X/Twitter Character Counter
Draft against the real limit: 280 characters, tracked live with the remaining count front and center — so the cut happens on your terms, not the timeline's.
280 of 280 remaining
The two quirks worth knowing
First, links: X wraps every URL to a fixed 23 characters, so a link costs 23 no matter how long it looks — this counter reads a long pasted URL at face value, making it slightly conservative on link posts. Second, emoji: most weigh 2 characters in X's counting scheme, so an emoji-rich draft has less headroom than the plain count suggests. When you're inside 20 characters of the line with links or emoji in play, trust the composer's own meter for the final call — and use this page for everything before that.
Frequently asked questions
Is the limit really 280?
For standard posts, yes — 280 characters, doubled from the original 140 in 2017. Paying subscribers can post far longer, but 280 remains the limit for standard accounts and the length at which longer posts get truncated behind "Show more" in the timeline.
How do links count?
Every URL is wrapped by the t.co shortener and counts as a fixed 23 characters, regardless of its real length. Pasting a 100-character link costs you 23, not 100 — so the counter here reads slightly pessimistic on link-heavy posts.
Do emoji and mentions count?
Emoji generally count as 2 toward X’s limit (its counting is based on a weighted scheme, and most emoji weigh double). @mentions and #hashtags count at face value in the body of a post. If you write emoji-heavy posts, budget a little extra headroom.
Why write to the limit at all?
Truncation kills engagement — a post cut at "Show more" loses its punchline. Drafting against the live remaining count lets you make the cut deliberately: tighten, split into a thread, or restructure so the hook lands inside the visible text.
Counting is in Unicode code points; platform-side weighting (links at 23, most emoji at 2) is described above and on the methodology page. Nothing you type is transmitted or stored.