Why does a short link count as 23 characters even though it's longer or shorter?

X automatically wraps every http:// or https:// link in a post through its own link-shortening service (t.co), and every wrapped link — no matter how long or short the original URL is — counts as exactly 23 characters toward your limit. This tool detects links with a URL pattern and substitutes 23 for each one's real length when computing your count, while still showing you the real, un-shortened text you typed.

What's the difference between the 280 and 25,000 character limits?

280 characters is the limit for all free accounts and is the one most people hit. 25,000 characters is available to X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) subscribers for long-form posts. Use the toggle to check your text against whichever limit applies to your account.

How does the thread auto-split work?

When your text is over 280 characters, this tool breaks it into a sequence of tweets at sentence boundaries first, falling back to word boundaries only when a single sentence itself won't fit — it never cuts a word in half. Each tweet gets a '(n/total)' suffix, and the limit math accounts for that suffix's own character cost so no tweet ends up over 280 once numbered.

Is my post text sent anywhere?

No. Counting, link detection, and thread splitting all happen locally in your browser with JavaScript — nothing you type is uploaded, logged, or posted anywhere.

X (TWITTER) CHARACTER COUNTER

Live count against the 280 or Premium 25,000 limit, with correct link-shortening math and one-click thread splitting. Nothing leaves your browser.

Your post

188/ 280

1 link counted as 23 chars each

Raw characters: 189Counted toward limit: 188Remaining: 92

How to use the character counter

1
Type or paste your post into the box.
2
Watch the live count and ring — it turns orange near the limit and red once you're over.
3
Toggle Premium if you're counting against the 25,000-character X Premium limit instead of the free 280.
4
If you're over 280, click 'Auto-split into a thread' to break it into numbered tweets, each with its own copy button.

Questions

Why does a short link count as 23 characters even though it's longer or shorter?: X automatically wraps every http:// or https:// link in a post through its own link-shortening service (t.co), and every wrapped link — no matter how long or short the original URL is — counts as exactly 23 characters toward your limit. This tool detects links with a URL pattern and substitutes 23 for each one's real length when computing your count, while still showing you the real, un-shortened text you typed.
What's the difference between the 280 and 25,000 character limits?: 280 characters is the limit for all free accounts and is the one most people hit. 25,000 characters is available to X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) subscribers for long-form posts. Use the toggle to check your text against whichever limit applies to your account.
How does the thread auto-split work?: When your text is over 280 characters, this tool breaks it into a sequence of tweets at sentence boundaries first, falling back to word boundaries only when a single sentence itself won't fit — it never cuts a word in half. Each tweet gets a '(n/total)' suffix, and the limit math accounts for that suffix's own character cost so no tweet ends up over 280 once numbered.
Is my post text sent anywhere?: No. Counting, link detection, and thread splitting all happen locally in your browser with JavaScript — nothing you type is uploaded, logged, or posted anywhere.