A word and character counter tells you the length of your text as you type, including characters with and without spaces, words, sentences and reading time, and this one also shows whether the text fits the platform limits that matter most: an Instagram bio, an X post, a Google meta description, a YouTube title and a LinkedIn headline. Paste or type below.
0 words, 0 characters
The limits that catch people out
Instagram bios stop at 150 characters and cut the rest without warning. X allows 280 but shows the first line or two in the feed, so the hook belongs up front. Google rewrites meta descriptions that run past roughly 155 characters and title tags past about 60. YouTube titles can be 100 characters but truncate near 60 on a phone. LinkedIn headlines allow 220 but only the first 60 or so show in search results and comments. The table above turns red the moment you cross one.
Words, characters and reading time
Reading time here assumes 220 words a minute, which is about right for a blog post on a screen. A LinkedIn post that takes more than a minute to read needs a strong first line to earn the click on See more. A blog post under 300 words rarely ranks for anything competitive; over 1,500 it needs subheadings every 200 to 300 words so people can skim.
Want to know how easy your text is to read too? Try my free readability checker.
More free writing tools
Write the description itself with the meta description generator, the headline with the LinkedIn headline generator, and check how often a keyword appears with the keyword density checker. For Instagram, the bio generator and font generator sit alongside this one.
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Frequently asked questions
Does the counter count spaces as characters?
It shows both: characters with spaces, which is what every platform limit uses, and characters without spaces, which some editors and job applications ask for.
Is this word counter free and private?
Yes. It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent or stored anywhere.
How does it count words?
Any run of letters, numbers or symbols separated by spaces or line breaks counts as one word, which is the same rule Word and Google Docs use.
What is the character limit for an Instagram bio?
150 characters including spaces and emoji. Line breaks count too.
How long should a meta description be?
Between 120 and 155 characters. Google can rewrite anything longer, and anything shorter wastes the space.
