Character Counter
Count characters, words and 18 more text statistics — with a custom limit, live platform bars and emoji-accurate counting.
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Characters
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Words
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Sentences
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Paragraphs
Common character limits
Platforms change these from time to time — check the platform's current rules before publishing.
| Platform / use case | Limit |
|---|---|
| X / Twitter post | 280 |
| SMS (single message) | 160 |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 |
| Instagram bio | 150 |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 |
| LinkedIn headline | 220 |
| Facebook post | 63,206 |
| YouTube description | 5,000 |
| YouTube title | 100 |
| SEO title tag | 60 |
| SEO meta description | 160 |
| Google Ads headline | 30 |
| Reddit title | 300 |
| Discord message | 2,000 |
| WhatsApp status | 700 |
| Pinterest description | 500 |
About this tool
Character limits govern most of what people write online — 280 on X, 160 per SMS, 150 for an Instagram bio, 60 for an SEO title — and going over means truncation, rejection, or a post that reads badly. This counter tracks every limit at once, with a progress bar per platform that turns red the moment you exceed one, so a single glance tells you where your text fits.
Set your own limit and the headline switches to a live remaining count, counting down as you type and turning red when you cross it. A "count spaces" toggle handles the distinction that trips people up: most platforms count spaces, but many academic and form requirements don't, and the two figures can differ by 15% or more.
Beyond the basics, eighteen statistics cover every level of the text: characters with and without spaces, spaces, letters, numbers, symbols, emojis, unique characters, words, unique words, sentences, paragraphs, lines, page count, average word length, words per sentence, and both reading and speaking time. The most-frequent-words panel shows what your text actually emphasises, with filler words filtered out.
One technical detail worth knowing, because most counters get it wrong: emoji and accented characters are counted by code point rather than by JavaScript's default, which counts many emoji as two. Type 👍 and this tool counts one character where a naive counter reports two — the difference between a tweet fitting and being rejected.
How to use the Character Counter
- 1Type or paste your text — all statistics update live.
- 2Toggle 'count spaces' depending on what your requirement counts.
- 3Set a custom character limit to get a live remaining count.
- 4Check the platform bars to see instantly which channels your text fits.
Frequently asked questions
Does the character count include spaces?
Both figures are shown, and the toggle controls which drives the headline and the platform bars. Most platforms — X, Instagram, SMS — count spaces. Academic word limits and some forms exclude them. The gap is usually 15–20% of the total, which matters near a limit.
How many characters can a tweet be?
280 for a standard X/Twitter post. URLs count as 23 characters regardless of actual length, and most emoji count as one character each here (matching X's own counting). The platform bar shows your usage live, including how many characters over you are.
Why do other character counters give a different number for emoji?
Because they use JavaScript's default string length, which counts many emoji as two characters since they're stored as surrogate pairs. This tool counts by code point, matching how platforms actually count. For text with emoji, the difference can be substantial.
How is reading time calculated?
At 225 words per minute for silent reading, the commonly cited adult average for plain prose, and 130 words per minute for speaking time — the typical pace for presentations and voiceovers. Technical content reads slower; both are estimates rather than precise predictions.
What is the character limit for an Instagram bio?
150 characters — one of the tightest limits on any major platform, which is why so many bios use compressed phrasing. Instagram captions allow 2,200. Both are tracked live in the platform bars, along with fourteen other common limits.
Can I count characters without spaces for an assignment?
Yes — untick 'count spaces' and the headline count, custom limit and platform bars all switch to the spaces-excluded figure. Both numbers remain visible in the full statistics panel either way.
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