How to count characters
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- The character count updates as you type, along with words, lines and bytes.
- Check the bars underneath. Each one fills up as you get closer to that platform's limit and turns red once you go over.
Character limits worth knowing
| Where | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google title tag | About 60 | Measured in pixels, so wide letters like W use more room |
| Meta description | About 155 to 160 | Longer text gets cut with "..." |
| SMS | 160 | Drops to 70 if you use emoji or some accented letters |
| X (Twitter) | 280 | Links always count as 23 characters |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 | Only the first 125 or so show before "more" |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 | About 210 show before "see more" |
| YouTube title | 100 | Around 60 to 70 show in search results |
Writing tight copy
If you are a few characters over, look for the easy wins first. Swap "in order to" for "to". Cut "very" and "really". Use numbers instead of words, so "three" becomes "3". Replace "and" with an ampersand on social posts where the tone allows it. These small edits usually save 10 to 20 characters without changing your message.
For SEO titles and meta descriptions, put the most important words at the start. Even if Google cuts the end off on a small screen, the key part still shows.
Need word counts, reading time and keyword density? Try the word counter.