Limits by platform
Paste or type your text and the counter shows, as you write, the number of characters with spaces, characters without spaces, words and sentences. Below the box, four bars show how close the text is to the limit of a meta description, an SMS, a post on X (Twitter) and an Instagram caption.
The count runs in your browser, so the text is never uploaded, and it works for any language. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
What exactly it measures
| Figure | What it counts |
|---|---|
| Characters | Every character in the box: letters, digits, punctuation, spaces and line breaks. |
| No spaces | The same count without spaces, tabs and line breaks. Some forms and translation quotes use this figure. |
| Words | Groups of characters separated by spaces or line breaks. |
| Sentences | Pieces of text ended by a period, question mark or exclamation mark. |
A character is what you would count by eye: “a”, “7”, “,” or a space each count as one. Accented letters count as one character as well.
Character limits worth knowing
| Where | Limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Meta description | ≈155 | Google shortens longer descriptions in the results. The real cut-off depends on pixel width, so 155 is a safe target. |
| SMS | 160 | For plain text. Emoji or some accented letters switch the message to a mode that fits only 70 characters, and a longer text is split into several messages. |
| X (Twitter) | 280 | The limit of a standard post. Links count as a fixed length, whatever their real size. |
| 2,200 | For a caption. Only the first lines show before “more”, so put the key part first. |
Platforms change their limits from time to time. The bars use the values above, so check the platform if the exact figure matters.
How to use it
- 1Paste your text into the box. The figures update as you type.
- 2Watch the bars. A bar turns to a warning colour when you are close to the limit and red when you pass it. The number next to it shows how many characters you are over.
- 3Edit until it fits, then copy the text from the box into the platform you are posting to.
Who needs it every day
- SEO and web editors to keep titles and meta descriptions inside the length that search engines show.
- Social media managers to fit posts and captions inside the limit before scheduling them.
- Forms and applications with a maximum number of characters in a field, such as a motivation letter box.
- Developers and translators to check string lengths in interface text, and to estimate jobs billed by character.
What the counter cannot know
The counter counts characters as your browser stores them. A few symbols, such as some emoji, are made of several parts and can be counted as two characters here, while the platform counts them as one, or the other way round. Platforms also change how they treat links and mentions. For a limit that really matters, leave a few characters of margin.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count the characters in a text?
Paste the text in the box above. The number of characters appears at once and updates as you edit.
What is the difference between characters with and without spaces?
The first counts everything, spaces and line breaks included. The second leaves out spaces, tabs and line breaks. Use the one your limit asks for.
How many characters does X (Twitter) allow?
A standard post allows 280 characters. The bar in the counter shows how much room you have left.
How long should a meta description be for SEO?
Around 150 to 155 characters. Google can show more or less depending on the pixel width of the text, so keep the important part at the start.
How many characters fit in an SMS?
A plain-text SMS holds 160 characters. With emoji or some accented letters the message uses a different encoding that holds 70, and longer texts are split into several parts.
How many characters does Instagram allow in a caption?
Up to 2,200 characters. Only the first lines are visible before the “more” link, so put the main message first.
Does an emoji count as one character?
Not always. Some emoji are built from several characters, so the counter here can show a higher number than the platform does. Leave a small margin.
How are sentences counted?
By the final punctuation: periods, question marks and exclamation marks. A group like “?!” or “...” counts once.