Instagram caption counter
Paste a caption to count it against Instagram's 2,200-character limit, check your hashtags and mentions against today's limits, and see how much shows in the feed before “more”.
- Free, no sign-up
- Nothing you type leaves your browser
- Limits checked October 28, 2026
Checks
Against Instagram's and Meta's published limits, as read on October 28, 2026.
Counts
0characters
2,200left of 2,200
0 / 5hashtags
0 / 20@mentions
0words
0lines
In the feed
An approximation of the feed at a typical phone width: Sample text.
Instagram caption limits in 2026
- Caption
- 2,200 charactersMeta's developer documentation
- Hashtags
- 5 on a postInstagram Help Center; Meta's API reference still says 30
- @mentions
- 20 a captionMeta's developer documentation
- Hashtag characters
- Letters and numbersSpaces and characters like $ or % don't work
Five hashtags, not thirty
For years the number everyone quoted was 30 hashtags a post. Instagram's Help Center now says You can use up to 5 tags on a post
, and that a comment with more than five on a single photo or video won't post. Meta's developer reference for publishing tools still lists 30, which is why some schedulers accept more, but the counter checks against five, the limit in the app. Pick the five that describe the post best.
Write for the first line
The feed shows your username and the first line or two of the caption, then “… more”. Everything after that is only read by people who tap. Put the hook, the point or the question first, and the details, credits and hashtags after. Making Reels for the caption to sit under? The safe zone checker shows where Instagram's buttons and caption cover a vertical video, and our guide to Instagram's original content rules covers what gets reposted content held back.
Keeping line breaks and empty lines
Instagram doesn't document how it handles empty lines in a caption, and creators often report blank lines going missing, or a line break that follows a space. The common fix is what “Copy with line breaks kept” does: it removes the spaces at the ends of lines and puts an invisible character, the Braille pattern blank (U+2800), on each empty line, so the line isn't empty any more. Each one counts toward the 2,200 characters. Tap “… more” in the feed preview to see the whole caption with its spacing.
Posting the same video to YouTube too? The YouTube description checker tests a description against YouTube's limits, which are different: 5,000 characters and up to 60 hashtags.
Sources: Instagram Help Center: Use hashtags on Instagram · Meta for Developers: IG User Media reference, read on October 28, 2026.
Embed this counter
Teachers, bloggers and course creators can put this Instagram caption counter on their own page for free. Paste the code below into your page's HTML. It loads from markstudios.com, so it stays current when we update the numbers.
Questions, answered.
Anything else? Message Mark and you'll get a written reply within one business day.
What is the Instagram caption character limit?
2,200 characters. Meta’s developer documentation gives a maximum of 2,200 characters for a caption, and hashtags, mentions, emoji, spaces and line breaks all count toward it.
How many hashtags can I use on Instagram?
Five. Instagram’s Help Center says: “You can use up to 5 tags on a post.” It adds that a comment with more than 5 tags on a single photo or video won’t post. Meta’s developer reference still lists 30, an older figure, so the counter flags anything over 5.
How many people can I @mention in an Instagram caption?
Up to 20. Meta’s developer documentation caps a caption at 20 @ tags, and each account you mention gets a notification when the post goes live.
How much of an Instagram caption shows before “more”?
Only the start. In the feed, Instagram shows your username and the first line or two of the caption, then “… more”. How many characters fit depends on the screen and on line breaks, so the counter draws the preview at a typical phone width. Put the hook in that first part.
Do spaces and line breaks count in an Instagram caption?
Yes. Every character counts toward the 2,200, including spaces, line breaks, emoji, hashtags and mentions.
Which characters don’t work in hashtags?
Spaces and special characters. Instagram’s Help Center says numbers are allowed in hashtags, but spaces and special characters like $ or % won’t work, so a hashtag stops at the first one.
How do I keep line breaks in an Instagram caption?
Instagram doesn’t document how it treats empty lines, and creators often report the app dropping them, or a line break that follows a space. The usual fix, and what “Copy with line breaks kept” does, is to remove spaces at the ends of lines and put an invisible character, the Braille pattern blank (U+2800), on each empty line. Each one counts toward the 2,200 characters, and some screen readers read it out as a blank.
Is my caption saved or sent anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser, so you can draft a caption before you post.
Rather have your Instagram run for you?
Reels edited, captions and hashtags written and posts scheduled every month, and you work directly with Mark.
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