Quick Answer
YouTube allows up to 100 characters in a video title, 5,000 characters in the description and about 500 characters of tags. Only around the first 70 characters of a title may show in some search results, so put the important words first. YouTube can show up to three hashtags above your title, but ignores all hashtags if a video has more than 60. Chapters need a first timestamp of 0:00, at least three timestamps and at least 10 seconds per chapter.
What is a YouTube Title & Description Counter?
A YouTube title counter (YouTube टाइटल काउंटर) checks your video's title, description and tags against YouTube's character limits before you upload. YouTube Studio simply refuses a title over 100 characters, cuts long titles in search results and quietly ignores hashtags if you use too many — so it pays to check everything in one place first.
This free tool counts characters live for the title (100), description (5,000) and tags (about 500), shows coloured progress bars, counts hashtags and chapter timestamps, warns about characters YouTube does not allow and gives you an approximate search-result preview so you can see how your title might look.
Key Features
- Live counts with green, orange and red bars.
- Tag counting that includes the quotes YouTube adds to multi-word tags.
- Hashtag checker — how many, and the 60-hashtag rule.
- Chapter checker — 0:00 start, at least three, 10 seconds apart.
- Warnings for < and > characters and all-caps titles.
- Approximate search preview and one-tap copy buttons.
How to Use It
- Type or paste your title.
- Paste your full description, including chapters and hashtags.
- Enter your tags, separated by commas.
- Read the counts and the checklist; fix anything marked ⚠️.
- Use the Copy buttons to paste each part into YouTube Studio.
YouTube Character Limits at a Glance
| Field | Limit | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Title | 100 characters | Key words in the first 60–70 |
| Description | 5,000 characters | Hook in the first two lines |
| Tags | About 500 characters total | Multi-word tags count 2 extra for quotes |
| Hashtags | More than 60 → all ignored | 2–3 relevant ones are plenty |
| Chapters | 3+ timestamps from 0:00 | Each chapter at least 10 seconds |
| Playlist title | 150 characters | Describe the series clearly |
Writing a Great YouTube Title
Your title has two jobs: tell YouTube and viewers what the video is about, and make the right people want to click. Some proven habits:
- Front-load the topic. Put the main keyword or promise in the first 60–70 characters, because longer titles are often cut off — especially on mobile and in suggested videos.
- Be specific. "I Tried 7 Free AI Video Editors for 30 Days" beats "AI Tools Review".
- Match the thumbnail. Title and thumbnail should work together, not repeat each other word for word.
- Stay honest. A title that over-promises may get clicks but hurts watch time and trust.
- Avoid all caps — emphasise one or two words at most.
- Use numbers and brackets sparingly: "(Honest Review)", "2026", "in 10 Minutes".
Example: Tightening a Long Title
Before (96 characters): "My Honest Thoughts After Using Several Different Free Video Editing Apps That Use AI On My Phone"
The main idea — free AI video editors — only appears after about 50 characters, and the end is likely to be cut off on a phone.
After (59 characters): "7 Free AI Video Editors Tested for 30 Days (Honest Results)"
The topic is up front, the number and the time frame make it specific, and the bracket adds a reason to click — all comfortably inside the visible part of the title. Paste both versions into the counter and compare the previews.
Title Patterns Creators Use
- How-to: "How to Edit Reels on Your Phone in 10 Minutes"
- List: "5 Budget Phones With the Best Cameras in 2026"
- Challenge or experiment: "I Studied 12 Hours a Day for a Week — Here's What Happened"
- Comparison: "iPhone vs Android for Creators: Which Is Better?"
- Question: "Is Freelancing Worth It in India?"
Use these as starting points and always make the title true to the video.
Writing a Strong Description
The first one or two lines of the description appear in search results and above the "…more" link, so treat them like a mini-advert for the video. After that, add detail: what the video covers, chapters, useful links, credits and your social handles. A well-structured description helps viewers and gives YouTube more context about your video.
- Line 1–2: a clear summary with your main keyword used naturally.
- Chapters: timestamps that help viewers jump to sections.
- Links: resources, products mentioned, related videos and playlists.
- Disclosures: sponsorships and affiliate links, as required.
- Hashtags: two or three relevant ones at the end.
Adding Chapters (Timestamps)
Chapters break a long video into sections on the progress bar, which viewers love and which can appear in search. To create them, list timestamps in your description:
0:00 Intro 1:12 Setting up 4:30 The results 9:05 Final verdict
The rules: the first timestamp must be 0:00, you need at least three timestamps, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long. The counter checks all three and tells you if something is off.
Hashtags on YouTube
Hashtags can go in the title or description. When they are in the description, YouTube can show up to three of them above your title as clickable links. Use specific, relevant hashtags — #aitools rather than #video — and avoid stuffing. If a video has more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all of them, and misleading or unrelated hashtags can break YouTube's policies. For ideas, try our Hashtag Generator.
Do Tags Still Matter?
YouTube has said that tags play a minimal role in discovery and are mainly useful when your topic is commonly misspelled. Your title, thumbnail, description and the video itself matter much more. Still, adding a handful of accurate tags — including common spellings and your channel name — does no harm. Remember the roughly 500-character total, and that a tag containing spaces is counted with two extra characters for its quotation marks.
About the Search Preview
The preview gives a rough idea of how your title and first description line might appear in a list of results. Real truncation depends on the device, the font, the language and where the video appears (search, home feed, suggested videos), so treat it as a guide: if your main keyword sits after the cut, move it earlier.
Shorts Titles and Descriptions
YouTube Shorts use the same title limit of 100 characters, and the title is shown over the video while it plays, so short, punchy titles work best. Many creators add one or two hashtags such as #shorts along with topic hashtags. The same checks in this tool apply to Shorts.
Hindi and Hinglish Titles
Many Indian creators write titles in Hindi, Hinglish or both. The counter treats each visible character cluster as one; for Devanagari, YouTube's own count can come out slightly higher, so leave a few characters spare near the limit. Because Hindi words can be longer on screen, keep the title even tighter and test how it looks on a phone. Some channels put the Hindi phrase first and an English keyword in brackets to reach both audiences.
Common Mistakes
- Keyword at the end of a long title, where it gets cut off.
- Empty first lines in the description, wasting the most visible space.
- Chapters not starting at 0:00, so they don't appear.
- Dozens of hashtags, which can lead YouTube to ignore them all.
- Using < or > in titles, which YouTube rejects.
- Clickbait that doesn't match the video, which hurts watch time and trust.
Quick Glossary
- Metadata: the title, description, tags and other details of a video.
- Chapters: sections of a video created from description timestamps.
- CTR: click-through rate — how often people who see your thumbnail click it.
- Truncation: text cut off with "…" because of limited space.
Why Use This Counter?
It checks every YouTube text limit in one place, catches the rules that silently break hashtags and chapters, and lets you preview and copy everything — before you hit Publish. It is free and private, and nothing is sent to YouTube. Pair it with our Thumbnail Generator to design the image that goes with your title.
YouTube Title & Description Counter — Key Facts
| Title limit | 100 characters |
|---|---|
| Description limit | 5,000 characters |
| Tags limit | About 500 characters in total |
| Hashtags | Up to 3 shown above the title; more than 60 → all ignored |
| Chapters | Start at 0:00, 3+ timestamps, 10 s+ each |
| Not allowed | < and > in titles and descriptions |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the YouTube title character limit?
100 characters. YouTube Studio will not accept a longer title. Emoji and letters with accents usually count as one character each.
How long should a YouTube title be?
There is no perfect length, but many creators keep the key message in the first 60–70 characters, because longer titles are often cut off in search results and suggested videos, especially on phones.
What is the YouTube description limit?
5,000 characters. The first one or two lines are the most important, because they show in search results and above the 'more' link on the watch page.
What is the YouTube tags limit?
About 500 characters in total for all tags. A tag containing spaces is counted with quotation marks around it, so it uses two extra characters. YouTube has said tags play only a small role in discovery; they mainly help with common misspellings.
How many hashtags can I use on YouTube?
You can add hashtags in the title or description. YouTube shows up to three hashtags from the description above the title (if the title has none). If you use more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all of them on that video.
How do I add chapters to a YouTube video?
Add a list of timestamps to the description, starting with 0:00. You need at least three timestamps, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long. YouTube then splits the progress bar into chapters.
Why can't I use < or > in my title?
YouTube does not allow angle brackets in titles or descriptions and will show an error. Replace them with words, arrows like → or other characters.
Do emoji count as one character?
Usually yes — this counter counts what you see as one character, which matches how YouTube counts most emoji. Very complex emoji sequences may count slightly differently.
Does the title length affect ranking?
Not directly. A clear, accurate title that matches what viewers search for and makes them want to click matters far more than length.
Should I write titles in capital letters?
An all-caps title can look like spam and is harder to read. Most successful channels use normal or title case, sometimes with one or two words emphasised.
Is the search preview exact?
No. How much of a title appears depends on the device, screen width and where it is shown. The preview is an approximation to help you put key words first.
Is the YouTube title counter free?
Yes, free and private. Nothing is sent to YouTube or to us.
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