Why count characters?
Most platforms limit characters, not words. A post on X allows 280 characters, an SMS segment is 160, a meta description gets cut around 160, and a page title around 60. This counter shows your total live, and the pills above show exactly how many characters you have left for each limit - they turn negative the moment you go over.
With spaces or without?
Almost every platform limit - X, Instagram, SMS, Google - counts spaces as characters, so the big number is the one that matters. "No spaces" is useful for translation quotes and some academic rules that bill or measure by visible characters only.
FAQ
Do spaces count as characters?
On virtually every platform, yes. X, Instagram, SMS and Google all count spaces. Use the main counter unless a rule explicitly says otherwise.
How long can an X (Twitter) post be?
280 characters for standard accounts. Links count as 23 characters regardless of their real length.
How long should a meta description be?
Between 120 and 160 characters. Google truncates around 155-160 on desktop, and slightly less on mobile.
Is my text stored anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you type is uploaded or saved.