Networks and character limits
Which networks can I post to, and what are the character limits?
Synup publishes to nine networks: Google Business Profile, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon and YouTube. They are the icons in the platform row of Choose where to publish. What you can choose in a given post is narrower, because you publish to connected profiles, so you only see the profiles that are connected for the client you are posting for.
Key facts
| Network | Character limit | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | 1,500 | A connected Business Profile listing for the location |
| 30,000 | A Facebook Page shared with the connected login | |
| 2,200 | A professional (business or creator) account. A picture or video is required | |
| X | 280 | A connected X account |
| 2,000 | A connected LinkedIn account | |
| 500 | A connected account with a board. A picture or video is required | |
| Bluesky | 300 | The account's handle |
| Mastodon | 500 | The account's server address |
| YouTube | 5,000 (description) | A connected channel. A video is required |
Google and Facebook belong to a location. Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon and YouTube belong to the client as a whole.
Why this matters
The composer counts your message against every selected network at once, so a message that is fine for Facebook can be too long for X in the same post. Check the limits before you write, so you can write for the tightest network first or give it its own post.
Character limits
Each network has its own counter beside Post Content. A counter turns red when the message is over that network's limit, a note says how far over it is, and the header beside Publish Now reads, for example, Content is 320/280 characters — trim to fit. Nothing sends until the message fits every selected network.
- X is the one that catches people. It counts characters its own way: an emoji or a character from some languages counts as two, and every link counts as 23 however long it is.
- Bluesky at 300 is the next tightest, then Pinterest and Mastodon at 500.
- YouTube's figure is the length of the video description.
- Mastodon's limit of 500 applies when you send, but the composer shows no counter for it, so keep that message under 500 yourself.
What each network needs
- Google Business Profile needs the listing connected to the location.
- Facebook needs a Page, not a personal profile, and the Page must be shared with the login that is connected. If it is not, the composer says so before anything is sent.
- Instagram needs a professional account and always needs a picture or a video.
- Pinterest needs a board to pin to, and always needs a picture or a video.
- YouTube only takes video, so a post to YouTube needs a video.
- Bluesky and Mastodon are connected with the account's handle or server address.
A few other networks are being added gradually. They appear in the platform row only on workspaces where Synup has switched them on, so if a network is not in your row it is not available to you yet.
Post types, and which networks take them
Under Google's options, Post Type offers three choices:
- Announcement works on every network. It is the default.
- Offer works on Google only. It needs a title (up to 58 characters), a start and an end date, a button and a destination URL. Terms, a coupon code and a redeem URL are optional.
- Event works on Google only. It needs a title (up to 58 characters), a start and an end date, and the end must be after the start.
Choosing Offer or Event removes any other network from the post, because they exist only on Google. These details are checked when you publish or schedule, not when you save a draft, so you can park a half-finished offer.
Buttons
Under Link & Call to Action, the button list is the same eight choices with two exceptions: No button, Learn More, Book, Sign Up, Buy / Shop, Order Online, Get Offer and Call Now. Google has no Get Offer, and Facebook has no Order Online.
Every button except Call Now needs a destination URL. Call Now uses the location's phone number. If a post asks for a button the network does not have, Synup uses the nearest one and tells you: Order Online becomes Buy / Shop on Facebook, and Get Offer becomes Learn More on Google. Only Google and Facebook have real buttons. On the other networks the link shows as a link card or a preview.
What you'll see when it's done
- A platform row with an icon for each network you can publish to
- A counter for each selected network, turning red when a message is too long
- Offer and Event as choices under Google's options only
Watch out for
- Missing network, missing profile. A network only appears as a choice for a client when a profile is connected for it. Connect it first.
- Offers and events are Google only. Choosing one drops the other networks from the post.
- No counter does not mean no limit. Mastodon is limited to 500 characters even though the composer shows no counter for it.
Questions people ask
Why is a network I connected missing from the picker?
The platform row and the list only show profiles that are connected for the client you are posting for, and on a client that has none for a network there is nothing to select. Open the client's connections to add it.
What if my message is too long for only one network?
Shorten it so it fits the tightest network, or remove that network from the post and give it its own shorter message. A link next to the warning offers to shorten the message with Sydekick.
Do the limits apply to drafts?
A draft still has to fit every selected network's character limit. The offer and event fields are only required when you publish or schedule.
Next
For what images and video each network takes, see attaching media. To put this into a post, see the composer.