What is a Character Counter?
A character counter is a tool that instantly calculates the number of characters, words, sentences, and paragraphs in any text. It is used by writers, marketers, students, and developers to ensure content meets length requirements for social media platforms, SEO meta tags, emails, academic submissions, and advertising copy.
How to Use This Character Counter
- Type or paste your text into the input box above.
- Watch the stats grid update live as you type — no button needed.
- Use Copy Stats to grab a full report of all six metrics at once.
Character Limits for Popular Platforms
Different platforms enforce different length limits. Here are the most common ones to keep in mind when writing:
- Twitter/X post — 280 characters
- Instagram caption — 2,200 characters
- Meta ad headline — 40 characters
- Meta ad description — 125 characters
- Google Ads headline — 30 characters
- Google meta description — 160 characters
- SMS message — 160 characters
- LinkedIn post — 3,000 characters
- YouTube title — 100 characters
- YouTube description — 5,000 characters
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a character?
Every letter, number, space, punctuation mark, and symbol counts as one character. This tool counts both with and without spaces separately.
How many characters is a Twitter post?
Twitter/X allows up to 280 characters per post. URLs are always counted as 23 characters regardless of actual length.
Does this tool count spaces as characters?
Yes — the "Characters (with spaces)" count includes all spaces. Use "Characters (no spaces)" if your platform excludes spaces from its limit.
What is the character limit for a Google meta description?
Google displays up to 160 characters for desktop and around 120 for mobile. Keep your meta descriptions between 150–160 characters for optimal display.