Truncate a List

The Truncate a List tool automatically shortens long text entries to fit specific character limits while preserving readability and meaning. Whether you’re preparing content for social media posts, formatting product descriptions for mobile displays, or creating preview text for email campaigns, this browser-based tool intelligently cuts text while maintaining context. Perfect for content managers, marketers, and developers who need to ensure text fits within strict character constraints without losing essential information.

How to Use:

1. Paste your list into the input box. You’ll see a live preview on the right showing the truncated versions of each item.
2. Adjust options in the “Options” box to control how text is shortened:
   • Add suffix: Appends ellipsis or custom text to show truncation occurred.
   • Preserve whole words: Avoids cutting words in half, stopping at complete word boundaries.
   • Trim whitespace: Removes extra spaces before processing to maximize useful content.
   • Max characters: Sets the maximum length for each truncated item (1-500 characters).
   • Suffix text: Customizes what gets added to indicate truncation (default “…”).
3. Select a truncation method:
   • From end: Keeps the beginning of text, removes from the end (most common).
   • From middle: Preserves start and end, removes middle section with suffix.
   • From start: Keeps the end of text, removes from the beginning.
4. Copy or export the result using the buttons below the output box.

As you adjust settings, the output updates automatically so you can experiment and see what works best for your content needs.

What Truncate a List Can Do:

This tool transforms lengthy text entries into perfectly sized content that fits any display requirement. You’ll maintain the most important information while ensuring every item meets your character constraints. The Truncate a List functionality handles everything from product descriptions to social media content with intelligent text preservation strategies.

Content managers use it to create preview text for articles, ensuring headlines and descriptions fit within CMS character limits. E-commerce teams rely on it to standardize product name lengths across mobile and desktop displays where space varies dramatically.

Social media managers find it essential for preparing post content that works across different platforms with varying character limits. The word preservation feature ensures truncated text remains readable and professional rather than cutting off mid-word.

Email marketing teams use it to optimize subject lines and preview text that display properly across different email clients and mobile devices. The custom suffix option lets them maintain brand consistency with their preferred truncation indicators.

The middle truncation method proves particularly useful for file names, URLs, or technical identifiers where both the beginning and end contain important information. This approach preserves context that might be lost with traditional end truncation.

Developer teams use it to process API responses, log entries, and database field content that must fit within specific column widths or display constraints without breaking layout designs.

Example:

Starting with this product description list:

Fresh Organic Red Delicious Apple from Local Farm
Premium Banana Bundle with Extra Ripeness
Cold-Pressed Orange Juice with Natural Pulp
Sweet Juicy Strawberry Pack for Summer
Purple Grape Cluster from Vineyard Selection
Tropical Pineapple Slices with Natural Enzymes
Crispy Green Apple Variety for Healthy Snacking
Golden Yellow Banana Perfect for Smoothies
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice Morning Special
Wild Strawberry Mix with Organic Certification

With max characters set to 20, “Add suffix” enabled, and “Preserve whole words” on, you’d see:

Fresh Organic Red...
Premium Banana...
Cold-Pressed Orange...
Sweet Juicy...
Purple Grape...
Tropical Pineapple...
Crispy Green Apple...
Golden Yellow...
Fresh Squeezed...
Wild Strawberry...

This maintains readability by stopping at word boundaries while clearly indicating that more text was available in the original entries.

Truncate a List Table:

This table demonstrates different truncation methods and how they work with various types of content to meet specific character requirements.

Common Use Cases:

You’ll find this tool essential whenever you need to fit text content within specific space constraints. Web developers use it to ensure button labels, menu items, and form fields display properly across different screen sizes. Mobile app designers rely on it to optimize text for small screens where every character counts.

It’s perfect for database management where field lengths are strictly enforced and content must be trimmed to prevent errors. Content management systems often require standardized text lengths for consistent layouts, and this tool handles bulk processing efficiently.

Email template designers use it to optimize subject lines and preview text for different email clients that display varying amounts of text. Social media schedulers find it valuable for preparing content that works across platforms with different character limits and display requirements.