Character counter with the limits that matter.

Paste a title, a description or a post and see its character count with and without spaces, plus the room left against common limits. For search snippets, characters are only an approximation, and the page explains why.

By · Updated September 25, 2026

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Character counter

Runs in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent anywhere.

0
Characters
0
Characters, no spaces
0
Words
0
Lines
0
Sentences
0
Paragraphs
0
Unique words
0
Read time
Where it goes Limit Left
Title tagabout; Google cuts on pixel width 60 60
Meta descriptionabout; Google cuts on pixel width 155 155
X poststandard account; links count as 23 280 280
LinkedIn post 3,000 3,000
LinkedIn headline 220 220

What you can do with it

  • Check a post fits before scheduling it on X or LinkedIn
  • Keep a title tag and meta description close to display length
  • Count characters with and without spaces for a brief or a form
  • Check a CMS field that enforces a character limit

How it works, step by step

  1. 1

    Paste exactly what will be published

    Include punctuation, line breaks and emoji. Each of them counts, and some platforms count them differently from what you would expect.

  2. 2

    Read the right count for the job

    Most limits count spaces. "Without spaces" is mainly for translation quotes and academic word limits that specify it.

  3. 3

    Check the limits table

    The table shows how many characters are left for each destination, in red when you are over.

  4. 4

    For search snippets, check pixels too

    Google cuts titles and descriptions by rendered width, not character count. Use the character figure as a first pass and the SERP preview for the real measurement.

Characters are a proxy for search snippets

Most advice about title tags and meta descriptions is given in characters because characters are easy to count. The real limit is width. Google cuts a desktop title at about 600 pixels, and an “i” takes about a quarter of the space of a “W”. Two titles with the same character count can differ by dozens of pixels.

So use two tools for two jobs. This counter answers “how long is it?” for platforms that really count characters: X, LinkedIn, CMS fields, ad platforms. The SERP preview answers “will it be cut in search?” by measuring the width.

The limits in the table

  • Title tag, about 60 and meta description, about 155. Marked as approximate because the real limit is pixels.
  • X post, 280. For standard accounts; links always count as 23.
  • LinkedIn post, 3,000 and LinkedIn headline, 220. Hard limits, enforced by the form.

Platforms change these numbers from time to time. If a limit matters for something expensive, confirm it in the platform’s own help pages before you rely on it.

When you need words, not characters

Articles, briefs and essays are measured in words. The word counter counts those, with reading time and a readability grade, and the reading level checker goes deeper into the readability side.

Frequently asked questions

Does the count include spaces?

The main count does, since almost every platform limit includes spaces. The second tile shows the count without spaces or line breaks.

How many characters should a title tag be?

Around 50 to 60 characters is a common guide, but Google truncates by pixel width, roughly 600 pixels on desktop. A title of narrow letters fits more characters than one full of capitals and Ws. Check the rendered width in the SERP preview rather than trusting any character number.

How long can a meta description be?

There is no limit on what you write, only on what is shown, and that is also measured in pixels. Around 150 to 160 characters usually displays in full on desktop. Google often writes its own snippet anyway, so put the most useful sentence first.

How does X count characters?

Standard accounts get 280 characters. Every link counts as 23 characters however long it is, and some characters, including many emoji and characters from Chinese, Japanese and Korean, count as two. So this counter can read slightly under what X will show for posts with those.

What are the LinkedIn limits?

A LinkedIn post allows up to 3,000 characters, and the profile headline 220. Only the first few lines of a post show before the "see more" cut, so the opening line matters more than the total.

Why can this count differ from other counters?

Some counters count UTF-16 code units, in which a single emoji can count as two. This one counts characters as you see them typed, so an emoji or an accented letter is one.

More free tools

Free Word Counter and Readability Checker Words, sentences, reading time and a Flesch grade. Plus why word count is a symptom, not a target. Free Headline Analyzer: Score Titles Before You Publish Score a headline on SERP width, length, numbers, form, power words, shouting and keyword position. A transparent heuristic, not a CTR forecast. Free Meta Description Generator With SERP Preview Meta descriptions that survive Google's rewriting: the length that displays, and five patterns that work.
Free growth plan for any domain Compare AltoRank against the alternatives More on SEO and GEO on the blog

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