Free X tool
X character counter
Live count against the 280 limit — with the real rules X uses: links cost 23, most emoji cost 2.
0 / 280 weighted characters
0 raw characters
Counted the way X counts: every URL is 23 characters (t.co), most emoji and CJK characters are 2, everything else is 1. The highlighted part is what won't fit.
How X really counts your 280 characters
The 280-character limit on X is a weighted limit, not a simple letter count. Every URL you paste is rewritten through X's t.co shortener and always costs exactly 23 characters, whether the original link is 15 characters or 150. Most emoji count as 2, and so do CJK characters — which is why a post that "looks short" can still get rejected. This counter applies those same rules as you type, shows a live ring like the X composer, and highlights exactly which part of your draft won't fit.
Why it matters: posts that get truncated or hastily trimmed lose their hook, and the hook is what earns the click on "Show more". A few practical tips — front-load the payoff in the first 280 characters even if you have Premium long posts; drop trackers and UTM parameters since every link costs 23 anyway; and when a draft runs long, don't compress it into alphabet soup — split it. Paste anything over the limit above and the tool breaks it into clean, sentence-aware thread posts you can copy one by one. Everything runs locally in your browser — your drafts never leave the page.
Why does my link count as 23 characters?
X wraps every URL with its t.co link shortener, so any link — short or long — always costs exactly 23 characters of your 280. This counter applies the same rule automatically.
Why do some emoji count as 2 characters?
X uses weighted counting: most emoji, CJK characters (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) and some symbols weigh 2, while Latin letters, numbers and punctuation weigh 1. That is why 280 "characters" is not always 280 keystrokes.
Does X Premium change the limit?
X Premium subscribers can publish long-form posts up to 25,000 characters, but posts over 280 are collapsed with a "Show more" link in the timeline. For reach, keeping the hook within 280 still matters.
Grow faster on X
Counting characters is the easy part. ReachMore drafts posts in your voice, schedules them at your best times, and keeps you consistent — pay per action, no subscription.
Try ReachMore freeNo subscription · Credits never expire · Official X API