CalcReal

Character Counter

Count characters with platform-specific limits for Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and more. See remaining characters in real-time.

0 characters
Words: 0   Without spaces: 0   Lines: 0

How It Works

This character counter analyzes your text in real-time and shows the total character count alongside remaining characters for popular platforms. Each platform has its own character limit -- exceeding it means your post will be truncated or rejected. The color-coded indicators show green (plenty of room), yellow (getting close), and red (over the limit).

Related Tools

Platform character limits explained

Every social media platform, messaging service, and content management system has its own character limits. These limits shape how we communicate online and force writers to be concise. Understanding these limits before you write saves time and prevents the frustration of having to edit down a carefully crafted message.

Twitter/X (280 characters): Twitter famously started with a 140-character limit based on SMS constraints, then doubled it to 280 in 2017. Despite the increase, brevity remains Twitter's hallmark. URLs consume 23 characters regardless of actual length due to t.co shortening. Images, videos, and polls do not count toward the limit. Threads allow you to chain multiple tweets together for longer content.

Instagram (2,200 characters for captions): Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 characters show before the "more" truncation. Hashtags count toward the limit. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post and 10 per Story. Bio is limited to 150 characters, and usernames to 30 characters.

YouTube (5,000 characters for descriptions): YouTube video descriptions can be up to 5,000 characters, and titles are limited to 100 characters. Comments max out at 10,000 characters. The first 150-200 characters of a description are the most important because they appear in search results and above the "Show more" fold.

LinkedIn (3,000 characters for posts): LinkedIn posts allow up to 3,000 characters, while articles (published via the article feature) have a much higher limit. Comments are limited to 1,250 characters. The headline field on your profile is 220 characters, and the About section allows 2,600 characters.

Facebook (63,206 characters for posts): Facebook has one of the most generous limits at 63,206 characters for status updates, though posts over about 400 characters get truncated with a "See more" link. Comments are limited to 8,000 characters. Ads have much stricter limits: 125 characters for primary text and 40 for headlines.

Complete platform character limit reference

PlatformContent TypeCharacter Limit
Twitter/XTweet280
InstagramCaption2,200
InstagramBio150
YouTubeTitle100
YouTubeDescription5,000
LinkedInPost3,000
FacebookPost63,206
TikTokCaption2,200
SMSText message160
Google AdsHeadline30

Frequently asked questions

What is Twitter's character limit?+

Twitter's character limit is 280 characters per tweet. URLs are counted as 23 characters regardless of their actual length. Images and videos do not count toward the limit.

What is Instagram's caption character limit?+

Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters, including hashtags. Only the first 125 characters display before the "more" link.

Do spaces count as characters?+

Yes, spaces count as characters on all major platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This tool shows both counts so you can see the difference.

How many characters is an SMS text message?+

A standard SMS message is limited to 160 characters. Messages longer than 160 characters are split into multiple segments, which may cost extra depending on your plan.

What is the best character count for SEO titles?+

Google typically displays 50-60 characters of a title tag. Meta descriptions show about 150-160 characters. Keeping your SEO title under 60 characters ensures it displays fully in search results.