Twitter / X Character Counter Count characters for Twitter/X posts with a 280 limit, including URL and media handling.

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Twitter Character Counter

Count characters for Twitter/X posts with a 280 limit, including URL and media handling.

Type or paste your tweet

Enter your tweet text into the input area. The counter updates in real time.

Check character count

Watch the circular progress indicator and remaining character count. URLs are counted as 23 characters regardless of length.

Review breakdown

See counts for hashtags, mentions, and URLs to optimize your tweet for engagement.

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What Is Twitter Character Counter?

The Twitter Character Counter is a real-time tool that helps you compose tweets that fit within Twitter/X's 280-character limit. Unlike a simple text counter, this tool understands how Twitter actually counts characters. URLs of any length are counted as exactly 23 characters because Twitter uses its t.co URL shortener. Emojis count as 2 characters, and CJK characters also consume 2 character positions. The tool provides a visual circular progress indicator so you can see at a glance how much space you have left. It also breaks down your tweet into components — showing the number of hashtags, @mentions, and URLs detected — helping you balance content with metadata. Social media managers, content creators, and marketers use this tool daily to craft tweets that maximize their message within Twitter's strict character constraints. Whether you're drafting a quick thought or a carefully crafted promotional tweet, knowing your exact character count before posting prevents embarrassing truncation.

Why Use Twitter Character Counter?

Real-time character counting with a visual progress ring for instant feedback
Accurate URL length calculation — URLs always count as 23 characters on Twitter
Automatic detection and counting of hashtags and @mentions
Warning indicators when you approach or exceed the 280-character limit
Completely free and runs in your browser — no login or data sent to servers
Mobile-friendly design for composing tweets on the go

Common Use Cases

Social Media Management

Draft and verify tweet lengths before posting to ensure messages aren't cut off.

Thread Planning

Plan multi-tweet threads by seeing exactly how many characters each post uses.

Ad Copy Testing

Write Twitter ad copy that fits within promoted tweet character limits.

Content Repurposing

Condense blog post summaries and article headlines to fit tweet format.

Technical Guide

Twitter's character counting system uses the Unicode NFC normalization form and counts code points rather than bytes. Standard ASCII characters count as 1, while most emojis and CJK characters count as 2. All URLs are wrapped with Twitter's t.co shortener and counted as exactly 23 characters regardless of original length — this applies to both HTTP and HTTPS URLs. Media attachments (images, videos, GIFs) do not count against the character limit. The 280-character limit was doubled from the original 140 in November 2017. Twitter Blue (now X Premium) subscribers still have the same base limit for standard tweets, though they can compose longer posts. When composing threads, each individual tweet must respect the 280-character limit independently. Hashtags and @mentions count normally against the limit. Our tool uses regex-based URL detection to identify links and applies the 23-character rule automatically. For the most accurate results, compose your final tweet directly in the tool and verify the count before copying to Twitter.

Tips & Best Practices

1
Use the visual progress ring to gauge remaining space at a glance
2
Remember that URLs always count as 23 characters — don't waste time shortening them manually
3
Keep 1-2 hashtags maximum for best engagement on Twitter
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Leave room for retweet quotes by keeping tweets under 250 characters
5
Test your tweet on mobile preview sizes — the first 140 characters matter most

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q How many characters can a tweet be?

Standard tweets have a 280-character limit. X Premium subscribers can post longer content, but standard tweets remain at 280.

Q How does Twitter count URLs?

All URLs in tweets are wrapped with Twitter's t.co shortener and count as exactly 23 characters, regardless of the original URL length.

Q Do images count against the character limit?

No, media attachments (images, videos, GIFs, polls) do not count against the 280-character limit.

Q How are emojis counted on Twitter?

Most emojis count as 2 characters on Twitter because they use multiple Unicode code points.

Q Does the tool work for X (formerly Twitter)?

Yes, X uses the same 280-character limit and URL counting rules as the original Twitter platform.

About This Tool

Twitter Character Counter is a free online tool by FreeToolkit.ai. All processing happens directly in your browser — your data never leaves your device. No registration or installation required.