280 characters remaining
How it works
The Character Counter counts your text live, entirely in your browser. The headline figure counts every character, including spaces, line breaks, and punctuation, the way social platforms, SMS, and search engines do. Choose a platform from the "Fits in" menu and the gauge tracks your text against that limit. It turns amber as you near the limit and red once you pass it.
- Characters are counted as Unicode code points, with and without spaces.
- Platform presets cover X (post, bio, long post, display name, handle, DM, alt text, poll option, and list name). They cover Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Pinterest. They cover YouTube (title, description, the 500-character tag budget, playlist title, comment, and community post). They cover Reddit (post titles, text posts, comments, bios, usernames, community names and descriptions, and flair). And they cover the SEO title and meta description, Google Ads, and SMS, plus a custom limit. For X's own weighted counting, where links count 23 and emoji 2, use the Twitter Character Counter.
- Words, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time are shown too, so it doubles as a quick word counter.
Nothing is uploaded. Your latest text is remembered only in your own browser.
What you will see
- Character count + gauge
- Your live character count against the selected platform limit, with a progress bar and a remaining (or over-by) readout.
- Fits in
- The platform whose limit you are checking against. Pick a preset or choose "Custom limit" to enter your own.
- Characters (no spaces)
- The same count with all spaces and line breaks removed, for fields that leave out spaces.
- Words, Sentences, Paragraphs
- Standard text counts, so this works as a word counter too.
- Reading time
- Estimated silent reading time at 225 words per minute.
Frequently asked questions
How does the character counter work?
Type or paste your text and the character count updates at once, with no button to press. Pick a platform from the "Fits in" menu, such as an X post or a meta description. A gauge then shows how many characters you have used and how many remain, and warns you the moment you go over the limit.
Does the count include spaces?
Yes. The headline count and the platform gauge include spaces, line breaks, and punctuation, because that is how social networks, SMS, and search engines count. We also show "Characters (no spaces)" on its own, for fields or assignments that leave out spaces.
Is it free, and is my text private?
It is free, with no signup. Everything is counted in your browser, so your text is never uploaded or stored on our servers. Your latest text is kept only in your own browser so it survives a reload.
Why does X (Twitter) sometimes show a different count?
X counts most characters the same way we do, with two exceptions. It counts every URL as 23 characters whatever its length, and it counts many Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters as two. Our counter shows the true character count. For plain text it matches X. Text with links may read a little differently inside X.
What are the most common character limits?
The ones people check most:
- X post 280, X bio 160.
- Instagram caption 2,200, Instagram bio 150.
- Meta description about 160. SEO title tag about 60, which is a pixel limit, so treat it as a guide.
- SMS 160.
- LinkedIn post 3,000, LinkedIn headline 220.
- YouTube title 100. Google Ads headline 30.
Pick any of these from the menu or set a custom limit.
Can I set my own character limit?
Yes. Choose "Custom limit" from the menu and enter any number, such as a 500-character bio field or a 2,000-character form. The gauge and the remaining-characters readout adapt to your target.
How are characters counted for emoji and accented letters?
Characters are counted as Unicode code points. An emoji or an accented letter such as "é" counts as one character, matching what you see on screen. Some platforms count certain emoji or Asian-script characters as two.
Does it work as a word counter too?
Yes. Below the character gauge you get words, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time, so you can check a word target in the same place. For a full breakdown with keyword density, use our Word Counter.