Push notification character limits, in practice
There is no single limit. Each operating system truncates titles and text at a different point, and the same browser shows more on Windows than on a Mac. Here’s a length that survives everywhere.
- Safe everywhere: a title of about 30–40 characters and a body of about 80–100.
- Windows shows the most text; macOS and collapsed Android notifications show the least.
- Adding a large image on Android shrinks the visible body to roughly one line.
- The technical payload cap is about 4 KB, but people stop reading long before that.
Why there is no single limit
A web push message carries a title and body as plain text. The browser hands them to the operating system, and the operating system decides how much to show: how wide the banner is, how many lines, whether an image squeezes the text. Font, screen size, language and whether the notification is collapsed or expanded all change the cut-off. That’s why published “limits” disagree — each was measured on a particular device and OS version.
Typical visible length by platform
| Platform | Title (approx.) | Body (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10/11 — Chrome, Edge | 60–70 | 120–140 | Most generous; two-line title |
| macOS — Chrome, Firefox, Safari | 35–45 | 80–120 | Narrow banners; longer text visible when expanded |
| Android — Chrome (collapsed) | 40–50 | ~50 with image, ~90 without | Expanding shows more |
| Android — Firefox | 35–50 | varies | No image, so more body text |
| iPhone/iPad Home Screen app | ~40 | ~90–110 | Lock-screen preview; long-press to read all |
These ranges summarise several published measurements (for example vendor guides from WebEngage, PushOwl and Batch, read Nov 12, 2026) and our own testing. They are approximate by design. The rule that holds everywhere: put the point of the message in the first 30 characters.
A safe length that works everywhere
Title: 30–40 characters
Enough for “Back in stock: Linen Shirt, size M” (34). Front-load the noun that matters.
Body: 80–100 characters
One supporting detail and a reason to tap. If you add an image, assume only ~50 show on Android.
The technical limit: about 4 KB
Under the hood, a push message is encrypted and must fit in roughly 4 KB (4,096 bytes) — the size push services are required to accept. That includes your title, body, URL, image URL and any other data, plus encryption overhead. You’ll hit readability limits long before this, but very long URLs with tracking parameters can matter. More in the Web Push protocol.
Writing within the limit
- Lead with the concrete thing: product, number, event or deadline.
- Cut filler words: “We’re excited to announce that…” costs 31 characters and says nothing.
- Don’t repeat your brand in the title — the icon and site name already show who it’s from.
- Use one emoji at most, and count it as two characters.
- Preview before sending: subscribe your own phone and laptop and send yourself a test.
More craft advice in push notification copywriting and real examples in 30 examples.
Other languages and emoji
Characters aren’t equal. Wide scripts such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean fill a line with fewer characters; German compound words wrap awkwardly. Emoji may count as two or more characters depending on how they’re encoded. If you segment subscribers by language (Pusharoo supports a language filter — see segmentation), write each version natively rather than translating word-for-word.
Questions
What is the maximum length of a web push notification title?
Browsers don’t enforce a strict title limit; the operating system truncates it. About 40 characters is visible almost everywhere, and Windows shows up to roughly 60–70.
How long can the body text be?
Aim for 80–100 characters. Windows shows more; collapsed Android notifications with an image show around 50.
Does the URL count toward the limit?
It doesn’t appear on screen, but it does count toward the roughly 4 KB encrypted payload.
Do emoji count toward the character limit?
They take space visually and some count as two characters in code. Budget a couple of characters for each emoji.
Is there a limit on the URL length in a notification?
The URL is part of the payload; keep the whole encrypted payload under about 4 KB. Long UTM strings are fine, but very long URLs eat into that budget.
Keep reading
Push notification copywriting: 12 rules that earn the tap
Twelve practical rules with before-and-after rewrites: specificity, verbs, honest urgency, tone and testing.
30 web push notification examples (and why they work)
Thirty original examples for stores, publishers, SaaS, local businesses, events and non-profits — with reasoning.
Rich push notifications: images, icons and buttons
What images, icons, badges and action buttons show in each browser, with recommended sizes.
Web push notification best practices (2026 checklist)
A one-page checklist covering opt-in, iPhone, copy, timing, frequency, segments, deliverability and privacy.
More in Writing & timing: The best time to send push notifications · How often should you send push notifications? · Welcome push notifications that set the tone · Holiday push notification calendar for 2026–2027 · All guides
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