An X character counter that counts your post the way X does, with LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and YouTube limits beside it, and turns a long post into a thread.
280characters left · 0 of 280 weighted
Weighted, the way X counts: every link is 23, and emoji and Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters are 2.
0 characters · 0 words · 0 sentences · 0 min read
This free X character counter counts your post exactly the way X does. A link is always 23 and an emoji is 2, so a post that looks like 250 characters can already be over the limit.
It runs on X's own counting rules, from the open source library X points developers to, so the number you see is the number X sees. It also shows LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky and YouTube at the same time, and turns anything too long into a thread.
Here's how X counts, every platform's limit in 1 place, and how to fit more into a post.
How X counts characters
X gives every character a weight and allows 280 per post. Most characters weigh 1.
Emoji and Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters weigh 2. Links are swapped for a short t.co link, which always counts as 23.
| What you type | What X counts |
|---|---|
| Letters, numbers, punctuation and spaces | 1 each |
| Emoji, including skin tones, flags and family emoji | 2 each |
| Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters | 2 each |
| Any link, of any length | 23 |
X also normalizes text before counting it, so an accented letter counts as 1 whether your keyboard typed it as 1 character or 2. All of this comes from X's own page on counting characters.
The counter above runs these same rules in your browser, so nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Why X says your post is too long
These are the usual reasons, in the order I run into them:
- A short link: every link counts as 23, so a 10-character link costs you 13 more than you expected.
- A bare domain: writing navid.me without https:// still counts as 23, because X turns it into a link.
- Emoji: 10 emoji take up 20 characters.
- Chinese, Japanese or Korean text: each character counts as 2, so the real limit is 140 characters.
The red highlight in the box shows the exact words that go over, so you know what to cut.
Character limits on every platform
| Platform | Limit | How it counts |
|---|---|---|
 X | 280 | Weighted: links 23, emoji 2 |
| X Premium | 25,000 | Weighted, the same rules |
| X bio | 160 | Characters |
| X Article (Premium) | 100,000 | Characters |
 LinkedIn post | 3,000 | Characters |
 Threads post | 500 | Characters |
 Bluesky post | 300 | Characters as you see them |
 Mastodon post | 500 by default | Characters, links 23 |
 Instagram caption | 2,200 | Characters, up to 30 hashtags |
 TikTok caption | 2,200 | UTF-16 units, emoji 2 |
 Pinterest title | 100 | Characters |
| Pinterest description | 800 | Characters |
 YouTube title | 100 | Characters |
| YouTube description | 5,000 | Characters |
Each limit comes from the platform's own page: X, X Premium, X bio, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube for titles and descriptions.
On every platform except X and Mastodon, the counter counts each character you see, links included. An emoji with a skin tone counts as 1.
Mastodon counts a link written with https:// as 23, like X, but a bare domain like navid.me counts letter by letter. 500 is its default, and each server can set its own.
That's why the same post can fit on X and not on Bluesky, or the other way around. Write it once and see where it fits.
Facebook and Substack Notes aren't here yet: neither publishes a limit on its own pages, and this counter only uses numbers the platforms state themselves.
Long posts with X Premium
X Premium raises the limit to 25,000 characters. One catch from X's help: only a mention in the first 280 characters notifies that account, so tag people early.
X Articles, also for Premium only, run far longer. X's Articles help doesn't print a length, so this counter uses 100,000 characters.
How to turn a long post into a thread
Once your post passes 280, the counter splits it into a thread under the box. It breaks at the end of a sentence, never in the middle of one, and adds 1/5 style numbers that count toward each post's limit.
A thread reads better when post 1 makes the promise, each post carries 1 idea, and the last one says where to go next.
A good thread also makes a good carousel: paste its links into my post image generator and it turns them into slides for LinkedIn and Instagram. To schedule the thread, I use the tools on my creator tools page.
How to fit more into 280 characters
When you're a few characters over, these cuts work without changing what you say:
- Cut filler words like really, very, just and actually.
- Write numbers as digits: 3 instead of three.
- Join 2 short sentences with a comma or a colon.
- Keep an emoji only when it carries meaning, since each one costs 2.
- Move a link to a reply when the post works without it. It saves 23.
Or send the draft to your AI with the buttons under the box. The request asks it to keep your voice and your main point and to fit the limit, and it runs in your own account.
Ready to post it?
Posting through X's own API is paid per post: $0.015, or $0.20 for a post with a link, on top of rate limits (X's pricing). For day-to-day posting, a scheduler is the simpler route.
Or post from your AI with my open source MCP servers and CLIs
X Character Counter FAQs
Questions about counting characters on X and the other platforms? Here's what to know.
X counts weighted characters, not keystrokes. Every link counts as 23, and emoji and Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters count as 2, so a post that looks like 260 characters can weigh more than 280.
This counter uses X's own counting library, so the number here matches the number X shows.
A link counts as 23 characters on X, whatever its length. X swaps every link for its t.co short link, so a long link costs nothing extra and a short one saves nothing.
A domain written without https:// counts too, because X turns it into a link.
No, almost every emoji counts as 2 characters on X, including emoji built from several parts, like a family or a skin tone.
On the other platforms, this counter counts each emoji as 1, the way you see it.
X allows 280 characters, or 25,000 with X Premium. A LinkedIn post allows 3,000, an Instagram or TikTok caption 2,200, and a Threads post 500.
Each number comes from the platform's own help page or specification, linked in the table above.
A post can be up to 25,000 characters with X Premium, according to X's Premium help page. Anyone can read a long post, but only Premium subscribers can write one.
To turn a long post into a thread, paste it into the counter. Once it passes 280, a thread appears under the box, split at the ends of sentences, with 1/5 style numbers that stay inside each post's limit.
Copy the posts 1 by 1, or copy the thread at once.
No, nothing you type leaves your browser: the counting runs on your device, not a server. Your draft is kept in this browser only, so it's still there if you reload, and Clear removes it.
The AI buttons are the only exception: they open the AI app you pick with your draft in it.
The X character counter is for anyone who writes for X and posts the same idea on other platforms: creators, founders, marketers and social media managers who want to see in 1 place where a post fits.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
More free tools
Apple Books
Amazon
Free AI newsletterThe most actionable AI newsletter for founders
Every week, get proven AI strategies, curated tools, and step-by-step systems to grow your audience, create better content, and build a profitable creator business.
No fluff, no filler, no BS. Just five minutes each week that might level up your online business and life.
P.S. Sign up now to get free access to my ultimate AI tools guide for creators.
