Free X (Twitter) Character Counter

Type or paste your post and see how many of X's 280 characters it uses, counted the way X counts them. Links, emoji and all.

280 characters left

0 / 280 characters used

Words: 0
Links: 0
Emoji: 0

X counts every link as 23 characters and every emoji as 2.

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How to count characters for X

1
Choose what you're writing: a post, a Premium post, a bio or a DM.
2
Type or paste your text.
3
Watch the count. Anything past the limit shows in red.
4
Copy the text, or open it in Posttyy to schedule it.

X (Twitter) character limits in 2026

How much X lets you write in each place.

Where	Limit
Post	280 characters
Post with X Premium	25,000 characters
Bio	160 characters
Direct message	10,000 characters
Display name	50 characters
Username	15 characters

Why your count and X's count differ

X doesn't count characters one by one. A post that looks short can still be too long.

Every link is 23 characters

X shortens every link to a t.co address, which is 23 characters long. So a long link costs 23, and a short one like posttyy.com costs 23 too. The counter spots links with or without https:// and counts each one as X does.

Emoji and some scripts count double

Every emoji counts as 2, even one made from several pieces, like a family or a flag. Letters in Chinese, Japanese and Korean also count as 2 each. Most other letters, numbers and punctuation count as 1.

Shorter posts do better

The limit is the most you can write, not a target. Posts people can read at a glance tend to get more replies. If you have more to say, split it with the free X thread maker, and schedule your posts with Posttyy so they go out when your followers are online.

Questions, answered

How many characters can an X post have?

280. With X Premium you can write up to 25,000, but people see only the first 280 in the timeline before "Show more".

Why doesn't my count match X's?

Because X counts some things differently. Every link is 23 characters, whatever its length. Every emoji is 2. Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters are 2 each. The counter follows the same rules.

Do spaces and line breaks count?

Yes. Every space and every line break counts as one character.

Do @mentions and hashtags count?

Yes. They count like any other text, including the @ and the #.

How long can an X bio be?

160 characters. Choose Bio above the text box to count against that limit. Need ideas? Try the free X bio generator.

Is my text sent anywhere?

No. The counter works in your browser, so your text stays on your computer.

Is the X character counter free?

Yes. It is free, with no login and no limit.