How to use Character Counter
- 1Type or paste your text into the box.
- 2Read the counts: characters, characters without spaces, words, lines, letters, digits, spaces, punctuation, emoji and bytes.
- 3Check the limit bars. Each shows used and allowed characters and turns red when you go over.
- 4Enter a custom limit for any other field, such as a form or app store description.
Counting characters the way platforms do
Characters are counted as people see them, so an emoji with a skin tone or a flag counts as one, not as four or more hidden code units. For developers, the tool also shows UTF-16 code units (what JavaScript's length returns) and UTF-8 bytes, which matter for databases and APIs with byte limits.
The X (Twitter) bar uses X's weighted count: every link counts as 23 characters, and emoji and Chinese, Japanese or Korean characters count as 2. It is a close approximation of what the X composer shows.
SMS length and segments
A standard SMS holds 160 characters, but only when every character is in the basic GSM alphabet. One emoji or curly quote switches the whole message to Unicode, which allows only 70 characters. Longer messages are split into parts of 153 (GSM) or 67 (Unicode) characters and may be billed per part. The SMS tile shows which encoding your text needs and how many parts it will use.
SEO limits
Google shortens titles and descriptions by pixel width, not a fixed count. As a practical guide keep meta titles around 50 to 60 characters and meta descriptions around 150 to 160. Put the important words first in case they are cut. Your text is processed only in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
What is the character limit on X (Twitter)?
280 for standard accounts. Links count as 23 characters and emoji count as 2, which this tool includes in its X count.
How long should a meta description be?
Around 150 to 160 characters. Google may show more or less depending on the device and the pixel width of the text.
Do spaces count as characters?
Yes, on almost every platform. The tool shows counts both with and without spaces.
Why does my SMS say 70 characters instead of 160?
Your text contains a character outside the GSM alphabet, such as an emoji or a curly quote, so the message must be sent as Unicode.
What is the Instagram caption limit?
2,200 characters for a caption and 150 for a bio.