X (Twitter) character counter
A post on X can be up to 280 characters on a free account. Paste your text below to count characters and words as you type, and see exactly how much room you have left before you hit the limit.
How the character counter works
X gives every post a limit of 280 characters on a free account. This tool counts your text the moment you type it, so you always know where you stand. The progress bar fills as you write and turns red when you go over. A few things are worth knowing about the way X counts characters:
- Letters, numbers, spaces, punctuation, and most emoji each count as one character.
- Links always count as 23 characters, even very long ones, because X replaces every URL with a short t.co wrapper. Budget 23 characters for each link rather than its full length.
- Characters from languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean count as two each, so a post in those languages fits fewer visible characters.
The counter above measures the characters you can see, which is the right number for most posts written in English and other Latin script languages.
When to split into a thread instead
If your idea keeps pushing past 280 characters, that is usually a sign to break it into a thread rather than cram it into one post. Our thread splitter turns a long draft into a clean series of posts that each fit the limit.
Frequently asked questions
- How many characters can a tweet have?
- A standard post on X can be up to 280 characters. This count includes letters, spaces, punctuation, and emoji.
- Do links count toward the character limit?
- Yes, but every link counts as 23 characters no matter how long the URL is, because X wraps every link with its own t.co shortener.
- How are emoji and other languages counted?
- Most emoji and Latin characters count as one. Characters from languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean count as two each, so a post in those languages fits fewer visible characters.
- How many characters can X Premium users post?
- X Premium subscribers can write much longer posts of up to 25,000 characters. The first 280 are what most people see in the timeline before they tap to expand.
- What is the ideal tweet length?
- There is no fixed rule, but posts that leave a little room rather than filling all 280 characters tend to read more easily and get skimmed less. If an idea needs more space, a thread usually works better.
- Does this character counter store my text?
- No. The counter runs entirely in your browser. Your text is never sent to a server or saved anywhere.
Want more than a one off tool? Xpert drafts posts in your voice, schedules them at your best times, and keeps score with you.
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