How many characters is a tweet?
A standard tweet on X (formerly Twitter) is up to 280 characters. X Premium and Premium+ subscribers can go much higher with long posts up to 25,000 characters. The counter above switches between both limits so you can draft either format without surprises when you paste it into the compose box.
How Twitter counts characters
The 280 limit is not a raw code point count. X uses a weighted character model that charges more for characters which take up extra visual space. The counter on this page uses the same rules:
- Most Latin, punctuation, and ASCII characters count as 1.
- CJK characters (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) count as 2 because each glyph is wider.
- Most emoji count as 2. Some combined emoji (flags, skin tone modifiers, ZWJ sequences) are collapsed into a single grapheme by X, so one emoji family still counts as a single weighted pair rather than multiple.
- URLs always count as 23 characters, no matter how long the real link is. X shortens every URL through the t.co redirector, and 23 is the fixed length of the shortened form.
- @mentions and #hashtags count as plain text. Neither is shortened or discounted.
Twitter character limit, at a glance
- Regular account: 280 characters per tweet.
- X Premium / Premium+: up to 25,000 characters per long post, enough for around 5,000 words.
- Reply: 280 characters, unless the replying account has Premium (then 25,000).
- Direct message: 10,000 characters.
- Bio: 160 characters.
- Display name: 50 characters.
Why URLs count as 23
Every link you post on X is rewritten to a https://t.co/... short URL before it goes live. That wrapped link is always exactly 23 characters. Whether you paste a 20-character link or a 400-character one with query strings, tracking parameters, and redirects, it ends up as 23 characters in the tweet. The counter replaces each URL in your draft with 23 placeholder characters so the number matches the compose box.
Tips for writing under the limit
- Drop filler words like "really", "just", "actually", and "basically". They add length without changing meaning.
- Use contractions (you're, it's, doesn't) and short connectors (so, but, and) rather than longer phrases.
- Swap percentages for shorter forms where possible: "50%" beats "50 percent" by 5 characters.
- When you need more space, split into a thread. Numbered thread parts (1/, 2/, 3/) cost 3 characters each, leaving 277 for content.
- If you have X Premium, long posts avoid all of this. The counter above will track you up to the 25,000 character limit.
Does rate limit exceeded affect length?
No. Rate limits on X restrict how many posts you can publish in a given window, not how long each post can be. If you hit a rate limit, waiting is the fix, not shortening your draft. The character limit applies per post regardless of how fast you are sending them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the character limit on X (Twitter)?
Regular X accounts can post up to 280 characters per tweet. X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) subscribers can post long posts up to 25,000 characters. Both limits are enforced by the compose box, so exceeding them blocks the post.
How many characters is a tweet?
A standard tweet is up to 280 characters. That includes spaces, punctuation, @mentions, and #hashtags. URLs always count as 23 characters regardless of their real length, because X shortens every link through t.co.
Does X Premium really allow 25,000 characters?
Yes. X Premium and Premium+ subscribers can post long posts up to 25,000 characters, which is enough room for around 5,000 words. The long post appears with a "Show more" expand link in the timeline. The limit applies to the compose box only; viewers do not need Premium to read them.
How does X count emojis?
Most emojis count as 2 characters because X measures weighted characters rather than raw code points. Simple emojis from the Basic Multilingual Plane, some variation selectors, and skin tone modifiers can add extra weight on top. The counter above uses the same weighting rules as X so the number matches the compose box.
How are URLs counted on Twitter?
Every URL counts as exactly 23 characters, whether it is 10 characters long or 300. X automatically wraps links with its t.co shortener, and the final shortened form is 23 characters (https://t.co/xxxxxxxxxx). The counter above detects URLs in the text and substitutes 23 characters for each one.
Do Japanese, Chinese, or Korean characters count as more?
Yes. CJK characters (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) count as 2 characters each because they take up more visual space. This is why a 280-character English tweet holds roughly 280 words worth of text, but a CJK tweet is closer to 140 characters of actual script.
Does this counter work for X Premium long posts?
Yes. Toggle the limit to 25,000 to count long posts. The counting logic is identical to standard tweets (URLs count as 23, CJK and most emoji count as 2, everything else counts as 1), so the number should match what you see in the compose box.
Are mentions and hashtags counted?
Yes. @mentions and #hashtags count as plain text, one character per letter plus the @ or # symbol. Unlike URLs, X does not shorten or discount them.
Is the counter free and private?
Yes. The counter runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server, logged, or saved. There is no sign-up, no paywall, and no per-character limit on usage.
Save posts, threads, and profiles in Keep
Keep turns the things you bookmark on X, like threads, replies, and long posts, into clean, searchable Markdown you can read later or hand to your AI agent. Connect your X account once and every new bookmark syncs automatically.