The useful result
Produce five options under a character limit, with every count checked by a formula.
- Produce five options under a character limit, with every count checked by a formula.
Your ad headline can have thirty characters, your bio one hundred and sixty and your meta description about a hundred and fifty. You ask for text within the limit and the reply is confidently over it. Models do not count letters the way a spreadsheet does, so treat their stated counts as estimates, not facts.
The reliable method is to let the AI produce several options and let a counter do the counting. With one spreadsheet formula you can measure every line in seconds and send back only the ones that fail.
The examples below are illustrative exercises, not recorded results from any tool. Sources were checked on 24 October 2026; menus, limits and prices change, so confirm details on the linked pages.
Before you start
- The platform’s current character limit (check its help page)
- A spreadsheet with a LEN formula, or any character counter
- Your message and key words
Review evidence
Documentation-based review · 2026-10-24
Primary documentation and official guidance checked on 24 October 2026. Examples, checks and exercises are original illustrations, not recorded tool tests. Cover artwork is a conceptual illustration.
State the limit and what counts
Look up the platform’s current limit and whether spaces and punctuation count. Tell the assistant to aim below the limit, for example 25 to 28 characters for a 30-character headline, because it will drift upward. Ask for five options so you can choose.
Write five headline options for [product or offer]. Limit: [number] characters including spaces. Aim for [number minus 4] to [number minus 1] characters. Include the keyword “[keyword]” in at least three. Return a numbered list of the headlines only, with no commentary.Example / expected result
Illustrative example; not a recorded model result.
Limit 30, target 26–29. Possible option: “Fresh bread, baked at dawn” (26 characters).
Check your result
You know the limit and the counting rule, and your prompt asks for five options with a target below the limit.
Count every line yourself
Paste the options into a spreadsheet, one per row, and use =LEN(A2) in the next column to count characters, then fill down. Highlight any row over the limit. Ignore the assistant’s own claim of the count; the formula decides.
Check your result
Each option has a measured count, and any over the limit is highlighted.
Send back only the failing lines with a precise cut
For each line that is too long, tell the assistant exactly how many characters to remove and which words must stay. Recount the rewrite. Keep a short list of the winners and check the final text for accuracy as well as length.
This line is [number] characters and must be at most [limit]. Cut at least [number] characters without removing the words “[must keep]”. Give three versions. Do not add new claims.Example / expected result
Illustrative example; not a recorded model result.
A 34-character line becomes “Fresh bread, baked at dawn daily” → cut “daily” to reach 30.
Check your result
Every chosen line is within the limit by your count and still says what you meant.
When it goes wrong
Some platforms count emoji and special characters differently, and some limits are measured in pixels rather than characters, so preview where possible. Never trade accuracy for length. Check that edited lines still make true claims.
Make it your own
Choose a platform with a hard limit, produce five lines and measure each with LEN. Record how many of the AI’s own counts were wrong.
Useful next resources
Sources and review
- Google: Gemini prompt design strategies
- Google Search Central: creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Features and account limits can change. Verify important results against your original material.
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