Character Counter
Count characters with and without spaces — great for tweets and metas.
- Reading time:
- 2 min
- Last updated:
- Price:
- Free, no signup
Type or paste text to see the result.
What the Character Counter does
This counter tells you exactly how many characters your text contains, with and without spaces. It's built for places where every character counts: X posts, SMS messages, meta descriptions, app store subtitles and ad headlines.
Emoji and accented letters are counted as you see them, so '👍' counts as one character rather than the two hidden code units some tools report.
Why the Character Counter is useful
Platforms cut text off without warning. A Google ad headline stops at 30 characters, an SMS splits after 160, and a meta description is often truncated around 155–160 on desktop.
Seeing the count while you write lets you choose a shorter word instead of losing the end of your sentence.
Also known as: character counter, letter counter, char count, free character counter, online character counter, character counter online free, character counter tool.
How to use the Character Counter
- 1
Type or paste the text
Add the caption, headline or message you're writing.
- 2
Compare against the limit
Check 'with spaces' for most platforms; some forms count characters without spaces.
- 3
Trim and recheck
Swap long words for short ones until it fits.
Key features
- Counts with and without spaces
- Emoji counted as single visible characters
- Line and word counts alongside
- Updates on every keystroke
Benefits
- Posts and ads that aren't cut off
- SMS that stay in one message
- Faster editing of tight copy
Real-life use cases
Google Ads headlines
A marketer writes three headline variants and keeps each under the 30-character limit before uploading.
Bulk SMS reminder
A clinic shortens its appointment reminder to 155 characters so each patient receives one message, not two.
Tips for the best results
- An SMS with an emoji switches encoding and the limit drops to 70 characters.
- Put the key words first in case a platform truncates early on mobile.
- Count the final version including links, which use many characters.
Conclusion
Whenever a box has a hard limit, paste your text here first. You'll know the exact count and can trim before the platform does it for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the character limit on X (Twitter)?
- 280 characters for standard accounts. Links count as 23 characters regardless of their real length.
Do spaces count as characters?
- On almost every platform, yes. The 'without spaces' figure is for forms and assignments that ask for it.
How long can an SMS be?
- 160 characters in standard encoding, or 70 if it contains emoji or certain non-Latin letters.
How long should a meta description be?
- Around 140–160 characters. Google may cut longer ones, especially on mobile.
Why does another site count my emoji as 2?
- Some tools count hidden code units. This one counts what you actually see.
Are line breaks counted?
- Yes, each line break is one character, the same as most platforms count it.
Related tools you may need
- Character Frequency Analyzer — See how often every character appears.
- Letter Frequency Counter — A–Z frequency table for any text.
- Line Counter — Count total, non-empty and unique lines in any text.
- Paragraph Counter — Count paragraphs separated by blank lines.
- Punctuation Counter — Count commas, full stops and every other mark.
- Syllable Counter — Estimate the total syllables in your text.
- Sentence Counter — Count sentences in your writing with punctuation-aware detection.
- Word Counter — Count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs instantly.
- PDF Page Counter — Count pages in any PDF without uploading it.
Keep exploring
Browse the full tools directory, filter by category, or read guides on the Text Tools Hub blog.