Free tool
Twitter Character Counter
Counts your post the way X does, with links as 23 and emoji as 2, so you know exactly how much of the 280 is left.
X post, standard account
0 / 280
280 left
Weighted the way X counts: links are 23 each, emoji are 2, and CJK characters are 2. Premium accounts can post longer text.
- Characters
- 0
- Words
- 0
- Links (23 each)
- 0
- Emoji (2 each)
- 0
- Wide characters
- 0
- Hashtags
- 0
X does not count characters, it counts weight
The 280 limit sounds simple, but X measures it differently from a normal character counter. Each character has a weight. Letters, numbers and punctuation from Latin and most other alphabets weigh 1. Characters outside those ranges, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean, weigh 2. That is how X keeps posts in different languages roughly comparable in how much they can say.
Emoji weigh 2 as well, and that includes the ones built from several pieces. A flag is two characters under the hood, a family emoji can be seven or more joined together, but each still counts as one emoji of 2. This counter groups them the same way.
Every link is 23
X wraps links in its own t.co short links, so every URL counts as 23 no matter how long it really is. A tracking link of 120 characters costs the same as a short domain, and a very short link actually costs more than it looks. The counter detects links starting with http, https or www, plus bare domains on common endings such as .com, .io or .co.uk. A bare domain on an unusual ending may be counted at its real length here, so add https:// if you want to be certain.
Standard accounts and Premium
This counter checks against 280, the limit for standard accounts. X Premium subscribers can post longer text, though only the opening part shows in the timeline before a “show more” link, so the first 280 still do most of the work. If your post runs over, the counter highlights exactly which part would not fit.
What does not count
Photos, videos, GIFs and polls do not use any of your characters. Only typed text counts. If a post is just over the limit, moving a link into a reply or swapping a few emoji for words is often enough to bring it back under.
Related tools
For Instagram and TikTok, where the rules are different, use our Instagram character counter. If you want to save a video from a post, the Twitter video downloader handles public posts.
A well-written post still needs people to see it. Our X (Twitter) services can help with reach, from Twitter followers to likes on a post.
FAQ