How Many Words Do You Actually Need?

Word count limits feel arbitrary until you're the one getting cut off mid-sentence by a form, or watching a search engine truncate your carefully written description. Here's what's actually reasonable for common types of writing.

Rough guidelines by format

• Meta description (SEO): around 150-160 characters — roughly 25-30 words — before Google truncates it in search results.
• Cover letter: 250-400 words, short enough to actually get read in full.
• Resume summary: 2-3 sentences, not a full paragraph.
• Blog post (for search visibility): often 800-1500+ words for topics with real depth, though a genuinely useful short post can still perform well.
• College application essay: commonly capped around 500-650 words — check the specific prompt's limit.
• Professional email: under 200 words for most routine messages; longer ones tend to get skimmed rather than read.

Why hitting the limit actually matters

Platform limits aren't arbitrary — a meta description over the limit gets cut off (sometimes mid-word) in search results, an application essay over the word count may get penalized or rejected by a strict form, and a cover letter that runs long is simply more likely to be skimmed rather than read carefully.

Writing to a limit is a skill, not a compromise

Cutting a piece of writing down to fit a limit almost always makes it stronger, not weaker — it forces every sentence to earn its place. Draft first without worrying about the count, then edit down, rather than trying to hit the number while writing the first draft.

The bottom line

There's no universal "right" word count — it depends entirely on the format. Knowing the rough target for what you're writing, and checking against it before submitting, avoids the most common and easily fixed mistakes.