Twitter Character Limit: How X Counts Your 280 Characters

The Twitter character limit, now the X character limit, is 280 characters for a standard post. X does not count every character the same way, though: every link counts as 23 characters however long it is, every emoji counts as 2, and characters from scripts such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean also count as 2.

So a post can look shorter than 280 characters and still be refused, or look too long and still fit. This guide shows how the count works, how to check it before you post, and what to do when you are over.

What is the character limit on X (Twitter)?

A standard post on X allows 280 characters. X's developer documentation calls this a weighted count: each character has a weight, and the weights must add up to 280 or less.

• Weight 1: most Latin letters, digits, spaces and common punctuation. This covers English and most European languages.
• Weight 2: emoji, and characters outside the weight-1 ranges, which includes Chinese, Japanese and Korean. A post written only in those scripts therefore fits about 140 characters.
• Links: every URL is shortened by X's link service and counts as 23 characters, whether the address is 15 characters or 150.

Paid X subscribers can write longer posts. X's help pages describe that option, and the exact maximum has been stated differently on different pages, so check the current X Premium page if you rely on it.

How are links and emoji counted?

These two cases cause most surprises:

X's own documentation gives an example: "Hello, world!" followed by a space and a waving-hand emoji has a weighted length of 16. That is 14 for the text and the space, plus 2 for the emoji.

Our character counter counts what a reader sees, so it shows that same text as 15 characters: the emoji is one symbol. Its X preset reminds you that X's count can differ for links and emoji. For plain English text without links or emoji, both counts are the same.

How do you check a post before you send it?

1. Write the post in the X composer, or anywhere you like.
2. Paste the text into our character counter and choose the X post preset. You see how many characters are left, or how many you are over.
3. Add 2 for every emoji beyond what the counter shows: an emoji counts 1 in the counter and 2 on X.
4. For each link, replace its real length with 23.
5. Do a final check in the X composer itself. Its counter is the one that decides.

If you are drafting a thread, write it all first, then split it. A word counter helps you see how long the whole thread is before you cut it into posts.

What can you do when a post is over 280 characters?

Cut in this order, and recount after each step:

• Remove filler. "Really", "very", "just" and "in order to" rarely add meaning.
• Shorten the phrasing. Lead with the verb: "We have now released version 2" becomes "Version 2 is out".
• Replace words with numerals where it reads naturally: "three" becomes "3".
• Drop an emoji or two. Each one costs 2.
• Move detail into a reply or link to a page that explains it.

A step-by-step method with real before-and-after counts is in how to shorten text to a character limit. If you are wondering how many words 280 characters is, it depends on the words, which word count vs character count explains.

Is the limit the same everywhere?

No. Each platform sets its own rules and counts in its own way, and the rules change over time. X uses weights; many other sites count each visible character once. Text messages have their own, older limit based on how the phone network encodes the message, explained in the SMS character limit.

The safe habit is the same for all of them: draft, count, and confirm in the place where you publish.

X character limit: quick answers

Do spaces count in the 280 characters?

Yes. Spaces, line breaks and punctuation all count as characters.

Does a link really count as 23 characters?

Yes. X shortens every URL with its link service, so each link counts as 23 characters whatever its real length.

Why does X say my post is too long when my counter says 270?

Usually because of emoji, links or non-Latin characters, which X weighs differently. Count emoji as 2 and links as 23.

Can paid accounts write more than 280 characters?

Yes. X subscribers can write longer posts. The maximum is set on X's help pages and may change, so check there.

Sources

Checked on 2026-10-22. Limits can change, so the platform's own pages decide:

• X Developer Platform, Counting characters: the 280 limit, character weights, links as 23 characters and emoji as 2.
• X Help Center, About X Premium: longer posts for subscribers.