Character Counter
Real-time character and word counting with platform-specific limits. Perfect for writers, social media managers, and content creators who need to meet specific character requirements.
Enter Your Text
Type or paste your text to see real-time statistics
Platform-Specific Limits
See how your text fits within popular platform character limits
What is a Character Counter?
A character counter is a tool that counts the number of characters, words, sentences, and other text elements in real-time. It's essential for content creators, writers, and social media managers who need to meet specific character limits on different platforms.
Real-Time Counting
See character, word, sentence, and paragraph counts update instantly as you type
Platform Limits
Check your text against limits for Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Meta tags, and SMS
Pro Tip
Different platforms have different character limits. Use this tool to optimize your content before posting to avoid truncation and ensure your message fits perfectly.
Why Character Count Matters
SEO Meta Tags
Google displays approximately 50-60 characters for title tags and 150-160 characters for meta descriptions in search results. Staying within these limits ensures your message isn't cut off.
Social Media Optimization
Each social media platform has its own character limits. Twitter/X allows 280 characters, LinkedIn posts can be up to 3,000 characters, and Instagram captions max out at 2,200 characters. Knowing these limits helps you craft the perfect post.
SMS Marketing
Standard SMS messages are limited to 160 characters. Going over this limit can split your message into multiple texts or result in extra charges. Keep your SMS concise and impactful.
Content Planning
Word and character counts help you plan content length, estimate reading time, and maintain consistency across your articles, blog posts, and marketing materials.
Platform Character Limits Guide
Twitter/X: 280 characters
Twitter increased from 140 to 280 characters in 2017. Links count as 23 characters regardless of actual length. Keep tweets concise and engaging to maximize engagement.
Meta Title: 50-60 characters
Google typically displays 50-60 characters of a title tag in search results. Longer titles get truncated with "..." Keep your most important keywords near the beginning.
Meta Description: 150-160 characters
Google shows approximately 150-160 characters of meta descriptions on desktop (slightly less on mobile). Write compelling descriptions that include your target keywords and a clear call-to-action.
LinkedIn Post: 3,000 characters
LinkedIn allows up to 3,000 characters for posts, but shows only the first 140 characters in the feed before "see more". Make your opening sentence count to encourage clicks.
Instagram Caption: 2,200 characters
Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 characters appear before "more". Use line breaks and emojis to improve readability and engagement.
SMS: 160 characters
Standard SMS messages are limited to 160 characters (GSM-7 encoding) or 70 characters (UCS-2 encoding for emojis). Messages exceeding this are split into multiple parts.
Common Use Cases
SEO Content Optimization
Ensure your meta titles and descriptions fit within Google's display limits. Preview how your content will appear in search results and avoid truncation.
Social Media Management
Craft platform-specific posts that maximize your character allowance. Create engaging content that fits perfectly within Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other platform limits.
Academic Writing
Meet word count requirements for essays, abstracts, and research papers. Track your progress toward minimum and maximum word counts.
Email Marketing
Optimize email subject lines (typically 40-60 characters for mobile) and preview text. Ensure your message appears complete in email client previews.
SMS Campaigns
Keep promotional SMS messages within the 160-character limit to avoid message splitting and ensure delivery as a single text.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between characters with and without spaces?▼
Characters with spaces counts every character including spaces, punctuation, and line breaks. Characters without spaces only counts letters, numbers, and punctuation—excluding all whitespace. Most platform limits (Twitter, meta tags) count spaces, while some academic requirements count without spaces.
How does the tool count words?▼
Words are counted by splitting text on whitespace characters (spaces, tabs, line breaks). Any sequence of characters separated by whitespace is considered a word. For example, "hello world" is 2 words, "don't" is 1 word, and "hello-world" is also 1 word.
Why do SEO meta tag limits matter?▼
Google truncates meta titles longer than 50-60 characters and meta descriptions beyond 150-160 characters in search results. Staying within these limits ensures your full message displays in search results, which can improve click-through rates. Going over means your carefully crafted message gets cut off with "..."
Does Twitter count links toward the 280 character limit?▼
Yes, but all links are counted as exactly 23 characters regardless of their actual length. Twitter automatically shortens all URLs using their t.co service. This means a short link like "x.com" and a long URL like "example.com/very/long/path/to/article" both count as 23 characters.
What happens if my SMS exceeds 160 characters?▼
Messages exceeding 160 characters are split into multiple SMS parts. A 161-character message becomes 2 separate texts. However, multi-part messages have overhead, so the limit per part drops to 153 characters. This can increase costs and may affect delivery. It's best to keep SMS messages under 160 characters.
Is this character counter tool free?▼
Yes! This character counter is completely free with no limits. Count as much text as you need, as often as you need. All counting happens instantly in your browser—no data is sent to any server. Your text stays private and secure on your device.
Tips for Effective Character Management
Front-Load Important Information
Put your most important keywords and messages at the beginning. Whether it's a meta description, LinkedIn post, or Instagram caption, users see the first part first—make it count.
Use Power Words Efficiently
When character count is limited, every word matters. Use strong, descriptive words that convey maximum meaning with minimum characters. "Revolutionary" is more impactful than "very innovative."
Test Before Publishing
Always check your content against platform limits before publishing. What looks perfect in your editor might get truncated on the actual platform. Use this tool to preview and adjust.
Consider Mobile Displays
Mobile devices show fewer characters than desktop in many contexts. Meta descriptions might be limited to 120 characters on mobile. Email subject lines show even less. Optimize for mobile-first to ensure your message works everywhere.
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