Social Media Character Limits

Up-to-date max lengths for usernames, display names, and bios across every major platform.

PlatformMax lengthAllowed characters
Bluesky253letters, numbers, hyphens (-) — case-insensitive (stored lowercase). Short form like "alice" (auto-appends .bsky.social) or full DNS like "alice.bsky.social"
GitHub39letters, numbers, hyphens (-) — no leading, trailing, or consecutive hyphens
Instagram30letters, numbers, periods (.), underscores (_) — no consecutive periods, cannot start or end with a period
LinkedIn100letters, numbers, hyphens (-)
Mastodon30letters, numbers, underscores (_) — no hyphens, periods, or other special characters
npm214lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens (-) — no uppercase, no periods, no underscores, no special characters
Pinterest30letters, numbers, underscores (_) — cannot be entirely numeric
Product Hunt30letters, numbers, underscores (_), hyphens (-)
Reddit20letters, numbers, underscores (_), hyphens (-)
Snapchat15letters, numbers, hyphens (-), underscores (_), periods (.) — must start with a letter and end with a letter or digit
Telegram32letters, numbers, underscores (_) — must start with a letter, no consecutive or trailing underscores
Threads30letters, numbers, periods (.), underscores (_) — no consecutive periods, cannot start or end with a period
TikTok24letters, numbers, periods (.), underscores (_) — no consecutive periods, cannot start or end with a period or underscore
Twitch25letters, numbers, underscores (_) — first character must be a letter or underscore
X (Twitter)15letters, numbers, and underscores (_) only
YouTube30letters, numbers, underscores (_), hyphens (-), periods (.), middle dot (·) — cannot start or end with a separator

Why character limits matter

Every social platform enforces a hard maximum on usernames, display names, and bios. Exceed it and the sign-up form rejects your name. Plan a handle that fits all the platforms you want to be on and you save yourself having to pick different names later.

The 15-character rule

X (Twitter) has the strictest username limit at 15 characters. If you want one consistent handle across every major platform, design it to fit X first — the others will accept it.

How to read this table

The table above filters live. Switch between Username,Display name, and Bio tabs to see each platform’s max length for that field. The “Allowed characters” column summarizes format rules for usernames specifically.

Verification & sources

Every entry cites the platform’s official help documentation. Rules are re-verified every 90 days; the verification date is recorded per platform in our source notes.

Strictest limits to design around

If you want one consistent handle everywhere, design against the tightest limits:

  • 15 characters — X (Twitter) username
  • 20 characters — Pinterest, Snapchat username
  • 24 characters — TikTok username
  • 30 characters — Instagram, Threads, YouTube handle

Bio and display name limits vary more widely, but usernames are the hard constraint — the handle is what appears in URLs, mentions, and DMs across every platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum username length on Instagram?

Instagram usernames can be up to 30 characters long and may contain letters, numbers, periods, and underscores. They cannot start or end with a period, and two consecutive periods are not allowed.

What is the maximum character limit on X (Twitter)?

X usernames (handles) are capped at 15 characters. Regular posts are 280 characters for free users; X Premium subscribers can post up to 25,000 characters.

How long can a TikTok bio be?

TikTok bios are capped at 80 characters. Usernames can be up to 24 characters and must be unique across the platform.

Do these limits change?

Platforms update their rules occasionally. We re-verify every entry in this table every 90 days against the platform's official help documentation. The last verification date is documented in our source notes.

How do I check if my desired username fits everywhere?

Use NameSniper's full checker above the CTA — it tests your handle against all 16 platforms at once and flags any length or format conflicts before you register.

Do character limits count emoji as one character?

Mostly no — platforms count most emoji as 2 or more characters because they use UTF-16 encoding, where emoji often take two "code units" (or more for flag/family/ZWJ sequences). On a 150-character Instagram bio, heavy emoji use burns through the limit faster than plain text.

What is the safest handle length across all platforms?

Anything 15 characters or fewer fits on every major platform, including X (Twitter), which has the strictest limit. Shorter is also better for verbal sharing, business cards, and press mentions.

How often do these limits change?

Rarely. Instagram and X have not changed their core username rules in years. TikTok expanded its caption limit in 2026 but usernames stayed the same. We re-verify every entry in this table every 90 days and log the verification date in our source notes.

What is the difference between a username and a display name?

Your username (handle) is the unique @identifier used in URLs and mentions — it cannot have spaces or most special characters. Your display name is the human-readable name shown on your profile and in search results — it allows spaces, accents, and emoji on most platforms.

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