BYTETOOLS

Twitter (X) Character Counter

Count characters the way X (Twitter) actually counts them: every link counts as 23, CJK and emoji count as 2. Live remaining count, fully in-browser.

280 of 280 weighted characters remaining

0
Weighted count
280
Remaining
0
URLs (23 each)
0
Words

Plain character count: 0. The weighted count is what X actually measures against the 280-character limit (standard accounts, as of 2026).

What is the Twitter (X) Character Counter?

A Twitter (X) character counter that reproduces X's weighted counting rules: every URL counts as 23 characters, CJK characters and emoji count as 2, and most other characters count as 1 against the 280-character limit.

  • Implements X's weighted counting — not a naive character count
  • Every URL counts as a fixed 23 characters, exactly like t.co wrapping
  • CJK characters and emoji correctly weighted as 2
  • Live remaining count with a color-coded limit bar
  • Word and plain-character counts shown alongside for reference
  • 100% in-browser — drafts never leave your device

How to use the Twitter (X) Character Counter

  1. 1

    Type or paste your post into the text box.

  2. 2

    Watch the weighted character count and the characters-remaining figure update live.

  3. 3

    Check the detected URLs — each one costs a fixed 23 characters regardless of its real length.

  4. 4

    Trim your text until the bar shows you are inside the 280-character limit, then copy your post.

About the Twitter (X) Character Counter

X (formerly Twitter) does not count characters the way a normal character counter does. Every link is shortened to a t.co URL and always counts as 23 characters no matter how long it really is. Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters count as 2 each, and every emoji — even a multi-person family emoji — counts as 2. This tool reproduces those weighted rules so the number you see here matches what X's composer shows.

Paste or type your post and watch the weighted count, remaining characters and a limit bar update live. It is built for social media managers, marketers and anyone who keeps hitting the limit unexpectedly because a plain character count said they were fine. Links are detected automatically and priced at their fixed 23-character cost.

Everything runs 100% locally in your browser — nothing you type is uploaded or stored, so you can safely draft unpublished announcements and embargoed posts.

Frequently asked questions

Why does X say my tweet is too long when a normal character counter says it fits?

X uses weighted counting: links always cost 23 characters, and CJK characters and emoji cost 2 each. A plain counter treats every character as 1, so it under-counts posts that contain links, emoji or Asian-language text. This tool applies X's weights so the numbers match.

How many characters does a link count as on X?

Every link counts as exactly 23 characters, whether the URL is 15 characters or 500. X wraps all links with its t.co shortener, and the composer charges the fixed t.co length instead of the real one.

What is the character limit on X in 2026?

As of 2026 the standard limit is 280 weighted characters for free accounts, while X Premium subscribers can write posts up to 25,000 characters. This counter measures against the standard 280 limit that applies to most users.

Do emoji really count as 2 characters on X?

Yes. Every emoji counts as 2 weighted characters, even complex ones built from several code points, such as family emoji or flags. This tool groups emoji sequences the same way before weighing them.

Is this counter exactly the same as X's official one?

It reimplements the weighting rules X publishes in its open-source twitter-text library: URL = 23, most Latin-script characters = 1, other ranges and emoji = 2. On the vast majority of posts it matches exactly; extremely unusual Unicode edge cases could differ by a character or two.

Related tools