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There is no defined limit to the number of characters in a search query for NavigatorSearch (formerly Roadrunner) or an EBSCO database. 

However, for the number of words, a good rule of thumb is 8,000. Some EBSCO databases will allow up to 40,000 words, which can be necessary to run queries generated from search-history entries combined with heavy use of truncations and wildcard strategies. The use of a wildcard or truncation expands a word in a query up to a limit of 2,000 expansions.

For example, if you enter a short truncated search term, such as theor*, the search engine will look for all words beginning with theor, such as theory, theories, theorist, theorists, theorize, etc. The database or search engine will expand the search term up to a maximum of 2,000 variations.

Please note that extremely long queries might not be completed due to long processing time. A query could "time out" before results are returned.