Google and Meta ad character limits: a cheat sheet for copywriters

What it does

Google responsive search ads have hard limits that the form enforces. Each headline is up to 30 characters, and an ad takes from 3 to 15 headlines. Each description is up to 90 characters, from 2 to 4 per ad. The two display path fields shown after the domain take up to 15 characters each. Spaces and punctuation count. Characters of double-width languages such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean count as two, while Latin and Cyrillic letters count as one. Common assets have their own limits: sitelink text is 25 characters with two description lines of 35, a callout is 25, and each structured snippet value is 25.

Performance Max asset groups use headlines up to 30 characters (3 to 15 of them), long headlines up to 90 (1 to 5), descriptions up to 90 (2 to 5, at least one of them 60 characters or shorter) and a business name up to 25. Demand Gen specs are set per format; Google's current spec allows headlines up to 40 characters, descriptions up to 90 and a business name up to 25. Writing headlines to 30 characters keeps one set reusable across search, Performance Max and Demand Gen. Google updates these specs from time to time, so check the current help page for your format before a large launch.

Meta works differently. Most text fields accept far more than you should write, and Meta's Ads Guide gives recommended lengths per placement rather than hard caps. The planning numbers most teams use are about 125 characters of primary text, roughly what shows in the feed before “See more”, about 40 characters for the headline and about 30 for the description. The exact cut-off depends on placement, device and creative; some placements recommend even shorter headlines, and the description is often not shown at all in mobile feeds. Put the hook in the first line and treat the rest as optional reading.

Writing short is a skill you can practice. Lead with the one thing the reader must know, such as the job, the product or the price, and drop filler like “we offer” or “click here”. Use digits for numbers, and keep one idea per Google headline, because headlines are combined in any order. Avoid near-duplicate headlines: they give Google nothing new to combine. Plan for other languages: Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish versions of the same idea often run longer, so write a short English master and rephrase rather than translate. Respect the editorial rules: no exclamation mark in Google headlines and no gimmicky capitals.

AdAce Ads applies these limits where you write. The AI text assistant in the new-ad form drafts Google headlines up to 30 characters and descriptions up to 90, and Meta primary text up to 125, headlines up to 40 and descriptions up to 30, in English, Russian, Ukrainian or Spanish. Every field shows its length next to the limit, and variants that run over are dropped before you see them. The “Truck driver hiring (USA)” template groups its texts under “Headlines (up to 30 characters)” and “Descriptions (up to 90 characters)”, so they can be pasted without trimming.

Why it helps

• The limits you check most often, in one place.
• A clear line between Google's hard limits and Meta's recommendations.
• Practical techniques for short copy in several languages.
• Drafts in AdAce Ads already fit before you paste them.

How to set it up

1. Decide the platform and format: responsive search ad, Performance Max, Demand Gen or a Meta ad.
2. Open the new-ad form in AdAce Ads and choose “Text assistant (AI)”.
3. Pick the language and the number of variants and describe the offer in a sentence or two.
4. Press “Suggest texts” and check the length counter next to each field.
5. Insert the best variants into the form, then trim or rephrase by hand where needed.

Good to know