What is the character limit on X (Twitter)?
Facts checked July 2026
The character limit on X (Twitter) is 280 weighted characters per post for free accounts. Counting is weighted, not literal: every link counts as exactly 23 characters regardless of its length, and most emoji and CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) characters count as 2 each. X Premium subscribers can publish posts up to 25,000 characters, but only roughly the first 280 show in the timeline before the 'Show more' fold.
| Standard post | 280 weighted characters |
|---|---|
| Any URL | Always 23 characters |
| Most emoji | 2 characters each |
| CJK characters | 2 characters each |
| X Premium post | Up to 25,000 characters |
| Image alt text | 1,000 characters |
| Bio | 160 characters |
| Display name | 50 characters |
The weighted system exists because X normalizes what a 'character' costs: a URL is wrapped in the t.co shortener, so a 200-character link and a 15-character one both bill 23; emoji and most non-Latin scripts encode as multiple code points, so they bill 2. This is why a plain text-editor count rarely matches what the X composer shows.
Historically the limit was 140 characters (inherited from SMS) from 2006 until November 2017, when it doubled to 280. Long-form posts arrived with X Premium in 2023 and grew in steps to today's 25,000-character ceiling for subscribers.
Practical implication for writers: the visible timeline unit is still ~280 characters, whatever your plan. The opening of a long post does the same job as a standalone post's hook, because that's all a scroller sees before deciding to tap 'Show more'.
Check your post against the limit
Live weighted count via the official twitter-text parser, entirely in your browser.
Frequently asked
Why does my character count differ from X's?
Because X counts weighted characters: every link is 23 flat, and most emoji and CJK characters are 2 each. A plain length count over- or under-shoots. Use a counter built on the official twitter-text parser to see the number X will see.
Do @mentions and hashtags count toward the 280?
Inside the post text, yes: '@handle' and '#topic' count at their full length. The exception is the reply header: the 'Replying to @…' handles above a reply are metadata and don't consume the limit.
Do images and videos use up characters?
No. Attached media doesn't consume the text limit. A link to external media in the text still counts as 23.
What happens if I go over 280?
The compose button disables and the counter shows a negative number. Your options: tighten the text, split it into a thread, or publish long-form with X Premium.
More limits
Fitting the limit is easy. Sounding like you is the hard part.
Voxly drafts X posts in your voice, learned from your timeline, and publishes in one tap. Free plan, no card.