Character Counter
- characters
- 0
- without spaces
- 0
Limits
For a form, an essay or an app field. Counts characters with spaces.
- X (Twitter) post0 / 280
280 left
- Page title in search results (guide)0 / 60
60 left
- Meta description in search results (guide)0 / 160
160 left
- SMS text message0 / 160
Empty
Details
- Words
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Paragraphs
- 0
How to use the Character Counter
- Type or paste your text. The character count, with and without spaces, updates as you type.
- Check the Limits panel. Each row shows your count, the limit and how many characters are left or over, in words as well as a bar.
- Have a limit of your own, such as a form field or an application answer? Enter it under Your limit.
- Use Copy stats to copy every count as plain text, or Clear to start again.
Examples
- “Free tools that just work.” is 26 characters, or 22 without spaces.
- “你好世界” is 4 characters, but 8 towards the X limit, because X counts Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters as 2.
- A 150-character text message fits in one SMS. Add a single emoji and the whole message switches to Unicode, where one SMS holds only 70 characters, so it becomes 3 messages.
How characters are counted
Characters are counted the way you see them. An emoji, a flag or an accented letter counts as one, even when it is stored as several code points. Spaces, tabs and line breaks count as characters in the main total and are left out of “without spaces”.
X (Twitter) posts
A post can be up to 280 characters, but X weights them: Latin letters, numbers and common punctuation count as 1, while emoji and Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters count as 2. Every link counts as 23 characters, whatever its length. This follows X’s counting rules. Links are recognised when they start with http:// , https:// or www., so a bare domain may be counted slightly differently by X.
SMS text messages
A standard SMS holds 160 characters from the GSM alphabet. Longer messages are split into parts of 153. A few symbols, such as €, { and [, take two places. If the message contains any character outside that alphabet, including most emoji, it is sent as Unicode instead: 70 characters in one message, or 67 per part. Carriers and apps can handle long messages differently, so treat the message count as an estimate.
Titles and meta descriptions
Google sets no length limit for meta descriptions and shortens titles and snippets to fit the screen width. The 60- and 160-character guides are common rules of thumb for avoiding truncation, so they are marked as guides rather than limits.
Frequently asked questions
Do spaces count as characters?
Usually yes. Most forms, social platforms and SMS count spaces, so the main count includes them. Some essay and application limits exclude spaces, which is why both counts are shown.
Why does my count differ from another site?
Some counters count emoji and accented letters as two or more characters, because that is how they are stored. This counter counts what you see, which matches most modern apps. Platform rows, such as X, use that platform’s own rules.
What is the difference between this and the Word Counter?
The Word Counter focuses on writing: words, reading time and keyword use. The Character Counter focuses on limits: X posts, SMS messages, search snippets and any limit you set yourself.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. Counting happens in your browser. Your text is not sent to a server or saved, and it is gone when you leave the page.
Why does one emoji make my SMS so much shorter?
Emoji are not in the standard SMS alphabet, so the whole message is sent as Unicode, which fits 70 characters per message instead of 160. Removing the emoji, or special characters like curly quotes, switches it back.
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