Twitter Character Counter

Check your tweet length with the only rules that matter - Twitter's own. Every URL counts as a flat 23 characters, emoji and most fancy Unicode count as 2, and everything is calculated live as you type. Too long? Split it into a numbered thread with one click. Styling your tweet first? Use the Twitter Font Generator, then count the result here - or turn the finished post into a picture with the Tweet to Image Converter.

Type Your Tweet
Every link counts as 23 characters 100% in your browser - nothing is sent or stored
280 remaining
Twitter Count 0 / 280
Characters 0
Words 0
Links 0
Double-Weight Chars 0
Tweets Needed 1

How Twitter Really Counts Characters

Most character counters just count letters - and that is exactly why tweets that "fit" still get rejected. Twitter uses weighted counting, and three rules cover almost every surprise:

Links Always Cost 23

Every URL is wrapped by the t.co shortener, so it counts as exactly 23 characters - whether the link itself is 10 characters or 200. Two links in one tweet cost 46, no matter what.

Emoji Count as 2

Every emoji costs 2 characters - and multi-part emoji like family or flag combinations can cost more, because each joined component is weighted separately.

Fancy Unicode Counts as 2

Bold, cursive and bubble letters from font generators live in expensive Unicode ranges, so each one counts double. CJK characters (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) also weigh 2.

Normal Text Counts as 1

Basic Latin letters, numbers, punctuation, accented European characters, Greek and Cyrillic all count as 1 - that is the cheap range this counter checks against.

This counter applies those exact weighting ranges live as you type, so the number you see is the number Twitter sees. If you are using styled text from our Twitter Font Generator, paste it here to see its real cost - and if your idea simply will not fit, the thread splitter below the counter breaks it into perfectly sized, optionally numbered tweets.

How to Use the Thread Splitter

  1. Paste Your Full Text - Drop in the whole announcement, story or rant, no matter how long. The "Tweets Needed" stat instantly shows how many posts it will take.
  2. Choose Numbering - Keep the "(1/n)" option checked to append numbering to each tweet so readers can follow the thread, or uncheck it for clean text.
  3. Click Split into Thread - The text is divided at word boundaries so no word is ever cut in half, and each chunk stays safely within the weighted 280 limit including its numbering.
  4. Copy Tweet by Tweet - Each chunk has its own copy button and live count, ready to paste into the composer in order.

Want your thread opener to stand out? Make the first line bold with the font generator, or attach a quote screenshot made with the Tweet to Image Converter.

Features

Exact Twitter Weighting

Uses the same character ranges as twitter-text: cheap ranges count 1, everything else counts 2.

URL Detection

Links are detected automatically and counted as the flat 23 characters Twitter charges for t.co wrapping.

Live Progress Ring

A composer-style ring shows characters remaining, turning orange near the limit and red when over.

Thread Splitter

Splits long text at word boundaries into 280-safe tweets with optional (1/n) numbering and per-tweet copy.

Full Stats

Weighted count, raw characters, words, links, double-weight characters and tweets needed - all live.

100% Private

Pure client-side counting. Your drafts never leave the browser - nothing is uploaded or logged.

Frequently Asked Questions

Because most counters count letters, while Twitter counts weight. Emoji, fancy Unicode fonts and CJK characters each cost 2, and every link costs a flat 23 regardless of its length. This counter applies those exact rules, so its number always matches what the Twitter composer shows.

Exactly 23, always. Twitter wraps every URL in its t.co shortener, which produces a fixed-length link. A 9-character link and a 300-character link both cost 23 - so shortening your URLs before tweeting saves nothing.

Yes - @mentions and #hashtags inside the tweet text count character for character like normal text. The exception is replies: the @names that appear above a reply (the people you are replying to) do not count toward your 280.

It splits only at spaces, packing as many whole words as fit within the weighted 280 limit per tweet. When numbering is enabled, room for the "(1/n)" suffix is reserved in advance so the final numbered tweet never goes over. Words are never cut in half unless a single word alone exceeds 280 characters.

No - attached photos, GIFs and videos cost 0 characters on modern Twitter. That makes images a great way to add content without spending your limit: for example, share a long quote as a picture using our Tweet to Image Converter and keep the full 280 for your commentary.

Completely free, no login and no limits. Counting happens entirely in your browser - nothing you type is sent to any server or stored anywhere. When your tweet is ready, explore the rest of our Social Media Tools.