Limits and SizesYouTube Help says that video descriptions have a character limit of 5,000 characters and cannot include invalid characters.
What to put where
Viewers see only the first lines before they tap to expand, so use them for the most useful sentence: what the video gives them. After that you can add timestamps, links, credits and a short note about your channel. Do not fill the box just because it is large: a clear 600-character description helps more than 5,000 characters of repeated words.
A simple layout
- One or two sentences that say what the video covers.
- Chapters or timestamps, if the video is long.
- Links to anything you mentioned.
- Credits for music, pictures or people who helped.
Read on 14 November 2026 at support.google.com/youtube/answer/57404. Apps can change a limit without notice; check the app before an important post.
See also the title limit.
Questions people ask
Do links count towards the 5,000?
A link is made of characters, so it uses part of the limit. A long web address can use a lot of it.
Should I use all 5,000 characters?
No. The limit is a ceiling. Write what helps the viewer and stop.