoff | Yes | Partial | Partial | No |
| Description counter + ~157 fold | Yes | Limited | Limited | No |
| Live search preview | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Works without installing anything | Yes | No — browser extension | No — browser extension | Yes |
| Signup / account required | None | Account for full features | Account for full features | None |
| Sends your text to a server | No | Often yes | Often yes | No |
| Price | Free | Freemium | Freemium | Free |
Frequently asked questions
Everything people ask about YouTube title and description length.
What is the maximum YouTube title length?+
A YouTube title can be up to 100 characters, including spaces. That is a hard limit — the upload form stops you from typing more. Anything you paste beyond 100 characters is simply cut off.
How many characters of a title actually show in search?+
Although the limit is 100 characters, YouTube typically truncates titles at roughly 60 characters in search results, suggested videos, and many mobile layouts. Beyond that point the end of your title is replaced with an ellipsis, so the most important words should come first.
What is the ideal YouTube title length?+
Aim for around 60 characters or fewer so the whole title stays visible everywhere. If you need more, put your hook, keyword, and the payoff in the first 60 characters and treat the rest as a bonus that only shows on the watch page.
What is the maximum YouTube description length?+
A YouTube description can be up to 5,000 characters. That is plenty of room for a summary, timestamps, links, and hashtags, but only a small part of it is visible before viewers have to click "...more".
How much of the description shows before "...more"?+
Roughly the first 157 characters (about two to three lines) appear above the fold before the "...more" link. On the watch page that is often just the first line or two. Front-load your hook, primary keyword, and any critical link into that window.
Does the title or description length affect YouTube SEO?+
Length itself is not a direct ranking factor, but it affects click-through rate and comprehension, which do matter. A title that gets cut off mid-phrase or a description that buries the topic below the fold both hurt how well your video is understood by viewers and by YouTube.
Are emojis and spaces counted as characters?+
Yes. Every space counts as one character, and most emojis count as one or two characters depending on how they are encoded. This counter measures the raw character count the same way the upload form does, so what you see here matches what YouTube accepts.
Is this YouTube title counter free and private?+
Yes — completely free, no signup, no watermark, and no limit. Everything runs in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded, logged, or stored anywhere. It keeps working even if your connection drops after the page loads.
Does the preview match YouTube exactly?+
It is a close approximation. YouTube trims titles and descriptions at slightly different points depending on the device, font, and surface (search vs suggested vs the watch page). The ~60 and ~157 character marks are reliable planning targets, not pixel-perfect guarantees.
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Fix the title. Front-load the description. Voice the video.
MindLink Voice Studio turns your finished script into a natural AI voiceover in minutes. Free to try.