YouTube Title Character Count - The Right Length for More Views
YouTube titles can be up to 100 characters, but search results only show about 60. The rest gets cut off with "...". High-performing videos have titles crafted with this visible character count in mind.
YouTube Character Limits
| Item | Character Limit | Visible Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Video title | 100 characters | ~60 in search results |
| Channel name | 50 characters | ~20 next to avatar |
| Description | 5,000 characters | First 2-3 lines shown |
| Comments | 10,000 characters | Long comments collapsed |
| Tags | 500 characters total | Hidden from viewers |
| Hashtags | Up to 60 | 3 shown above title |
Where Titles Get Truncated
| Location | Desktop | Mobile | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search results | ~70 chars | ~60 chars | ~50 chars |
| Suggested (sidebar) | ~50 chars | ~50 chars | ~40 chars |
| Home feed | ~60 chars | ~55 chars | ~45 chars |
| Watch page | Full title | Full title | ~60 chars |
The strictest cutoff is TV suggested videos at about 40 characters. To avoid truncation on all devices, put the most important information in the first 40 characters.
What High-View Titles Have in Common
| Pattern | Example | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Include numbers | "5-Minute Guide" "3 Ways to..." | Specificity increases clicks |
| Ask a question | "Why Does...?" | Triggers curiosity |
| Show the result | "...and the Result Was Shocking" | Stimulates curiosity |
| Name the audience | "For Beginners" "Even Kids Can..." | Viewers feel it is for them |
| Keywords up front | "Minecraft Build Tutorial..." | Better search visibility |
Title Length vs View Count
| Title Length | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Short (under 20) | Impactful, memorable | Fewer search keywords |
| Medium (20-50) | Good balance of info and readability | None significant |
| Long (50-70) | More keywords included | May get truncated |
| Very long (70+) | Maximum information | Almost certainly truncated, hard to read |
Most popular YouTubers keep titles between 30-50 characters. Like SEO character count design, the skill is packing search-friendly keywords and click-worthy phrasing into limited space.
Thumbnail Text and Title Relationship
| Thumbnail Text | Recommended Length | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Main text | 6-10 characters | Readable on mobile screens |
| Sub text | None or under 5 | Avoid information overload |
Too much text on thumbnails becomes unreadable on small screens. Thumbnails grab attention; titles convey content. Dividing these roles is the most effective approach.
Comparison with Other Video Platforms
| Platform | Title Limit | Description | Discovery Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 100 characters | 5,000 characters | Search-driven |
| TikTok | None (part of caption) | 4,000 characters | Hashtag-driven |
| Niconico | 100 characters | 1,024 characters | Tag-driven |
| Instagram Reels | None (part of caption) | 2,200 characters | Hashtag-driven |
YouTube offers 5,100 characters across title and description combined. As discussed in hashtag character count strategy, each platform has different text-based discovery mechanisms. YouTube relies on title and description text; TikTok relies on hashtags.
Books on YouTube video creation can be found on Amazon.