Character Counter — Free Online Character Count Tool
Paste or type your text. Stats update as you type, entirely in your browser.
What Is a Character Counter?
A character counter is a simple online tool that counts every character in your text — letters, numbers, punctuation, spaces and emojis. Unlike a word counter, which counts words, a character counter tells you the exact length of your text, which is what most platforms enforce as a hard limit.
This tool shows two key numbers: the total character count (including spaces, which is what platforms like X and Instagram measure) and the count without spaces. It also reports words, sentences and paragraphs so you get the full picture in one place.
How to Use This Character Counter
Step 1 — Paste or type your text into the box above. Stats update live as you type.
Step 2 — Read the stats. The big numbers show characters, characters without spaces, words, sentences and paragraphs.
Step 3 — Check a platform limit. Pick a platform from the dropdown (for example X at 280) and the progress bar shows how close you are to the limit. Green means you fit; red means you're over.
Character Limits by Platform
Twitter / X Character Limit (280)
Posts on X can be up to 280 characters. Spaces, punctuation and emojis all count — and some emojis count as two characters. Premium subscribers get longer posts, but 280 remains the standard everyone writes for.
Instagram Caption Limit (2,200)
Instagram captions allow up to 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 show before the "more" button. Put your hook and key message in those first 125 characters.
Instagram Bio Limit (150)
Your Instagram bio is limited to 150 characters. Every character matters — use a clear value proposition and one call to action.
Facebook Post Limit (63,206)
Facebook technically allows 63,206 characters per post, but posts get truncated in the feed after about 477 characters. Shorter posts consistently get more engagement.
LinkedIn Post Limit (3,000)
LinkedIn posts allow up to 3,000 characters. The feed shows roughly the first 210 characters before "see more", so front-load your insight.
SEO Meta Description Limit (155–160)
Google typically displays 155–160 characters of your meta description. Stay under 160 to avoid the dreaded "..." truncation in search results.
SMS Character Limit (160)
A standard SMS segment is 160 characters (GSM encoding). Go over and your message splits into multiple segments — which can double or triple your messaging cost.
Character Counter vs Word Counter
Use a character counter when a platform enforces a length limit: tweets, bios, meta descriptions, SMS, ad headlines. Use a word counter when the requirement is about content volume: essays, blog posts, speeches, book chapters. The two tools answer different questions — "will this fit?" versus "is this long enough?" — so writers and marketers usually need both.
FAQ
How many characters is a tweet?
A standard post on X (Twitter) can be up to 280 characters, including spaces, punctuation and emojis. Some emojis count as two characters.
How many characters is an Instagram caption?
Instagram captions allow up to 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 characters display before the "more" button.
What is the SEO meta description character limit?
Google typically shows 155–160 characters. Keep your meta description under 160 characters so it isn't truncated in search results.
Do spaces count as characters?
Yes. On almost every platform, spaces count toward the character limit. This tool shows both the total count and the count without spaces.
Is this character counter free?
Yes — free forever. It runs entirely in your browser with no sign-up, and your text never leaves your device.