Character Counter

Characters with vs. without spaces

Character limits come in two flavors, and mixing them up is how posts get cut off. Platforms like X/Twitter and SMS gateways count every keystroke, spaces included; other contexts (some publishing guidelines, for instance) count only visible characters. This counter shows both numbers side by side, live, so you always know which limit you are under.

Common character limits to check against

• X/Twitter post: 280 characters.
• SMS segment: 160 characters (longer messages are split and billed per segment).
• Meta description: roughly 155–160 characters before Google truncates it.
• Meta title: about 60 characters before truncation in search results.
• Instagram bio: 150 characters.

Paste your draft, watch the live count, and trim before you publish instead of after.

Live counting as you type

There is no submit button to press: every keystroke updates the counts instantly, including words, lines, paragraphs, and estimated reading time. It is a small thing that makes editing against a limit dramatically less annoying — you see the number move as you cut words.

Counting whole documents

For longer text, load a UTF-8 .txt file up to 5 MB instead of pasting. Reports, manuscripts, and exported content are counted in one go. If words and reading time matter more to you than characters, see our word count tool page.

Private by design

Drafts, manuscripts, and private messages stay private: counting happens entirely in your browser, and pasted text or loaded files never leave the tab.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between "with spaces" and "without spaces"?

Some limits count every keystroke including spaces (tweets, SMS segments); others count only visible characters. This tool shows both, so you can check against whichever rule applies.

Does it count emoji as one character?

Emoji are counted as the characters you see. Some complex emoji are composed of multiple Unicode code points, which strict systems may count differently — treat the count as a close guide for those edge cases.

Do line breaks count as characters?

Yes, each line break counts as one character, matching how most platforms and forms measure input length.

Can I count characters in a file?

Yes. Load a UTF-8 .txt file up to 5 MB and the full text is counted instantly, entirely on your device.

Is my text uploaded?

No. Counting runs completely in your browser, including any file you load.

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