Character Counter
Character counter with limit checks for X/Twitter, SMS, meta titles and descriptions, and Instagram captions. See characters left or over, in your browser.
How to use Character Counter
- 1Type or paste your text.
- 2Pick a limit preset (or enter your own) to see characters left or over.
- 3Edit until the bar is within the limit, then copy your summary if you need it.
What makes it better
- Characters with and without spaces
- Presets for X/Twitter, SMS, meta title, meta description and Instagram
- Custom limit for any platform
- Progress bar with characters left or over
About Character Counter
The Character Counter counts characters with and without spaces and compares them against a limit you choose: 280 for X/Twitter, 160 for SMS or a meta description, 60 for a meta title, 2,200 for an Instagram caption, or your own number. A progress bar and a plain message tell you how many characters are left or by how much you are over.
Common uses
- Fit a post inside the 280-character limit before you publish it.
- Write a meta title and description that are unlikely to be cut off in search results.
- Keep a text message to one 160-character SMS segment.
- Check an application form answer with a strict character cap.
Example
Input
Launch day is almost here! Join us on Friday at 10 am for the big reveal.
Result
Characters: 73 Characters (no spaces): 58 Limit 280: 207 characters left
Good to know
- Emoji, accented letters and similar symbols count as one visible character here. Some platforms count them differently, and X/Twitter gives certain characters and links a different weight, so leave a small margin.
- SMS messages that contain non-Latin characters or emoji use a shorter limit per message than 160. The preset assumes plain text.
- Search engines truncate meta titles and descriptions by pixel width, not character count, so 60 and 160 are guides rather than hard limits.
Character Counter FAQ
Do spaces count as characters?
On most platforms, yes: spaces and line breaks count towards a limit. This page shows both figures, with and without spaces, so you can use whichever your platform applies.
What is the character limit for X (Twitter)?
The standard limit is 280 characters. The preset uses that number. Links and some characters are weighted differently by the platform, so the in-app counter is the final word.
How long should a meta description be?
Around 150 to 160 characters is a common target so the whole description is likely to show in search results. Google decides the cut-off by width, so it can differ from page to page.
Can I set my own limit?
Yes. Choose Custom and type any number to see how many characters are left or by how much you are over.