glossary
Primary Text — Definition
Primary text is the long-form caption above the creative on Meta placements. It clamps at 125 visible characters with a See more link.
Primary text is Meta's name for the long-form caption that sits above the creative on Feed-style placements. It accepts up to 500 characters on Facebook Feed, up to 2,200 on Instagram Feed (matching organic captions), and up to 125 hard maximum on Stories. The visible window is 125 characters before See more on Feed, 90 on Stories, 72 on Reels.
Primary text is the field where new buyers feel safest writing because the limits are generous. It's also where most ad spend gets wasted because the visible window is much smaller than the hard maximum. Anything past the visible cutoff is read by a single-digit percentage of viewers.
The TikTok equivalent of primary text is "caption", with similar dynamics but a different visible cutoff (~100 characters). Both platforms preserve the post-cutoff text for indexing and search but rarely surface it to viewers.
Primary text is the long-form caption above the creative on Meta placements.
Verified 2026 limits
| Field | Hard max | Visible before truncate | Warn at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary text | 500 | 125 | 110 |
| Headline | 255 | 40 | 27 |
| Description | 200 | 30 | 27 |
Source: https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide · Last verified 2026-04-15.
How to write inside the visible window
Lead with the hook in the first 60 characters. Use 60–110 for proof or offer. Treat 110–125 as deliberate cliffhanger space. Anything past 125 is bonus content, useful for SEO, not for conversion.
FAQ
- Is primary text the same on every Meta placement?
- The hard maximums vary (500 on Facebook Feed, 2,200 on Instagram Feed, 125 on Stories), but the visible cutoff (125) is the same on Feed-style surfaces.
- What's the See more cutoff?
- 125 characters on Feed. The simulator above shows the cut precisely.
- Does TikTok have primary text?
- TikTok calls it 'caption'. Functionally similar, with a slightly tighter visible window (~100 characters).
- Can I include hashtags in primary text?
- Yes, and they count toward both the visible window and the hard maximum. Most agencies move hashtags below See more.