Each platform counts differently
A launch announcement usually goes out on several networks the same day, and each one has its own limit and its own way of counting. This counter applies each rule from the platform’s own documentation, checked in September 2026:
- X: 280, weighted. Links always count as 23. Emoji and CJK characters count as 2. Text is normalised (Unicode NFC) before counting (X docs).
- LinkedIn: 3,000. For a post, per LinkedIn Help. Articles are a separate format with a much higher limit.
- Threads: 500. For a text post, per the Threads API docs.
- Bluesky: 300 graphemes. The post record allows at most 300 graphemes (AT Protocol lexicon).
- Mastodon: 500 by default. Links count as 23; remote mentions count only the username (Mastodon docs).
How to use it
Write the longest version first, usually the LinkedIn one, and paste it in. Tap a platform meter to see exactly where your post runs over: everything past the limit is highlighted. Cut from the highlighted part or tighten earlier sentences, and watch the meters. The short X version is often the best version for every network.
Writing one launch post for five networks
- Put what it is and who it’s for in the first line. Long posts often get cut behind a “more” link, so the first line does the work.
- Use one link, at the end, and tag it per network with the UTM builder so you can see which one sent signups.
- Keep emoji to one or two: they cost double on X and don’t help the message.
- Need a draft to start from? The launch post generator writes one per platform.
Where this can be off
We find links in text the way people usually paste them (with https:// or a common domain ending). X recognises some bare domains we don’t, and vice versa. Apps can also change limits for paid tiers. For a post that’s within a few characters, the platform’s own composer has the final word.