Lead with the hook
The first line decides whether people tap "more".
Social Media Character Counter
Write once and see straight away whether your post fits on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. X is counted the way X counts it, with links as 23 characters and emoji as 2.
- 100% free
- No sign-up
- Runs in your browser
Characters0
Words0
Hashtags0
Emoji0
Lines0
Limits are the platforms' published maximums and can change. X counts links as 23 characters and most emoji as 2.
How to use
How to use the Character Counter for X, LinkedIn & Instagram
- Type or paste your post.
- Check each platform's bar; red means over the limit.
- Watch the "see more" notes to keep your hook visible.
- Edit until it fits, then copy your post.
Private by design. Everything runs in your browser. Your text, images and plans are not uploaded or shared.
About this tool
Why character counts differ by platform
Most platforms count every character the same, but X does not. On X, every link counts as 23 characters however long it is, and emoji and characters from some scripts, such as Chinese or Japanese, count as two. That is why a post that looks short can still be over the 280 limit, and this counter follows the same rules.
The limit is only half the story. Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube show only the first part of a long post before a "more" link, so the opening line has to do the work. Put your hook and key message in the first one or two lines.
Good to know
Writing for each platform
Shorter usually wins on X
Leave room for people to add a comment when they repost.
Use line breaks on LinkedIn
Short paragraphs are easier to read in the feed.
SMS and Unicode
Urdu text or emoji switch SMS to Unicode, which allows only 70 characters per message.
FAQ
Character Counter for X, LinkedIn & Instagram FAQs
How many characters can an X post have?
280 for standard accounts, with links counted as 23 and most emoji as 2.
What is the LinkedIn post limit?
3,000 characters, with roughly the first 200 shown before "see more".
How long can an Instagram caption be?
2,200 characters, with the first line or two shown in the feed.
Why does my SMS count as two messages?
Messages longer than 160 standard characters, or 70 Unicode characters, are split into parts.
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