Character Counter
Count characters, letters, digits, lines, and UTF-8 bytes, with remaining-character checks for SMS, X posts, and meta descriptions.
Processed locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Character Counter
0 characters
Counts
- Characters
- 0
- Without spaces
- 0
- Letters
- 0
- Digits
- 0
- Lines
- 0
- Bytes (UTF-8)
- 0
Common limits
| Platform | Limit | Remaining |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | 160 | 160 |
| X / Twitter post | 280 | 280 |
| Meta description | 160 | 160 |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 | 2,200 |
Limits count characters, not bytes. Some platforms count links or emoji differently.
About Character Counter
A precise character count plus the breakdown that matters when a platform pushes back: letters, digits, lines, and actual UTF-8 bytes. The limits table shows how many characters you have left for an SMS, an X post, a meta description, or an Instagram caption — and flags when you're over.
Common uses
- Trim a meta description to fit search results
- Check whether a message fits in one SMS segment
- See how many bytes emoji and accents really cost
Limitations
- Platform limits change and some count links, emoji, or non-Latin characters differently — treat the table as a guide
Frequently asked questions
Does this character counter upload what I type?
No. Every count is computed locally in your browser and nothing is transmitted or saved, so drafts of posts, ads, or messages stay on your device.
Why is the byte count higher than the character count?
UTF-8 encodes ASCII letters in 1 byte but accented characters in 2, most CJK characters in 3, and emoji in 4 or more. A tweet full of emoji can use several times more bytes than characters, which matters for APIs and databases with byte limits.
How many characters fit in one SMS?
160 characters when the message uses the basic GSM-7 alphabet. Adding an emoji or many accented characters switches the whole message to Unicode encoding, which cuts a single segment to 70 characters — the table here assumes the standard 160.
Do emoji count as one character?
Usually, but not always. This tool counts Unicode code points, so a simple emoji is one character, while sequences built from invisible joiners — family emoji, some flags, skin tones — count as several. Platforms apply their own rules, so counts near a limit deserve a margin.