How X counts characters
X doesn't count every character as one. Each character gets a weight, and the total has to stay at or under the limit. This counter uses twitter-text, the open-source library Twitter published for counting posts, so it applies the same rules X's developer documentation describes:
- Most characters count as 1: Latin letters, numbers, spaces and punctuation, and most other alphabets such as Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic, Hebrew, Devanagari and Thai.
- Emojis count as 2, including skin-tone and family emojis made of several pieces.
- Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters count as 2, so a post written entirely in those scripts fits about 140.
- Every link counts as 23, however long it is, because X shortens links with t.co.
- Some symbols count as 2, such as arrows or the trademark sign, because they fall outside the common ranges.
- Photos, GIFs and videos count as 0, so you can leave them out of the count.
If you paste a reply, leave out the @usernames X fills in automatically: they don't count toward your limit. Our guide to theTwitter character limit explains every rule with examples, including how quotes and Premium long posts work.
Character limits for every field
| Field | Limit | How this tool counts |
|---|---|---|
| Post (free account) | 280 | Weighted, like X’s composer |
| Post (Premium, any tier) | 25,000 | Weighted, same rules |
| Reply or quote | Same as a post | Weighted |
| Bio | 160 | One per character |
| Display name | 50 | One per character |
| Username (@handle) | 15 | Letters, numbers, underscores only |
| Poll option | 25 each | One per character |
| Image description (alt text) | 1,000 | One per character |
The limits come from X's help center and its Premium help page. X documents the weighting for posts only, so for bios, names, poll options and alt text the counter counts each character once. If you use emojis in those boxes, leave a little room and check X's own counter. X's pages also disagree on Premium: the Premium page says 25,000 characters while the basic posting page still mentions 4,000. Your composer is the final word.
Turn a long post into a thread
When a post in the Post · free account mode runs past 280 characters, the counter works as a thread maker:
- Write or paste the whole text into the box.
- Click Split into a thread. The splitter breaks at the end of a sentence or a line where it can, otherwise between words. It never cuts a word or a link in half.
- Keep numbering on to add a counter such as "1/4" to the end of each post. It's included in each post's count, so every post still fits.
- Copy each post into X's composer, tapping + to add the next one, or use Copy all to keep the whole thread in your notes.
An automatic split doesn't know where your ideas end, so read each post on its own before you publish. It matters more than usual: X's help center lists threads among the posts that can't be edited.
Thread or long post?
Threads suit step-by-step guides, lists and stories where each post can stand alone, and everyone can post them. Premium long posts suit essays that read better in one piece, but the timeline cuts them short with "Show more", so the first lines carry the post. Mentions after the first 280 characters of a long post don't send notifications. Our guide on how to write a thread on Xcovers hooks, templates and the full comparison.
Words, links and emojis
The line under the box also counts words, links, emojis and lines, so it doubles as a Twitter word counter. As a rough guide, a 280-character English post holds around 40 to 55 words, depending on word length and how many links or emojis you add. Everything runs in your browser: nothing you type is sent anywhere.