What is the character limit on X?

How X counts: weights, not letters

X's developer documentation on counting characters says posts "can contain up to 280 characters," and then explains that not every character counts the same. X uses a weighted system. Latin letters, punctuation and common symbols weigh 1. Emojis weigh 2. Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters weigh 2. Other Unicode characters weigh 2 by default.

That gives the practical maximums X lists: 280 Latin characters, 140 emojis, or 140 CJK characters. A post that mixes them lands in between. The page also says to use the open source twitter-text library if you build something that has to count the same way X does.

X recommends its open source twitter-text library for counting, in JavaScript, Python and other languages. It applies the emoji weight, the CJK weight and the 23 character link rule, so it matches X exactly. A plain string length in a notes app counts every character as 1, which is why the two numbers differ whenever a post has emojis, CJK characters or a link.

The API needs text encoded as UTF-8, and X counts length after normalizing text to the standard composed form. For ordinary writing that detail never matters. It shows up only with accents typed as separate marks.

Links always cost 23

Every link is wrapped in X's t.co shortener, and X counts each one as 23 characters whether the original address is 20 characters or 200. A post with one link therefore leaves 257 characters for your words.

Whatever count another tool shows, X's composer is the final judge, because it applies the 23 character rule to every link. Short links and long links cost the same, so there is no gain in trimming the address.

What does not count

X's page lists the special cases:

• Media you attach through the official clients counts as 0 characters. Photos and GIFs do not use up your text (the photo help page says the same).
• An @mention that X fills in at the start of a reply does not count. A mention you type yourself counts normally.
• Hashtags count normally: the # sign plus the tag text.
• Text is normalized to a standard Unicode form before counting, so an accented letter written two different ways still counts once.

Past 280: longer posts

X Premium subscribers can write posts longer than 280 characters. X's Premium page, its types-of-posts page and the desktop steps on its How to Post page say up to 25,000 characters. The iOS and Android steps on the How to Post page say "up to 4,000 characters."

So plan on up to 25,000 on desktop, and check your compose box on mobile. Everyone can read a longer post, but only subscribers can write one. The whole topic is on its own page: X Premium long posts.

X describes how the counter changes. When you reach 280 characters in the composer, the circle stops tracking your progress around its edge and starts filling in. If the circle keeps filling past 280, your account can write longer posts.

Compared with Threads

Threads allows 500 characters in a text post, with a text attachment for up to 10,000 more. If you write one idea and want it on both networks, the Threads version has about 220 more characters to work with. See the Threads character limit and cross-posting between the two.

If you write one idea for both networks, give yourself a budget before you start. The Threads version can use 500 characters. The X version has 280, minus 23 if it carries a link. Writing the X version first and expanding it for Threads is often easier than cutting 220 characters out of a finished post.

A thread on X is a series of separate posts, each with its own 280 character count. A claim that needs 600 characters becomes three posts of about 200 each. If you keep the link in the last post, only that post pays the 23 characters.

Three counts you can check

Example one: a plain post. You write 200 letters and spaces and one link. The text costs 200 and the link costs 23, so the post is 223 out of 280 and has 57 to spare.

Example two: emoji. You write 100 letters, add 5 emojis, and add a link. The letters cost 100, the five emojis cost 10, and the link costs 23. The post is 133. Emojis feel small, but a row of 20 takes 40 of your 280 characters.

Example three: Japanese. Each Japanese character weighs 2, so a post made only of Japanese characters tops out at 140. A post with 100 Japanese characters and a link is 100 times 2, plus 23, which is 223. The same rule applies to Chinese and Korean.

Where Threadgehog fits

Threadgehog writes your Threads posts, and when you approve one it writes the X version on its own: tighter, under 280 characters when the idea fits, a short thread only when it needs one, and no hashtags. The link is kept, and in a thread the link goes in the last post. Approved posts go to the scheduler you already use: Buffer, Typefully, Publer, Metricool or Postiz.

The "Posts that include your link" setting runs from 0 to 100% in steps of 5, so you choose how many X versions carry the 23 character link. The app is on a waitlist right now; join through pricing. The 14-day free trial starts when it opens.

Questions

Sources

1. X Developer docs: Counting characters (checked 2026-10-17)
2. X Help Center: How to post (checked 2026-10-17)
3. X Help Center: About different types of posts (checked 2026-10-17)
4. X Help Center: About X Premium (checked 2026-10-17)
5. X Help Center: How to post photos or GIFs (checked 2026-10-17)
6. Threadgehog: home and FAQ (checked 2026-10-17)

Related

• What is the character limit on Threads?
• How long can an X Premium post be?
• What are the image, GIF and video limits on X?
• How do you cross-post between Threads and X?
• How do I keep one voice on Threads and X?