Character Counter
Count characters for platform limits.
The Character Counter gives you a precise character count for any text, with real-time updating as you type. Toggle between counting with or without spaces, and check your text against common platform character limits: Twitter/X (280), SMS (160), Instagram bio (150), meta descriptions (155–160), and Google Ads headlines (30). Whether you're crafting the perfect tweet, writing SEO metadata, composing an SMS campaign, or filling out a form with a character limit, this tool ensures you stay within bounds.
Character Counter
Platform Limits
Examples
Twitter Post Length Check
Count characters in a tweet to stay within the 280-character limit.
→ 45/280 characters — 235 remaining
Meta Description Check
Check an SEO meta description against the 160-character limit.
→ 62/160 characters — within optimal 155-160 range
SMS Campaign Message
Check a marketing SMS message against the 160-character limit.
→ 93/160 characters — fits in a single SMS
Tips
- ✓Google meta descriptions: 155–160 characters optimal (displayed in search results).
- ✓Google title tags: 50–60 characters (longer titles get truncated in search results).
- ✓Twitter/X: 280 characters — links count as 23 characters regardless of URL length.
- ✓For SMS: non-Latin characters (emoji, CJK) reduce the per-segment limit from 160 to 70.
- ✓Instagram bio: 150 characters | Instagram caption: 2,200 characters (but ~125 shown before "more").
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it count spaces as characters?
The tool shows both counts: total characters (including spaces) and characters without spaces. Most platform limits count spaces as characters.
What are the Twitter/X character limits?
Twitter/X allows 280 characters per tweet. Links are shortened to t.co URLs and always count as 23 characters regardless of the original URL length. Images, videos, and GIFs do not count against the character limit.
What is the SMS character limit?
Standard SMS uses 160 characters with GSM-7 encoding. Messages over 160 characters are split into segments of 153 characters each (7 characters used for linking segments). Non-Latin text (Arabic, CJK, emoji) uses Unicode (UCS-2) encoding, reducing limit to 70 characters per segment.
What is the ideal meta description length?
Google typically displays 155–160 characters for meta descriptions on desktop. Longer descriptions get truncated with "...". For mobile, the limit can be shorter (~120 characters). Keep your key message in the first 120 characters to be safe.
Does an emoji count as one character?
In most contexts, a basic emoji (e.g., 😊) counts as 2 characters in Unicode encoding, because emojis use code points outside the Basic Multilingual Plane. On Twitter, most standard emojis count as 2 characters toward the 280 limit.
What are Google Ads character limits?
Google Ads Responsive Search Ads: Headlines up to 30 characters (up to 15 headlines). Descriptions up to 90 characters (up to 4 descriptions). Display path: up to 15 characters each (2 paths).