Character Counter
Count characters with and without spaces, and check text against common length limits.
Characters
0
- Words
- 0
- Characters
- 0
- Characters without spaces
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Paragraphs
- 0
- Lines
- 0
- Size in UTF-8 bytes
- 0
- Reading time
- 0 sec
- Speaking time
- 0 sec
Paste text to see the number of characters with and without spaces, the number of lines and the size in bytes. Bars show how close you are to limits that people often have to meet, such as a 280-character post or a 160-character text message.
Platform limits change over time and depend on account type, so treat the presets as a guide and confirm on the platform you are posting to.
How character counter works
Characters are counted as the visible symbols you typed, so an emoji counts as one character here. Some platforms count emoji and some scripts differently, and a few count links at a fixed length, so their numbers can differ slightly.
Bytes are the size of the text encoded as UTF-8, where letters in English take one byte and many other characters take two to four.
The formula
Characters with spaces = total symbols in the text
Characters without spaces = total symbols minus spaces, tabs and line breaksWorked example: checking a message and a page title
A 142-character message fits in one SMS (160 for standard characters) with 18 to spare.
A search page title of around 60 characters usually displays in full, while longer ones may be cut off.
Common limits
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| X post (standard account) | 280 characters |
| SMS, standard characters | 160 (70 with some non-Latin characters) |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters |
| YouTube title | 100 characters |
| Page title (guideline) | about 60 characters |
| Meta description (guideline) | about 155 to 160 characters |
Platform limits change and vary by account type. Search engines truncate by pixel width, not character count, so the two SEO figures are guidelines.
When to use this tool
- Fitting a message into a character limit.
- Writing page titles and meta descriptions of a sensible length.
- Preparing form fields, captions and product listings.
- Estimating the size of a text string in bytes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming every platform counts emoji and links the same way.
- Forgetting that spaces and line breaks count toward most limits.
- Writing to the exact limit. Leave a little room in case the platform counts differently.
Frequently asked questions
- Do spaces count as characters?
- Usually yes. Both counts are shown, so you can use the one your limit needs.
- How long should a meta description be?
- Around 155 to 160 characters is a common guideline, because longer text is often cut off. Search engines can rewrite it as well.
- Why is the byte count different from the character count?
- Text is stored as bytes. Plain English letters take one byte each, while accented letters, symbols and emoji take two to four.
- Is anything I type saved?
- No. It is processed in your browser only.
Learn more
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Results are for information only and are not financial, legal or medical advice. The calculation logic is covered by automated tests, and examples on this page are worked out and re-checked before publishing. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.