What Is Text Truncator?
Text Truncator is a tool that shortens text to a specified length by cutting it at a character or word boundary and appending an ellipsis. It's useful for preparing previews, summaries, meta descriptions, or any content that needs to fit within a strict length limit.
The output updates in real time as you type. This tool runs entirely in your browser — no text is sent to any server. It handles Unicode characters correctly, counting emoji and accented characters as single characters.
How to Use This Tool
Enter Your Text
Type directly into the input editor, paste content with Ctrl+V, or upload/drag a .txt file.
Choose Mode & Length
Select Characters or Words mode and set the maximum length. Optionally customize the ellipsis string.
See Results Instantly
The truncated output appears in real time in the right panel. If the text is within the limit, it passes through unchanged.
Copy or Download
Use Copy to copy the truncated text to clipboard, Download to save as a .txt file, or Clear to reset.
Features Explained
Character & Word Modes
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Choose between truncating by character count or word count. Character mode is ideal for strict length limits like meta descriptions or database fields. Word mode is better for readable previews where you want to keep whole words intact.
Custom Ellipsis
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Set any string as the ellipsis — the default "..." works for most cases, but you can use "…" (single character), " [more]" for links, or leave it empty for no suffix. The ellipsis is appended after the truncation point.
Unicode-Aware Counting
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Character mode uses JavaScript's spread operator to correctly count Unicode characters. Emoji like 🎉 and accented characters like é are each counted as a single character, not as multiple code units.
File Upload & Drag and Drop
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Upload a .txt file using the Upload button or drag and drop a text file directly onto the input area. The file contents replace the current input text.
Who Is This Tool For?
SEO Specialists
Truncate meta titles to 60 characters and meta descriptions to 155 characters to meet search engine display limits.
Developers
Prepare text previews for cards, tooltips, notifications, or any UI component with fixed-width constraints.
Social Media Managers
Shorten post previews, bios, and captions to fit platform character limits like Twitter/X (280) or Instagram bios (150).
Content Writers
Create article excerpts, teaser text, and email subject lines that fit within recommended lengths.
Marketers
Truncate ad copy, headlines, and call-to-action text to meet advertising platform character requirements.
Data Analysts
Shorten long text fields for reports, dashboards, or spreadsheet columns where space is limited.
Common Truncation Limits
| Platform / Use | Limit | Mode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Title (SEO) | 60 | Chars | Google truncates titles beyond ~60 characters in search results |
| Meta Description | 155 | Chars | Recommended length for search engine result snippets |
| Twitter/X Post | 280 | Chars | Maximum tweet length including spaces and punctuation |
| Instagram Bio | 150 | Chars | Maximum bio length on Instagram profiles |
| Email Subject Line | 50 | Chars | Recommended length for mobile email client display |
| Article Excerpt | 25-50 | Words | Typical blog post preview or teaser length |
Tips for Truncating Text
Use word mode for readable previews
Word mode keeps whole words intact, producing cleaner results for article excerpts and content previews.
Account for the ellipsis length
The ellipsis is appended after the truncation point. If you need the total output to be exactly 160 characters, subtract the ellipsis length from your max.
Try a single-character ellipsis
Replace "..." with "…" (Unicode ellipsis) to save 2 characters. This is especially useful when every character counts, like meta descriptions.
Leave ellipsis empty for clean cuts
Set the ellipsis to an empty string if you want the text to simply end at the limit with no indicator that it was truncated.
Use for meta tag preparation
Set max to 60 for titles and 155 for descriptions to quickly prepare SEO-friendly meta tags from longer content.
Test with emoji and special characters
This tool correctly counts emoji as single characters. A 🎉 is 1 character, not 2, so your truncation limits will be accurate.
Privacy & Security
This tool runs 100% in your browser. Your text is never uploaded to any server. It is stored only in your browser's local storage so it persists when you refresh the page.
You can clear it at any time using the “Clear” button. No cookies are used, no analytics track your text content, and no third-party services have access to what you type.