The TikTok caption character limit is 2200 for a video caption, according to TikTok's developer docs, measured in UTF-16 runes. Photo posts have a 90 limit on the title and 4000 on the description. Schedulers can be stricter: Buffer shows 2200 in its TikTok guide but 150 in its general scheduling guide.
Two numbers from one scheduler, and which one to trust
If you've searched for this before, you've probably seen conflicting answers, and some of the confusion comes from the tools themselves. Buffer's TikTok guide says you get 2200 characters per post. Buffer's general scheduling guide, on the same help centre, says TikTok captions max out at 150. Both pages are live, and they can't both be right for your composer.
The number with the firmest footing is the one in TikTok's own Content Posting API reference: for a video Direct Post, the title field is the video caption, and its maximum length is 2200 in UTF-16 runes. That's the limit any scheduling tool posting through the API is working against. What I can't give you from these sources is the limit inside the TikTok app itself, so I won't guess at it.
Every limit in one place
| Item | Limit | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Video caption (API title) | 2200 UTF-16 runes | TikTok Content Posting API video Direct Post |
| Photo post title | 90 UTF-16 runes | TikTok Content Posting API photo posts |
| Photo post description | 4000 UTF-16 runes | TikTok Content Posting API photo posts |
| Caption per post | 2200 characters | Buffer TikTok guide |
| Caption maximum | 150 characters | Buffer scheduling guide (conflicts with its TikTok guide) |
| Hashtags per post | 5 | Buffer |
| Posts per 24 hours | 25 | Buffer |
The first three rows come from TikTok for Developers. The rest come from the Buffer Help Center, which is why they only apply if you schedule through Buffer.
What a UTF-16 rune means for your caption
TikTok counts in UTF-16 units rather than plain letters. For ordinary text that makes no difference: one letter, one unit. Many emojis sit outside the basic range, though, and characters like that can take more than one unit. That's my reading of the unit itself rather than something TikTok spells out, so if your caption is emoji-heavy and close to the line, check the count in your editor before you rely on it.
When your caption runs over
With a scheduler, the composer is where you'll find out. If you write a long caption in a tool that enforces the lower 150 limit, you'll have to cut it there, however generous TikTok's own API is. My practical rule: if you schedule through a third-party tool, write to the lowest limit it shows you, then confirm in the composer before you queue anything up.
For photo posts, think of it as two separate boxes. The title is short at 90, so treat it like a headline. The description gives you up to 4000, which is plenty of room for context, steps or a story.
Hashtags, mentions and other scheduling rules
TikTok's API matches hashtags and mentions in the caption when they're separated by spaces or new lines, so don't run them together. If you use Buffer, a few extra rules apply:
- Up to 5 hashtags per TikTok post, and they become links once published.
- Mentions only work for mutual followers and show as plain text until the post goes live.
- Up to 25 TikTok posts per 24 hours.
- Videos from 3 seconds to 10 minutes, 1GB or less, in MOV, MP4 or WEBM. Image posts take up to 10 images in JPG or webp.
- No access to TikTok's music library or polls through the API. The Notify Me option lets you add a sound in the TikTok app instead.
If you're weighing up Buffer for TikTok, my full Buffer review covers how it handles the other networks too.
Other schedulers that handle TikTok
Later's TikTok scheduler page says it can schedule TikTok videos to publish automatically. Planable takes a different line: its guide says it sends a push notification when a scheduled TikTok is due, so you can add sounds and settings in the app yourself. That second approach suits creators who always want a trending sound on the post.
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My verdict on writing TikTok captions
Don't treat 2200 as a target. It's a ceiling, and the first line is what people read before they decide to keep watching. Write the hook short, put hashtags at the end with spaces between them, and if you schedule, respect the lower number your tool shows. Then spend the time you saved on picking the best day and time to post on TikTok, which does more for reach than an extra paragraph ever will.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the TikTok caption limit?
TikTok's developer docs give 2200 UTF-16 runes for a video caption.
What is the limit for photo posts?
Photo post titles are capped at 90 and descriptions at 4000, both in UTF-16 runes.
Why does my scheduler show a shorter limit?
Tools set their own rules on top of TikTok's. Buffer's scheduling guide, for example, lists 150 characters.
How many hashtags can I add when scheduling with Buffer?
Buffer lists a limit of 5 hashtags per TikTok post.
Do emojis use more of the limit?
The limit is counted in UTF-16 units, and many emojis need more than one. That's an inference from the unit, so check the count in your editor.
