AI Video Ads · 7 minute read

Facebook Ad Character Limit (and TikTok's): What to Write

The Facebook ad character limit, from Meta: 27 for a Feed headline, 50-150 for primary text, 44 on Instagram Reels. Plus TikTok's suggested 100 and examples.

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These ads were made by Ad Factory

Jade TurnerUpdated November 13, 2026

Why listen to us? We have been making video ads since 2012. That is 16,000+ videos for 13,500+ businesses, from plumbers to dentists.

Meta's own guide suggests 27 characters for a Facebook Feed headline. That's shorter than this sentence.

Here's the Facebook ad character limit, from Meta itself. For a Feed video ad, Meta's Ads Guide recommends 50-150 characters of primary text and a 27-character headline. Instagram Reels gets 44 characters. TikTok suggests keeping in-feed captions within 100 (TopView ads cap ad text at 100, emojis count as 2). Other placements differ, so check the preview in Ads Manager.

The boxes are small because the video is the main event. Nobody reads the caption of a video they've already scrolled past. So write the shortest words you can, and put the real message inside the video.

That's how 30 Second Ad Factory, the done-for-you ad team from 30 Second Productions, works. You tell us about your business and approve the script and storyboard. Our team writes the script, makes the ad and checks it. You can start free with no card.

Here's a song ad we made that tells a plumber's story, sung by an AI singer.

This song ad was made by Ad Factory

Get a video ad like this made for you.

3D cartoon plumber squeezing too many letter blocks into a tiny ad text box on a phone

What's the Facebook ad character limit for each box?

Each text box has its own number, and the number changes with where your ad shows. Here's every one, straight from the platforms' own pages (checked November 2026).

Primary text is the words that sit with your video, above it in Facebook Feed. The headline is the bold line next to the button.

Where it shows	Text box	What the platform's page says	When it runs long
Facebook Feed video	Primary text	50-150 characters, per Meta	Check the preview in Ads Manager
Facebook Feed video	Headline	27 characters, per Meta	On some goals it doesn't show on phones at all (see below)
Instagram Reels video	Primary text	44 characters, per Meta. No headline spec on the page	Check the preview in Ads Manager
Instagram Feed video	Primary text	125 characters, per Meta. No headline spec on the page	Check the preview in Ads Manager
TikTok TopView (the ad you see when the app opens)	Ad text	"Max 100 characters," and emojis take 2, per TikTok's TopView specs	Stay under the max
TikTok in-feed	Caption	TikTok suggests keeping captions within 100 characters in English; Spark Ads captions pulled from a post can run to 150, per TikTok's reservation in-feed specs	After 4 lines, a "See more" message covers the rest
30 Second Ad Factory video	Words inside the video	Our rule: few enough to read with the sound off	No "See more": the words are part of the picture

A Spark Ad is a TikTok ad made from a normal post, so it keeps that post's caption.

One more catch on Meta's Feed page. If you pick the Awareness objective, or certain performance goals, Meta says the headline, description and button won't display on mobile Facebook Feed. Your 27 perfect characters can just vanish.

For the video itself, our guides to Facebook video ad size, Instagram Reels ad size and TikTok ad size have the specs.

Try our ad team free → Get a free image ad and a free video script and storyboard for your business. You approve every step. No card needed.

So where does 125 come from?

On Facebook Feed, 125 is common advice from marketers, not Meta's number. But Meta's own Instagram Feed video page does list 125 characters of primary text, which is probably where a lot of that advice started.

Jon Loomer, who writes about Meta ads, lists 125 characters for primary text and 25 for most headlines (40 on some carousel spots). His page was last changed in March 2025.

Meta's own page calls its numbers "Text recommendations." SocialRails (updated July 2026) adds that Ads Manager cuts long text short rather than turning it down. That part is their finding, so trust the preview.

TikTok adds its own rules for counting. Its in-feed specs page says punctuation counts as characters. Its TopView page says each emoji takes up 2, so that little smiley costs you double.

And on TikTok's Auction In-Feed Ads page, captions on ads that aren't Spark Ads don't support clickable links, @ symbols or hashtags. Save your web address for the button.

Write the 27-character version first

Start with the smallest box. Say it in 27 characters, and every other box is easy.

We wrote these for this post, so they're examples, not real ads, with no results behind them. Counts include spaces and punctuation.

Say you're a plumber.

Facebook Feed headline (27 characters)

Same-day plumber. Call now.

Facebook Feed primary text (128 characters)

That drip won't fix itself, and it gets louder at 2 a.m. We come out today and tell you the price before we start. Tap Call now.

Instagram Reels primary text (41 characters)

Drip keeping you up? We can fix it today.

TikTok caption (93 characters)

Kitchen tap dripping since Tuesday? Same-day plumber, and you hear the price before we start.

Now say you're a dentist.

Facebook Feed headline (24 characters)

New patients, same week.

Instagram Reels primary text (39 characters)

Chipped a tooth? We'll fit you in fast.

Notice what's missing: no service list, no row of emojis. Each box holds one thought, so pick the one your customer is already thinking.

Nobody stands in a flooded kitchen thinking, "I need a full-service plumbing solution." They think, "Make it stop."

Here's that plumber idea in a different style, a claymation sample we made for a made-up plumber.

This claymation video was made by Ad Factory

Get a clay ad like this made for you.

The caption never stopped anyone's thumb

On a phone, the video fills most of the screen. Your 27 characters sit next to it like a name tag on a moving truck.

The eye goes to the thing that moves. The words get read only if the video earns it.

So put the message in the video itself. Words on screen work with the sound off, and no "See more" can hide them.

Then lift your headline straight from the video's first line. If the video says "Drip keeping you up?", so does the ad text.

The video is the hard part, so that's the part we take off your plate. In Ad Factory, a script writer writes it, a storyboard artist plans the scenes and a video maker makes it. A quality checker checks it, and a project manager watches it before it reaches you.

Here's a Yapper ad of ours, with an AI presenter talking to camera in a home studio.

This Yapper video was made by Ad Factory

Get a Yapper ad made for your business.

See the ads our team makes → Song ads, talking presenter ads, claymation and more.

Who should write the words in your ad?

Option	Who writes the script and on-screen words	Your work	Cost to make
Your phone	You	Write, film, edit and count characters	Your time
AI video tool, such as Creatify	You, with the app	Write, pick, edit and fix	Standard plan $15 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly (checked November 2026)
Marketplace gig	A seller you brief	Brief, chase and check	Varies by seller. In our view, quality is often uneven
30 Second Ad Factory	Our script writer, with a quality checker	Approve the script and storyboard	Base plan $97 a month for about 3 short videos. Start free, no card

Doing it yourself is free, if your evenings are.

Ad Factory wins for a busy owner for one reason. The words and the video are somebody else's job, and they're checked before you see them. Most ads are ready in about 24 hours of a complete, approved brief.

Frequently asked questions

How many characters can a Facebook ad headline have?

Meta's Ads Guide page for Feed video ads lists a headline of 27 characters and primary text of 50-150 characters. For the Awareness objective, and some performance goals, Meta says the headline does not display on mobile Facebook Feed.

How many characters can an Instagram Reels ad caption have?

Meta's Ads Guide page for Instagram Reels video ads lists primary text of 44 characters, with no headline spec.

Do emojis count as characters in TikTok ads?

Yes, on TopView ads. TikTok's TopView specs page says emojis occupy a 2-character space. Its in-feed specs page says punctuation counts as characters too.

What happens if my TikTok ad caption is too long?

TikTok's in-feed specs page says a caption shows a maximum of 4 lines. Past 4 lines, a "See more" message covers the rest of the text.

Does Ad Factory run my Facebook or TikTok ads for me?

No. 30 Second Ad Factory makes the ad, and you approve the script and storyboard. You, or whoever handles your ads, puts it live and sets the budget.

The short version

The Facebook ad character limit, in one line: 27 for a Feed headline, 50-150 for primary text, 44 on Instagram Reels, and about 100 on TikTok. Write the smallest one first, then let the video do the talking.

For a busy owner, our done-for-you team is the best option. We write the script, make the ad and check it. You approve.

No ad can promise leads or sales, ours included. But you'll never cram a sales pitch into 27 characters again.

Want finished ads without learning an AI tool? Make your free image ad with Ad Factory, plus a free video script and storyboard. Plans from $97 a month, cancel any time.

Want finished ads without learning an AI tool?

Our ad team writes the script, draws the storyboard, makes the ad and checks it. You approve every step. Most ads are ready in about 24 hours. Plans from $97 a month.

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