What counts as a character
Every letter, digit, punctuation mark, space, tab and line break is one character. Emoji are the exception worth knowing about: many are made of multiple Unicode code points joined together, so a single visible emoji can count as two, four or even seven characters on some platforms.
This counter uses grapheme-aware counting where the browser supports it, so an emoji counts as the one character you see. Platforms differ — X counts most emoji as two, and SMS drops to a 70-character limit the moment any non-GSM character appears.
Character limits worth knowing
| Platform | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| X / Twitter post | 280 | URLs count as 23 regardless of length |
| SMS single message | 160 | Drops to 70 if any non-GSM character is used |
| Meta title tag | ~60 | Google truncates by pixel width, not character count |
| Meta description | ~155 | 160 on desktop, ~120 on mobile |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 | Only the first ~125 show before "more" |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 | First ~140 visible in feed |
| YouTube title | 100 | ~70 visible in search results |
| YouTube description | 5,000 | First 157 appear in search |
| Facebook post | 63,206 | Truncated after ~477 in feed |
| Google Ads headline | 30 | Three headlines per responsive ad |
Frequently asked questions
Do spaces count as characters?
Yes, on nearly every platform. X, SMS, meta descriptions and form fields all include spaces. The counter shows both figures so you can use whichever applies.
How do emoji affect character count?
It depends on the platform. Many emoji are several Unicode code points combined — a family emoji can be seven. X counts most emoji as two characters, and a single emoji in an SMS cuts the limit from 160 to 70.
Test on the actual platform when you are close to a limit.
Why does my meta description get cut off before 155 characters?
Google truncates by pixel width, not character count. Wide characters like W and M consume more space than i and l, so a description of capital-heavy text truncates earlier.
Aim for 120 to 155 characters and put the important part first.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Counting runs entirely in your browser. The text is never transmitted, logged or stored.