Google Ads character limits are 30 characters per headline and 90 characters per description — the two numbers every advertiser memorizes first. A responsive search ad (RSA) accepts up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, plus a display path of two 15-character segments. Assets (formerly extensions) have their own caps: sitelink text at 25 characters, callouts at 25, and structured snippet values at 25.
Blow any of these limits and Google’s editor blocks the save — but the deeper problem is writing copy that fits and sells in 30 characters. This guide covers every Google Ads character limit in 2026, how RSAs assemble your assets, and the drafting workflow that gets ad copy approved on the first save. Draft your headlines and check them in the free Text Character Counter — 30 characters arrives faster than you think.
What Are the Google Ads Character Limits?
For the core search ad fields:
- Headlines: 30 characters each. RSAs accept 3–15 headlines; Google shows up to 3 at a time, separated by ” | “.
- Descriptions: 90 characters each. RSAs accept 2–4; up to 2 show at a time.
- Display path: two fields of 15 characters appended to your visible URL (yoursite.com/Tools/Counter) — cosmetic, keyword-friendly, and not required to match a real URL path.
Every character counts toward these limits: letters, spaces, numbers, and punctuation. And unlike organic snippets — where Google truncates long text — the Ads editor simply won’t accept over-limit copy, so the limit is a wall, not a suggestion.
Every Google Ads Character Limit in One Table
| Google Ads Field | Character Limit (2026) |
|---|---|
| Headline (×3–15 per RSA) | 30 characters |
| Description (×2–4 per RSA) | 90 characters |
| Display path | 2 × 15 characters |
| Sitelink link text | 25 characters |
| Sitelink descriptions (×2) | 35 characters each |
| Callout text | 25 characters |
| Structured snippet values | 25 characters each |
| Promotion asset — item | 20 characters |
| Call asset — phone number | Verified number (no text field) |
| Performance Max: short headline | 30 characters |
| Performance Max: long headline | 90 characters |
| Performance Max: description | 90 characters (short: 60) |
| App campaign headline / description | 30 / 90 characters |
Notice the pattern: Google reuses 30/90 across nearly every campaign type, so mastering those two lengths pays everywhere — Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and App campaigns all draw from the same muscle.
How Do Responsive Search Ads Use Your 15 Headlines?
RSAs are a mix-and-match system: you supply up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and Google’s system assembles combinations per auction, testing which pairings earn clicks. That changes how you should write:
- Every headline must stand alone. You don’t control the order, so “And That’s Not All” as headline #7 will eventually appear first. Each of the 15 should make sense in any position.
- Cover distinct angles, not variations of one. A strong RSA spread: 3–4 keyword-led headlines (“Free Character Counter”), 3–4 benefit headlines (“Count Characters Instantly”), 2–3 proof/trust (“No Signup Required”), 2–3 CTA (“Check Your Text Free”), 1–2 urgency or offer if applicable.
- Pin sparingly. Pinning locks a headline to position 1, 2, or 3 — useful for compliance-required text, but every pin shrinks the combinations Google can test, and Ad Strength drops accordingly.
- Vary lengths deliberately. Mixing 20-character punches with full 30-character headlines gives the system flexible building blocks; fifteen maxed-out 30s can produce cramped combinations.
The same logic applies to descriptions: four different arguments at up to 90 characters each, not one argument phrased four ways.
How to Write a 30-Character Headline That Sells
Thirty characters is brutally short — “Free Online Character Counter” is exactly 30. The compression toolkit:
- Numbers over words: “Save 40%” (8) vs “Save Forty Percent” (18). Digits also draw the eye in a text-heavy SERP.
- Ampersands and symbols: “&” saves 2 over “and”; “24/7” beats “Around the Clock.”
- Cut articles: “Count Characters Instantly” reads fine without “the” or “a.”
- Front-load the keyword: the search term should appear in at least 2–3 of your headlines — Google bolds matching terms, and relevance feeds both CTR and Quality Score.
- Verb-first CTAs: “Check Your Text Free” (20) leaves 10 characters of headroom.
For 90-character descriptions, the reliable skeleton is benefit + specifics + CTA: “See characters, words & reading time instantly. Free, no signup. Paste your text now.” — 87 characters, one character-counted sentence at a time.
The workflow that makes this painless: draft 20 headline candidates in a doc, paste the batch into textcharactercounter.com/ line by line, cut or compress everything over 30, and only then open the Ads editor. Writing inside the editor’s tiny fields, watching the red counter, is where bad compromises happen.
Common Character-Limit Mistakes in Google Ads
- Writing 30/90 exactly, everywhere. Maxed fields leave no rhythm; some of the best-performing headlines are 15–20 characters.
- Wasting characters on your brand name in every headline. Your domain already shows in the ad; one branded headline of fifteen is plenty unless brand is the selling point.
- ALL CAPS and excessive punctuation — not a character-limit issue but a policy one; Google disapproves ads for it, so “FREE!!!” costs you the ad, not just 7 characters.
- Ignoring the second sitelink description. Sitelinks with both 35-character description lines filled occupy more SERP space — free real estate most advertisers leave blank.
- Forgetting that limits differ for double-width languages: ads in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean get half the limits (15-character headlines, 45-character descriptions) because each character is double-width.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Google Ads headline character limit?
30 characters per headline. Responsive search ads accept between 3 and 15 headlines, with up to 3 shown at once.
What is the Google Ads description character limit?
90 characters per description, with 2–4 descriptions per responsive search ad and up to 2 shown at a time.
How many headlines and descriptions can an RSA have?
Up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions. Google mixes and matches them per auction, so each asset must make sense in any position.
What are the sitelink character limits?
25 characters for the link text, plus two optional description lines of 35 characters each.
Do spaces and punctuation count in Google Ads limits?
Yes — every character counts, including spaces. Double-width languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) get half the standard limits.
Does Google truncate ads that are too long?
No — the editor blocks over-limit text from saving at all. The limit is enforced at input, which is why counting your copy before entering the editor saves time.
Conclusion
Google Ads runs on two numbers — 30 and 90 — multiplied across 15 headlines, 4 descriptions, and a stack of 25-character assets. The advertisers who win aren’t the ones who fit; they’re the ones with 15 standalone headlines that each fit with room to breathe.
Draft your next ad batch in a doc and run it through the free Text Character Counter — compress everything over 30/90 before the Ads editor makes you do it under pressure.