How to bold text on Bluesky
Bluesky doesn’t have a bold or italic button. To highlight a word, use Unicode letters that look bold or italic (𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀): they paste into Bluesky like any other text and look the same in the app and on the web.
- Write your post in the editor.
- Select a word and press B, I, U or S, or choose another style under “More styles”.
- Watch the counter. It counts the way Bluesky does.
- Copy and paste it into a new post.
How Bluesky counts your 300 characters
Bluesky counts what you see: each visible character, emoji or styled letter counts as one, even when it’s made of several codes behind the scenes. That makes bold text cheaper on Bluesky than on X, where styled letters count double.
Where styled text works on Bluesky
| Place | Works? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Posts and replies | Yes | 300 characters. |
| Display name and bio | Yes | Keep searchable words plain. |
| Handle | No | Handles are domain names. |
Tips for formatting Bluesky posts
- Keep hashtags plain. Bluesky hashtags and search only work with normal letters.
- Style a phrase, not the post. It reads better, and screen readers handle it better.
- Use the space between lines. With 300 characters, short lines and one clear idea work best.
Bluesky limits (2026)
| Post | 300 characters |
|---|---|
| Images | Up to 4 per post |
Add slides to your Bluesky post
When 300 characters aren’t enough, put the details in images. Under the editor, your post appears as a set of slides. Open them in aiCarousels with “Edit this carousel, free”, pick a design and, with an account, download up to four images to attach to your post.
