• Module 2 · Write the Week
  • 1 min read · about 20 min lab
  • Builds: A week of posts in Social Media Studio

Social Media Character Limits and Norms for LinkedIn, X, Threads, and Instagram

Length limits and what changes on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Threads.

Key takeaway & what you'll build

Each network is a different room: LinkedIn allows 3,000 characters, X 280 for standard accounts, Threads 500, Instagram 2,200, and Bluesky 300, and each rewards a different delivery. Ace warns you when a Buffer post is over a network's limit, and the campaign chat adapts a post from one network to another.

You'll build: A week of posts in Social Media Studio

Same idea, different room

Each network is a different room with different manners. The idea can stay the same; the delivery shouldn't.

  • LinkedIn — Text limit: 3,000 · What works: Short paragraphs, a strong first two lines, stories with a lesson, one clear question or CTA at the end
  • X — Text limit: 280 per post (standard accounts) · What works: One sharp idea per post; threads for step-by-step content
  • Threads — Text limit: 500 · What works: Conversational, lighter, and more personal
  • Instagram — Text limit: 2,200 · What works: The visual carries the post; the caption supports it; carousels for teaching
  • Bluesky — Text limit: 300 · What works: Similar to X, with a more conversational community

Ace checks limits for you

When a post is going to a network through Buffer, Ace shows a warning in the editor if it's over that network's limit, before it's scheduled rather than after it fails. X's 280 is shown as a warning, not a hard block, because Premium accounts can post longer.

Adapting a post

To move a post to another network, ask the campaign chat: "Adapt this LinkedIn post for X as a 3-post thread," or use Change Platform Template on the card. Then check the result against the table above.

Try it

Make sure each post in your week is formatted for its network and inside its limit. Then finish the lab.

Hands-on lab

Write Your Week

Write a week of posts around your core idea with Plan my week, then do the five-step editing pass on every post in Social Media Studio. Submit one line for each of your three strongest posts on what you changed from Ace's first draft and why. The grade reads your posts as you left them.

What the AI grader checks for

  • Hook quality (35%): Each hook uses a recognizable pattern, makes a specific promise, and avoids hype openers and vague questions.
  • On-brand voice (35%): The posts sound like one consistent, human voice with specific details, not generic AI phrasing.
  • Fits the network, with edits explained (30%): Each post suits its network's norms and is within its text limit, and the learner explains a clear reason for what they changed in their three strongest posts.

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