Free tool
Social media character counter
Paste your post once and see whether it fits on each of the 9 major platforms. Each count follows that platform's own rules, including how X weighs links and emoji.
Character limits by platform
These are the limits Socialync checks before it publishes. Pick a platform for its own counter and details.
| Platform | Limit | How it counts |
|---|---|---|
| X (Twitter) | 280 (post) | X weights characters. Most letters count as 1, emoji and Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters count as 2, and every link counts as 23 however long it is. |
| 2,200 (caption) | Every character in the caption counts, including spaces, line breaks, hashtags and emoji. | |
| TikTok | 2,200 (caption) | Every character counts, including hashtags and mentions. Posts published through TikTok's posting API, which schedulers use, are capped at 2,200. |
| YouTube | 5,000 (description) | Every character in the video description counts, including links and timestamps. |
| 8,000 (post) | Every character counts. Facebook itself accepts far longer posts, and 8,000 is the limit Socialync publishes, which covers almost any real post. | |
| 3,000 (post) | Every character in the post counts, including spaces, line breaks and hashtags. | |
| Threads | 500 (post) | Threads counts each Unicode code point. Most emoji count as 1, but emoji built from several symbols, like some family and flag emoji, count as more. |
| Bluesky | 300 (post) | Bluesky counts what you see. Every emoji counts as one character, even one built from several symbols. |
| 800 (Pin description) | Every character in the Pin description counts. The Pin title is a separate field. |
Frequently asked questions
Why does X say my post is too long when it looks short?
X does not count every character as one. Emoji and Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters count as 2, and every link counts as 23 no matter how long it is. Three links and a few emoji use up close to a third of the 280 character limit. This counter applies the same weighting, so the number you see is the number X checks.
Which platform has the shortest character limit?
X, at 280 for standard accounts, followed by Bluesky at 300 and Threads at 500. A caption written for Instagram or LinkedIn usually needs a shorter version for those three.
Do hashtags, spaces and line breaks count?
Yes. Every platform counts hashtags, mentions, spaces and line breaks as characters. X also counts each link as a fixed 23 characters.
Do emoji count as one character?
It depends on the platform. Bluesky counts every emoji as one character. X counts most emoji as 2. Threads counts most emoji as 1 but counts emoji built from several symbols, like some family and flag emoji, as more. The other platforms count the way most text editors do, where many emoji count as 2.
Can I post one caption to every platform at once?
Yes. Socialync publishes one post to all 9 platforms at once and lets you write a separate caption for any platform with a tighter limit, so the long version goes to Instagram and LinkedIn while a short one goes to X and Bluesky. The free plan needs no card.