Count characters, words, and spaces in your text instantly. A simple, free tool for social media posts, essays, and more.
About the Character Counter
Social networks, search results, SMS gateways and web forms all limit how many characters you can use. This character counter shows how many characters your text contains, with and without spaces, along with the word count. You can also enter your own limit, and the tool shows how many characters you have left as you type, so you never discover a cut-off after you hit publish.
How to use the Character Counter
- Paste your text into the box or type directly.
- Optional: enter a character limit such as 280 or 160 in the limit field.
- Watch the character count, the count without spaces, the word count and the remaining characters update instantly.
- Trim or expand the text until it fits, then copy it back to where you need it.
Common character limits
| Platform or field | Typical limit |
|---|---|
| X (Twitter) post, standard account | 280 characters |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters |
| Instagram bio | 150 characters |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters |
| YouTube video title | 100 characters |
| YouTube description | 5,000 characters |
| SEO title tag | About 60 characters |
| Meta description | About 155 to 160 characters |
| SMS (single message, Latin script) | 160 characters |
| Google Ads responsive search ad headline | 30 characters |
| Google Ads responsive search ad description | 90 characters |
Platforms change their limits from time to time, and some give higher limits to paid accounts, so check the platform if the exact figure is important. Search engines also measure titles and descriptions in pixels rather than characters, which is why these SEO figures are approximate.
Characters with spaces and without spaces
The main count includes spaces, punctuation and line breaks, because that is how most platforms measure length. A second figure shows the count without spaces, which some translators and application forms use. For example, “Hello world” has 11 characters with spaces and 10 without.
A note on Arabic, emoji and SMS
Counting works with any script, including Arabic. Be aware that text messages work differently: a single SMS holds 160 characters in the basic Latin character set, but messages containing Arabic or other non-Latin letters, or emoji, switch to a different encoding that allows only 70 characters per message. Emoji can also count as two characters on some platforms, so leave a small safety margin.
Common uses
- Keep posts, captions and bios within platform limits
- Write meta titles and descriptions of the right length for search results
- Check SMS, ad headlines and push-notification copy
- Meet character requirements in forms, applications and usernames
- Check text before sending it to a translator who charges by character
Frequently asked questions
Can I set my own character limit?
Yes. Type any number into the limit field and the remaining count updates automatically as you write. A negative remaining count means you are over the limit.
Does the counter include spaces?
The main count includes spaces. A separate figure shows the count without spaces.
What is a good meta description length?
Search engines usually show about 155 to 160 characters before cutting a description off, so many writers aim for 150 to 155 to be safe. Our Meta Description Generator can help you draft one.
Does it work with Arabic?
Yes, character counting works with any language and script.
Is my text stored or uploaded?
No. Everything is counted in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.
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