Twitter / X Character Counter
Grapheme-based writing guide for standard 280-character X posts.
Write your post and watch a grapheme-based character count update live, with a clear indicator of how many characters remain before X's 280-character limit. Go over and the counter turns red. It is a writing guide, not a replica of X's own count — X weights some characters as two and rewrites every URL to 23 characters.
Everything runs in your browser — your draft is never uploaded to or stored on our servers.
X / Twitter
Post
0/280
Limits reviewed 2026-06-09. Counts use each platform's own basis (graphemes or UTF-16); some platforms weigh certain characters differently. These are unofficial character previews and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the platforms shown.
Private by design.Your text is processed entirely in your browser — it is never uploaded to or stored on our servers. Some tools autosave your latest input in this browser so a refresh doesn't lose it.
How X counts characters
Standard accounts can post up to 280 characters. X counts most characters as one, but some count as two — many emoji and characters in scripts such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are weighted as two. Links are a special case: every URL is shortened to a t.co link and counts as 23 characters no matter how long the original is.
VerbCount shows a grapheme-accurate character count, so emoji are counted the way you see them. That is deliberately not the same rule X applies: because of X's per-character weighting and URL substitution, this counter is a writing guide rather than a replica of X's own count. Confirm on X if you're posting right at the limit with links, emoji or CJK text.
Tips for writing within the limit
Lead with the point — the first line is what people see in a busy timeline. Cut filler words, replace long phrases with shorter ones, and move secondary details to a reply. If your idea genuinely needs more room, a short thread usually reads better than cramming everything into one dense post.
Hashtags and @mentions count toward the limit too, so use them deliberately. One or two relevant hashtags almost always outperform a wall of them.
Examples
| Example | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Short post | Shipping a new feature today 🚀 | 30 / 280 |
| Near the limit | A 270-character announcement… | 270 / 280 — 10 left |
| Over the limit | A 300-character draft | 300 / 280 — 20 over |
Frequently asked questions
What is the character limit on X?
Standard accounts can post up to 280 characters. Some subscriptions allow longer posts, but 280 is the limit most people write against.
Do links count toward the limit?
Yes. Every link is shortened to a t.co URL and counts as 23 characters, regardless of the original length.
Why might my count differ from X?
X applies its own weighting — many emoji and CJK characters count as two — and replaces every URL with a 23-character t.co link. VerbCount counts user-perceived characters instead, so the two agree on ordinary text but not on posts with links, emoji or CJK. Treat this as a writing guide and confirm on X if you're posting right at the limit.
Do hashtags and mentions count?
Yes, hashtags and @mentions count toward the 280 characters like any other text.