Character Counter
A counter built for limits rather than for prose. It reports characters, code units, code points, graphemes and UTF-8 bytes at once, because they disagree the moment anything outside plain ASCII is involved, and shows how much room is left in whatever limit you are working to.
The number the platform, form field or database column will enforce. 280 for a post, 160 for a single SMS segment, 60 for a subject line worth reading.
The remaining figure follows this choice, so match it to the system that will reject you.
How character counter works
- Set the limitWhatever the platform or field will enforce.
- Choose the unitThe remaining figure follows it, and every other measure is shown alongside.
- Watch the remainderFurtu says plainly how far over you are, if you are.
What you get
Count characters against a limit, in whichever unit the limit uses. Everything happens inside this page: the file is read by your browser, transformed in memory and handed straight back to you as a download. There is no upload queue, no waiting for a server, and nothing left behind when you close the tab.
Supported formats
This tool works on text you paste or type, so there is no file format to worry about. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Limitations, stated up front
- Weighted-length rules, where some characters cost two, are not implemented. Check the platform’s own guidance for those.
- The limit is a number, not a rule: it does not know about forbidden words, mandatory fields or a server-side tokeniser.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the same string have four different lengths?
Because there are four different questions. UTF-8 bytes are what a file takes up. Code points are the characters of the Unicode standard, so an accented letter is one. Code units are what JavaScript strings measure, so a character outside the basic plane takes two. Graphemes are what a reader perceives, so an accented letter is one and a family emoji is one. They are the same number only when the text is pure ASCII.
What does a platform actually count?
It depends on the platform and it is worth checking rather than assuming. Most count something close to code points, some count UTF-16 units, and a few bill by weighted length, where an emoji or a CJK character costs two. When the limit is a hard database column, bytes are what matter. Set the unit to match, and leave a margin.
How are graphemes counted when the browser cannot?
With the international text segmenter where it is available, which is every current browser. Without it, Furtu falls back to code points and says so in the read-out, because the difference is invisible until you paste an emoji.
Is this the same as the word counter?
No, and the difference is deliberate. This tool is about a limit and the several ways a string can be measured against one. The word counter is about prose: sentences, paragraphs, reading time and vocabulary.
Is the text I am counting uploaded?
No. Counting happens as you type in your browser, so you can check a draft of an announcement, a private message or an unreleased title without it being transmitted.