How to use the social media character counter
- Type or paste your post into the Type or paste your post box. The sample post is selected the first time you click, so your text replaces it. Clear empties the box and Copy text copies it.
- Read the four counts under the box: Characters, Words, Lines and Hashtags.
- Check Limits by platform. Each row shows how many characters are left or how many you are over, plus the count that platform would use. Trim until every platform you need says "left".
How each platform counts
- X: weighted counting. Letters, digits and most punctuation count 1, every emoji and every Chinese, Japanese or Korean character counts 2, and every link counts 23 however long it is. Text is normalized first (Unicode NFC). This follows X's counting rules and its open-source twitter-text library. The Premium row uses the same rules with a 25,000 limit.
- Bluesky: 300 graphemes (visible characters), so a family emoji counts 1.
- Mastodon: links count 23 and a mention such as @alice@example.com counts only @alice. The default limit is 500, but a server can set its own.
- Every other row: Unicode characters, so a letter is 1 and an emoji with a skin tone is 2. Words are separated by spaces. A hashtag needs at least one letter, so #Q4 counts and #2026 does not.
Worked example
The sample post has 154 characters, 17 words, 1 line and 2 hashtags. On X it counts 124, not 154: the 54-character link counts 23 and the rocket emoji counts 2, so 154 - 54 + 23 + 1 = 124, which leaves 156 of 280. Bluesky and Threads see 154. The post fits 13 of the 16 limits and is over the Instagram bio by 4, the TikTok bio by 74 and the YouTube title by 54.
Limits and edge cases
Limits were checked in October 2026 and platforms change them, so treat the numbers as a guide. TikTok's app allows 4,000 characters in a caption, but tools that publish through TikTok's API are capped at 2,200. Meta's Threads API counts emoji by their UTF-8 bytes. Facebook's 63,206 is the commonly cited figure.
On X, a bare web address such as example.com counts as a link, and so does a file name ending in a real domain suffix, such as README.md. For longer writing use the Word & Character Counter, to preview a shared link use the Social Preview Generator, and to add emoji use the Emoji Picker.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters can I use in a post on X?
A standard X post allows 280 weighted characters. Most letters, numbers and punctuation count 1, each emoji and each Chinese, Japanese or Korean character counts 2, and each link counts 23. Premium accounts can write long posts of up to 25,000 characters.
Why does my emoji count as 2 on X?
X gives every emoji a weight of 2, including combined emoji such as a family or a flag. The counter applies the same weight, so an emoji-heavy post can use more of the limit than it looks like.
Do links count toward the character limit?
Yes. X and Mastodon count every link as 23 characters, however long it is. Bluesky counts the full text of the link you type, and so does this counter for the other platforms.
What is the TikTok caption limit?
TikTok's app allows a caption of up to 4,000 characters, and only the start shows before the more button. Tools that publish through TikTok's API are limited to 2,200, so stay under that if you schedule posts.
How long can an Instagram caption be?
An Instagram caption can be up to 2,200 characters and a bio up to 150. Only the first part of a caption shows in the feed before the more link, so put the key message first.
Sources: X, counting characters; Bluesky post lexicon; Mastodon posting docs; YouTube Help; Pinterest Pin specs; TikTok Content Posting API; Threads API posts.