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Character Count Checker

Count characters and words in any text to stay within meta tag, ad copy, and social media character limits.

Desktop truncation point

Characters remaining

160

/ 160

0 of 160 used

0160

Character breakdown

0With spaces
0Without spaces
0Letters
0Numbers
0Spaces
0Punctuation
0Line breaks
0Words

Character limits by platform.

A cheat sheet of character caps on the platforms you actually write for.

60

Google title tag

Truncated around 60 chars in search results

160

Google meta description

Desktop truncation point

280

Twitter / X post

Hard limit enforced by the platform

160

Twitter / X bio

Profile description field

477

Facebook post (full)

Beyond this shows 'See more'

2,200

Instagram caption

Hard limit on captions

150

Instagram bio

Profile bio limit

3,000

LinkedIn post

Feed post character limit

220

LinkedIn headline

Profile headline field

100

YouTube video title

Hard limit for video titles

5,000

YouTube description

Full description field

2,200

TikTok caption

Caption character limit

160

SMS (single message)

Beyond this splits into multiple messages

60

Email subject line

Mobile inbox truncation

30

Google Ad headline

Per headline field

90

Google Ad description

Per description field

125

Meta Ad primary text

Optimal display without truncation

What is a character count and when does it matter?

Character count is the total number of individual characters in a piece of text, including letters, numbers, punctuation, spaces, and line breaks. It matters whenever you are writing for a platform with a hard cap or a truncation point. Google cuts off meta descriptions over 160 characters with an ellipsis, stripping your call to action. Twitter refuses posts over 280. SMS messages over 160 characters get split into multiple billable messages. Google Ads rejects headlines over 30 characters outright.

Unlike word count, which fluctuates based on how you phrase something, character count is unforgiving. A single extra word might push you 15 characters over the Twitter limit. Knowing your exact count while you write lets you tighten without cutting the message. Writers who work within constraints consistently produce cleaner, more effective copy than writers with unlimited room.

Frequently asked questions.

How does this character counter work?

The tool measures the exact length of your text in real time. It counts every character including letters, numbers, punctuation, spaces, emojis, and line breaks. Counting happens entirely in your browser, so your text is never uploaded or stored. Paste any length and see the count update instantly.

What is the difference between characters with and without spaces?

Character count with spaces is the raw length of your text. Character count without spaces excludes every whitespace character (space, tab, newline). Most platforms like Twitter, Google, and SMS count with spaces. Some writing contracts and academic citations count without spaces. This tool shows both so you can use whichever you need.

How do emojis count as characters?

Most platforms count emojis as one character visually, but under the hood some emojis are made of multiple Unicode code points (especially flag emojis and skin-tone modifiers). This tool uses JavaScript's string length, which matches how Twitter and most social platforms count. For SMS specifically, many emojis consume 2-8 characters because they fall outside the GSM-7 standard.

Why do I need to stay under these character limits?

Every platform truncates long text. Google cuts off meta descriptions over 160 characters with an ellipsis, losing your call to action. Twitter rejects posts over 280. SMS messages over 160 characters split into multiple billable messages. Going over hurts either visibility, deliverability, or cost. Knowing your exact count lets you fit within the constraint without stripping the message to the bone.

Does the character counter include line breaks?

Yes. Every newline character counts toward the total. This matches how most platforms count. If you paste a block of text with multiple paragraphs, each line break adds one character to the total. To check character count without line breaks, mentally subtract the number of breaks, or use the 'without spaces' counter which also excludes newlines.

Can I use this tool offline?

Once the page is loaded, all counting runs entirely in your browser. You can disconnect from the internet and the tool keeps working. Nothing is sent to a server at any point, which means your text stays completely private even on public networks.

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