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Toolra
Writing & Limits

Character Limit Checker

Writing a post, meta description or SMS? Choose the limit and type. Toolra counts characters the way platforms do, including emojis, and highlights anything that goes over.

Runs in your browser Instant resultsFree · no sign-up

Limit

Your text

280 characters left

Characters

0

No spaces

0

Words

0

Lines

0

Sentences

0

UTF-8 bytes

0

How to use the Character Limit Checker

  1. 1

    Pick a platform or enter a custom limit.

  2. 2

    Type or paste your text.

  3. 3

    Trim anything shown in red.

Helpful examples

  • Keep a meta description under 160 characters
  • Check an X post against the 280 limit
  • Make sure an SMS fits in one 160-character message

Characters, counted correctly

Emojis and accented letters can be several code units long. Toolra counts visible characters (graphemes) so 👍🏽 counts as one, and also shows UTF-8 bytes for database and API limits.

Overflow highlighting

Anything past the limit is highlighted so you can see exactly where to cut, without deleting and recounting.

Frequently asked questions

Do spaces count?

Yes, platforms count spaces. Toolra also shows a count without spaces.

How does SMS counting work?

Plain GSM text fits 160 characters per message. Using emojis or special characters switches to Unicode, which fits 70.

Is the meta description limit exact?

Search engines cut by pixel width; about 155–160 characters is a safe guide.