snapchat
Snapchat Spotlight Ad Character Limits
Spotlight is Snapchat's TikTok-style vertical feed. Caption clips at ~60 visible chars; display name at 25 chars.
Snapchat Spotlight is the platform's TikTok-style vertical short-form video feed. Spotlight Ads run inline with organic Spotlight content using the same UI vocabulary: a full-bleed 9:16 video, right-rail engagement (like / comment / share), username block bottom-left, and a sponsored CTA strip. Display name caps at 25 characters with full visibility. Caption text clips at roughly 60 visible characters before "...more" — similar to YouTube Shorts, tighter than TikTok In-Feed.
Spotlight ads inherit Snapchat's broader audience profile (younger, mobile-native, ad-aware) but with the engagement model of TikTok. Plan creative for sound-on auto-play, captions still required for accessibility, and a tight 60-character caption that lands the hook before the "...more" tap.
@brand · Sponsored · Sponsored
Spotlight clips caption at ~60 chars — front-load the hook.
Verified 2026 limits
| Field | Hard max | Visible before truncate | Warn at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display name | 25 | 25 | 20 |
| Caption | 100 | 60 | 50 |
Source: https://businesshelp.snapchat.com/s/article/spotlight-ads · Last verified 2026-04-15.
Why 60 not 100
Snapchat Spotlight's right-rail engagement column is identical to TikTok's footprint, but Snapchat layers an additional brand chip on top of the username row, which compresses the visible caption window from ~100 down to ~60. Plan accordingly.
FAQ
- What is the difference between Spotlight Ads and Snap Ads?
- Snap Ads are full-screen single-image or single-video formats with no caption clamp. Spotlight Ads run inside the vertical feed with TikTok-style UI overlays and a 60-char visible caption clamp.
- How long can a Spotlight Ad be?
- Up to 3 minutes total runtime. The 6-30 second range performs best for completion rate.
- Does Spotlight autoplay with sound?
- Yes. Sound-on autoplay is the default, matching organic Spotlight behavior.