The Bluesky character limit is 300 characters per post. Bluesky counts graphemes, which means each character you see counts once, including emoji, accented letters and characters in any language. Images, videos and link cards don't count. Your bio can be 256 characters, your display name 64, and image alt text 2,000 in the official app.
Here's every Bluesky limit, how links and emoji are counted, and how to say more than 300 characters allows. Checked on 10 November 2026.
Bluesky limits at a glance
| What | Limit |
|---|---|
| Post | 300 characters (graphemes) |
| Reply or quote post | 300 characters |
| Bio (profile description) | 256 characters |
| Display name | 64 characters |
| Image alt text | 2,000 characters in the official app |
| Direct message | 1,000 characters |
| Images per post | Up to 4 |
| Images, video, link cards | Don't count toward the 300 |
Bluesky's limits are set in the AT Protocol's post format, which caps a post's text at 300 graphemes (and 3,000 bytes underneath). Check a draft with our free character counter, which counts Bluesky the way Bluesky does.
What counts as a character on Bluesky
Bluesky counts graphemes: what a reader would see as one character.
| You type | Counts as |
|---|---|
| A letter, number, space or punctuation mark | 1 |
| An emoji, even one built from several parts (skin tones, families, flags) | 1 |
| An accented letter such as é | 1 |
| A Chinese, Japanese or Korean character | 1 |
| A line break | 1 |
That's friendlier than X, where emoji and CJK characters count as 2. A Japanese post on Bluesky can be a full 300 characters, twice what fits on X.
How links count on Bluesky
It depends on the app you post from:
- The official Bluesky app shortens long links before posting. It drops the
https://and, if the rest of the address after the domain is longer than 15 characters, keeps only its first 13 plus..., such asexample.com/blog/bluesky.... Only that shortened text counts, so a long link costs about 30 characters. The link still goes to the full address. - Postbase shortens links the same way, and its counter counts the short form, so a post that fits in the Bluesky app fits when you schedule it.
- Some other apps and tools post the full URL, so the whole address counts toward 300.
- A link card (the preview with an image and title) doesn't count at all.
If you're tight on space, put the link at the end and keep the URL short, or let the link card carry it.
Bluesky vs X, Threads and Mastodon
| Network | Post limit | How it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Bluesky | 300 | Graphemes: every visible character is 1 |
| X (free) | 280 | Weighted: emoji and CJK are 2, links 23 |
| Threads | 500 | Characters |
| Mastodon | 500 by default | Characters; links count as 23; servers can change the limit |
| 3,000 | Characters |
If you cross-post one idea everywhere, the X and Bluesky versions are the ones to trim. Our guide to cross-posting to X, Bluesky, Mastodon and LinkedIn covers adapting one post for each.
How to say more than 300 characters on Bluesky
- Write a thread. Reply to your own post to continue. Start with the strongest line, so the first post works even if nobody expands the thread.
- Put detail in an image. A screenshot of a chart, list or code doesn't count toward the limit. Add alt text so everyone can read it; you get up to 2,000 characters in the official app.
- Use the link card. Let the card show the title and summary instead of repeating them in your text.
- Cut filler. "I think that", "really", "in order to": they rarely earn their space.
Bluesky bio and display name limits
Your bio can be 256 characters and your display name 64. Links in your bio are plain text and count in full, so a short link helps. Your handle is separate: it's your domain or name.bsky.social, and you can use your own domain to verify yourself. Our guide to growing on Bluesky covers setting up a profile people follow.
Scheduling Bluesky posts within the limit
Bluesky's app doesn't have a scheduler. In Postbase you write a post once and adjust each network's version in its own tab, with a counter that follows each network's rules: graphemes with links shortened for Bluesky, weighted characters for X. Posts over 300 are flagged before they're scheduled. Here's how to schedule Bluesky posts.
Available channels
Customize per channel
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Bluesky character limit?
300 characters per post, counted as graphemes, so every visible character, including each emoji, counts once.
Do emojis count as one character on Bluesky?
Yes. Bluesky counts graphemes, so an emoji counts as one character even when it's made of several parts, such as a flag or an emoji with a skin tone.
Do links count toward the Bluesky character limit?
Yes, as text. The official app and Postbase shorten long links to the domain and the first 13 characters of the path before posting, so only the short form counts. Some other apps post the full URL, which counts in full. Link cards don't count.
How long can a Bluesky bio be?
256 characters. Your display name can be 64 characters.
What is the Bluesky alt text limit?
2,000 characters per image in the official Bluesky app. Other apps may set their own limit.
Can I post more than 300 characters on Bluesky?
Not in one post. Write a thread by replying to your own post, or put longer text in an image with alt text.
Is Bluesky's limit higher than X's?
Slightly, and it counts more generously. Bluesky allows 300 characters with every emoji and character counted once; X allows 280 on a free account, with emoji and CJK characters counted as 2.
Postbase