About Character Counter
A character counter shows how many characters your text has, and this one updates as you type. It is free, needs no sign-up and runs in your browser, so a draft caption, bio or message never leaves your device.
Pick a platform from the Platform limit list and a bar shows how many characters you have used and how many are left. The list covers X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, Discord, Pinterest, WhatsApp, SMS, Google Ads and the two SEO lengths for a title tag and a meta description.
Beside the count you get words, lines, sentences, reading time, UTF-8 bytes and code points. Characters are counted as a reader sees them, so an emoji or a Bangla conjunct letter counts as one. X and SMS follow their own rules, and the tool applies them when you choose those limits.
How to use Character Counter
- Type or paste your text into the box. The Characters tile updates on every keystroke.
- Open Platform limit and choose where the text is going. A bar shows used, left and over.
- Read Characters for the count with spaces and No spaces for the count without spaces, tabs and line breaks.
- For a text message, read the SMS line under the box: it shows the encoding, the units and the number of segments.
- Trim the text until the bar is no longer red. Your text is kept in this browser, so you can come back to it.
Features
- Characters with spaces and without, words, lines, sentences and reading time.
- A limit bar with used, left and over, for 18 platform and SEO limits.
- X mode: every link counts as 23 and each emoji or CJK character counts as 2, as X weights a post.
- SMS mode: shows GSM-7 or UCS-2 encoding, the units used and how many segments the message needs.
- Counts user-perceived characters, so an emoji, a flag or a Bangla conjunct letter counts once.
- Also shows UTF-8 bytes and Unicode code points, for developers and database limits.
- Marks SEO lengths as recommended rather than hard limits.
- Your text is saved in this browser only.
Platform limits in this counter
| Platform | Limit | Type | Counting rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| X (Twitter) post | 280 | Hard | Links count 23, emoji and CJK count 2 |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| Instagram bio | 150 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| Facebook post | 63,206 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| LinkedIn headline | 220 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| YouTube title | 100 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| YouTube description | 5,000 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| TikTok caption | 4,000 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| SMS | 160 | Hard | GSM-7 units or UCS-2 units, split into segments |
| Meta description | 160 | Recommended | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| Title tag | 60 | Recommended | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| Google Ads headline | 30 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| Discord message | 2,000 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| Threads post | 500 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| Bluesky post | 300 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| Pinterest description | 500 | Hard | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
| WhatsApp message | 4,096 | Recommended | Every character as you see it, emoji counted once |
Good to know
What counts as a character
The main count is of user-perceived characters, also called graphemes. A letter with an accent, an emoji with a skin tone, a flag and a Bangla letter joined to another each count once, because that is how a person would count them.
Computers store text in other units, which is why the tool also shows code points and UTF-8 bytes. The text "Café ☕ 😀" is 8 characters on screen, but it is 9 UTF-16 units and 14 UTF-8 bytes. A database column or an API may count the bigger numbers, so check which one a limit uses.
Spaces and line breaks count in the Characters tile. The No spaces tile drops every space, tab and line break.
How X and SMS count differently
X weights a post. Each link counts as 23 characters whatever its length, and emoji and CJK characters count as 2, so a short post in Japanese reaches 280 sooner than the visible length suggests. Choose X (Twitter) post in the list and the bar uses that weighting.
A text message is limited by its encoding. Plain GSM-7 text fits 160 characters in one message, or 153 per part when it is split. One character outside the GSM-7 set, such as an emoji or a Bangla letter, switches the whole message to UCS-2, which fits 70 characters, or 67 per part. The SMS line shows which one you are in. A few GSM-7 symbols, such as the euro sign and square brackets, take two units.
Privacy: how it works
- Counting happens in your browser tab. Your text is not sent to Ulkaa or any other server.
- The text box is saved to your browser local storage so a refresh does not lose it. That copy stays on your device. Press Clear, or clear site data, to remove it.
Tips
- Leave a small margin under a hard limit. A platform may count an emoji or a link a little differently from this tool.
- Put the important words first. Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook all fold long posts behind a "see more" link.
- For SEO titles and descriptions the limit is about width on screen, not characters, so treat the number as a guide.
- Check a limit on the platform itself when you are close. Limits change, as TikTok showed when it raised its caption limit.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no price, no trial and no credit card. Ulkaa Tool does the work with your own device, so there is no server bill to pass on to you.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no login. Open the page and use it. An Ulkaa account is not needed for anything on this tool.
Does it run in my browser?
Yes. Your text are processed by code running in your browser tab, on your own device.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Your text are never sent to Ulkaa or to anyone else. You can check this yourself by watching the Network tab in your browser developer tools while you use the tool.
Do spaces count as characters?
Yes. Most platforms count spaces and line breaks. The Characters tile includes them, and the No spaces tile shows the count without them, for the few places that exclude them.
How many characters is a tweet?
A standard post on X is limited to 280 characters, counted with X weighting: links count 23 and emoji and CJK characters count 2. Some paid accounts can write longer posts.
How many characters is one SMS?
One message holds 160 characters in GSM-7 or 70 in UCS-2. When a message is split, each part holds 153 or 67 because some space goes to joining the parts. Any emoji or non-Latin letter forces UCS-2.
Why does an emoji count as 2 on X but 1 elsewhere?
X gives emoji a weight of 2. Most other platforms, and the plain count here, treat an emoji as one character. Choose the X limit in the list to see the X weighting.
How do I count characters in Word or Google Docs?
Both have a word count window, Tools in Google Docs or Review in Word, that shows characters with and without spaces. This page does the same without opening a document: paste the text in.
Is the character count the same as the byte count?
Not always. Plain English letters take one byte each in UTF-8, but accented letters, Bangla, CJK and emoji take two to four. The Bytes tile shows the UTF-8 size.
Are the platform limits up to date?
They are checked when the page is written, but platforms change them. If your post is near the limit, confirm the current number on the platform.
Popular Character Counter pages
- X (Twitter) Character CounterCheck your post against the 280 character limit, counted the way X counts it.
- Instagram Caption Character CounterCheck your caption against the 2,200 character limit.
- Instagram Bio Character CounterFit your bio into 150 characters.
- Facebook Post Character CounterSee how your post compares with the 63,206 character limit.
- LinkedIn Post Character CounterCheck your post against the 3,000 character limit.
- LinkedIn Headline Character CounterFit your headline into 220 characters.
- YouTube Title Character CounterCheck your title against the 100 character limit.
- YouTube Description Character CounterCheck your description against the 5,000 character limit.
- TikTok Caption Character CounterCheck your caption against the 4,000 character limit.
- SMS Character CounterSee how many SMS segments your message needs, and whether it is GSM-7 or Unicode.
- Meta Description Length CheckerCount the characters in your meta description and keep it near the length Google shows.
- Title Tag Length CheckerCount the characters in your title tag and keep it near the length Google shows.
- Google Ads Headline Character CounterFit each headline into 30 characters.
- Discord Message Character CounterCheck your message against the 2,000 character limit.
- Threads Character CounterCheck your post against the 500 character limit.
- Bluesky Character CounterCheck your post against the 300 character limit.
- Pinterest Description Character CounterCheck your pin description against the 500 character limit.
- WhatsApp Message Character CounterSee how your message compares with 4,096 characters.