X Character Counter
The 280 limit the way X actually enforces it: links always count 23, emoji and CJK count 2. Official twitter-text weighting, computed locally as you type.
How counting works (spec v1)
- Words are locale-aware word segments: punctuation and emoji are not words, numbers like 3.50 count as one, contractions (don't) count as one, hyphenated compounds (follow-up) count as two, and a URL or email address counts as one.
- Characters are what you perceive: a family emoji, a flag or an accented letter counts as 1. Code points, UTF-16 units and bytes are in Detailed statistics.
- Sentences use locale-aware boundaries with abbreviation handling, so Dr., e.g. and $3.50 do not split.
- Paragraphs are blocks separated by a blank line. Line counts are in Detailed statistics.
- Density uses the same words as the headline count, phrases never cross a sentence boundary, and filters change what is listed, never the percentages.
Reading time uses 238 words per minute, speaking time 130 words per minute.
Detailed statistics
*English-language estimate. For a full report use the Readability Checker.
X's own rules: every link counts as 23, emoji and CJK count as 2.
Hard limit 2,200 characters; only about the first 125 show before "more".
Guidance, not a limit: Google truncates by pixel width per device. Check the SERP preview.
No fixed limit exists; snippets are truncated to fit and often rewritten.
Keyword density checker
Density is each phrase's share of ALL words in the text (the same word count as the headline). Filters and the English stopword list only change which phrases are listed, never the percentages. Phrases never bridge two sentences.
Type or paste text above to see your top words and phrases.
Very long text: phrases are computed from the first 200,000 words.
The weighted 280, explained
X's limit stopped being "280 characters" in the plain sense years ago. The enforced rule is 280 weighted units: URLs are normalized to t.co links and charged a flat 23, characters in most Latin-based ranges cost 1, and characters outside them, including most emoji and CJK scripts, cost 2. That is why a Japanese post fits half as many characters as an English one, and why pasting a long Amazon link never costs more than 23. The exact rules live in X's open-source twitter-text library, which is what powers the meter above, so the number you see is the number the compose box enforces.
Practical implications: never trim a URL to "save characters", it saves nothing below 23; budget double for emoji; and if you thread, remember each post gets its own 280. Tracking parameters on your links are free too, so keep your UTM tags: they cost the same 23.
X character counter FAQ
How does X really count the 280 characters?
With a weighted system, not raw characters. Every link counts as exactly 23 regardless of its visible length, because X wraps URLs in its t.co shortener. Most Latin letters, digits and punctuation count 1. Most emoji and most CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) characters count 2. This meter implements those rules via the twitter-text library that X publishes, so the number here matches what the compose box will tell you.
Why does my post fit here but other counters say it is too long?
Generic counters use raw length, which overcounts every URL longer than 23 characters and undercounts emoji. Paste a post with one long link into a naive counter and it can claim you are 40 characters over when X will accept it fine. When the weighted length differs from the plain character count, this meter shows you both numbers.
Do images, GIFs and polls use up characters?
No. Attached media, quote posts and polls do not consume any of the 280. A reply's @mentions at the very start are also excluded from the limit. Only the text body, links included at their weighted 23, counts.
What is the best length for an X post?
Shorter than the limit. Engagement studies consistently favor posts in the 70 to 100 character range: they read in one glance and leave room for quoting. Use the meter to stay legal at 280, but treat around 100 as the target for reach.
Is my draft post uploaded anywhere?
No. The weighting runs locally in your browser with the same open-source rules X publishes; nothing you type here is transmitted.
More free tools: Word Counter · Character Counter · Instagram Caption Counter · Unicode Character Counter · UTM Link Builder