GrowingAlgo Ad Tools · Convert
Meta Ads Character Counter
Meta does not hard-cut like Google RSA (RSA = Google’s multi-headline search ad). Feed still hides most of the primary text behind See more after about 125 characters. The headline is useful at 40. The description is useful at 27 - and often hidden on Instagram.
The tool
Try it here
Use this before you paste into Ads Manager. Write the first 125 characters of primary text as if the rest does not exist.
Why it helps
Why you need a Meta Ads Character Counter
Primary text can be long. That is not permission. On Facebook Feed, roughly 125 characters show; the rest is See more. Instagram is often tighter.
Headline ~40 characters sits under the image or next to it. Description ~27 is the small grey line - many placements drop it. Do not put the only CTA there.
The first line of primary text is the mobile wrap. If the offer is after a preamble (“We are excited to announce…”), the fold is wasted.
When
When to use it
- When a Google RSA set is being adapted for Meta. 30-character headlines are short here; 90-character descriptions are long. Rebuild, do not paste.
- Before a catalog or Advantage+ creative review. Length still applies to the text assets.
- When primary text looks fine on desktop preview and dies on a phone.
How
How to use it
- 1Paste primary text. Watch 125. Put offer + proof in that window. Anything after is for the people who already care.
- 2Headline: 40 characters. Same job as an RSA headline, slightly more room. Still not a paragraph.
- 3Description: 27 characters. Treat it as optional. If the placement hides it, the ad must still work.
- 4Read the preview on the right. If the cut primary no longer has a verb or a next step, rewrite the opening, not the ending.
Example
Example: Meta retarget for the same demo
Campaign name: meta-in-webinar-retarget-2026q3. People already hit /demo. Primary text should not introduce the company again.
You put in
- Primary (125 window)
- You opened the demo page. Book the 30-minute slot this week. Same naming + UTM path the team already uses. Free.
- Headline
- Book the leftover demo slot (27/40)
- Description
- No new login (12/27)
You get
Primary shows the offer before See more. Headline is a verb. Description is extra, not the only CTA.
If primary had started with “Acme is a suite of marketing tools founded to empower…” the 125-character window would be a brand paragraph and the booking would sit behind See more. Cold and warm traffic both skip that.
Result
What this changes for you
Cold traffic rarely taps See more. If the offer is in character 140, they did not read it. You find that out here, not after spend.
Common mistakes
- Pasting RSA descriptions (90 characters of Search grammar) as Meta primary. Different box, different scan.
- Putting the offer only in the description field. Instagram will hide it.
- Hashtag walls in primary text. This is an ad, not an organic caption.
- Emoji in the first five words on a B2B search-retarget ad. Fine for some brands. Measure it. Do not assume it increases engagement.
FAQ
Meta Ads Character Counter FAQ
What is the Meta ads primary text character limit?
There is no hard cap like Google’s 30. Feed typically shows about 125 characters then See more. Write those 125 as the whole ad. Longer text is optional.
What is the Meta ads headline character limit?
About 40 characters is the useful length before truncation on common placements. This counter flags over 40 so you can shorten before upload.
What is the Meta ads description character limit?
About 27 characters. Many Instagram placements hide it. Keep the CTA in primary text or headline, not only here.
Can I reuse Google RSA copy on Meta ads?
Reuse the offer, proof and CTA. Do not paste 15×30 headlines as primary text. Rebuild the first 125 characters for a feed stop.