Telegram has two text limits, and the one people hit is the smaller. A message with only text can run to 4,096 characters; the moment it carries a photo or a video, the text becomes a caption and the limit drops to 1,024. A scheduler that shows one counter for both lets a long post through the composer and loses its end at Telegram.
Text and caption
| Limit | |
|---|---|
| Text-only message | 4,096 characters |
| Caption on a photo or video | 1,024 characters |
| Caption on an album | 1,024, on the first file only |
| Edit after publishing | Allowed; the same two limits apply to the new text |
Preflight declares 1,024 as the caption limit and cuts nothing silently: the counter under the box tells you which limit your post is under, depending on whether it has a file. If the text is longer than a caption allows, the usual fix is to send the long text as its own message and the picture without a caption.
Files
| Rule | |
|---|---|
| Photos | JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB |
| Photo shape | Width plus height at most 10,000 pixels; ratio at most 20:1 |
| Video and other files | Up to 50 MB through a bot |
| Album | Up to 10 files in one post; the caption belongs to the first |
| Pictures and video together | Allowed in an album |
The 50 MB figure is Telegram's ceiling for a file a bot uploads. Larger files need a self-hosted Bot API server, which Preflight does not use, so a 120 MB video is refused before upload instead of failing at the end of a long transfer. A photo that is over the size or the 10,000-pixel sum gets a smaller JPEG copy for Telegram, up to 2,560 pixels on the long side, and your file is not changed.
Options a Telegram post carries
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Silent | The message arrives without a notification sound |
| Pin | The message is pinned in the chat; the bot needs the right to |
| Protect content | Members cannot forward or save it |
| Spoiler | Photos and videos arrive blurred until tapped |
| No link preview | Removes the preview under a text message |
What a bot cannot tell you
The Bot API reports nothing about how a message performed, not views and not forwards, and it cannot read replies, so Preflight shows no figures for Telegram and says why. A group that grows into a supergroup gets a new chat id and the old one stops working; Preflight follows the new one and asks for a resend.
Telegram next to the others
The caption limit is one of the smallest among the twelve networks. Instagram takes 2,200 characters and Discord 2,000 for the same text, so a caption written for Instagram usually needs trimming for Telegram when it travels with a picture. Connecting a bot and a channel is on the Telegram integration page, and scheduling is described on how to schedule Telegram posts. Every network side by side is on the limits page, and the character counter measures a text against all of them. Telegram is one channel on any plan, the free one included.
Figures from the Telegram Bot API as Preflight enforces them, checked 29 October 2026.
Questions people ask
- What is the Telegram caption limit?
- 1,024 characters. A message with only text can be 4,096, but a photo or video turns the text into a caption, and a caption is limited to 1,024.
- How large a file can a Telegram bot send?
- 50 MB for a video or other file, and 10 MB for a photo. Larger files need a self-hosted Bot API server, so they are refused before upload.
- How many files fit in one Telegram post?
- Up to 10 in an album. The caption sits on the first file and is limited to 1,024 characters. Pictures and video can be mixed.
- Can I schedule silent or pinned Telegram posts?
- Yes. A post can be sent silently, pinned (the bot needs the right to pin), protected from forwarding, marked as a spoiler, or sent with no link preview.
- Can I see views for Telegram posts?
- No. The Bot API does not report views, forwards or replies, so no scheduler working through a bot can show them.