Mastodon character counter
Mastodon posts (toots) can be up to 500 characters unless your server sets its own limit. Every link counts as 23 characters, and a mention like @name@server counts only its @name part. Paste your toot below to count it the way Mastodon does.
0 of 500 characters · 500 left
How this count works
- Every character you see counts as one; every link counts as 23, and a mention like @name@server counts only its @name part.
- A line break counts as one character.
- Each Mastodon server can set its own limit; this counter uses 500.
Your text never leaves your browser: nothing is sent anywhere or stored.
How Mastodon counts characters.
Mastodon counts every character you see as one, emoji included. Every link counts as 23, however long it is, and a mention of someone on another server, like @name@server, counts only its @name part.
A few examples, counted the way Mastodon counts them: “Refract” counts as 7, “👍” counts as 1, “👍🏽” counts as 1, “👨👩👧” counts as 1, “日本語” counts as 3 and “https://refract.social/pricing” counts as 23.
Mastodon servers can set their own limit. This counter uses 500; when you post from Refract, it checks your own server’s limit, which it reads when you connect and once a day.
Character limits on every network.
| Network | Limit | How it counts |
|---|---|---|
 Instagram | 2,200 | Unicode characters; a flag counts as two |
 Facebook | 63,206 | Unicode characters; a flag counts as two |
 Threads | 500 | Emoji count as their size in bytes |
 TikTok | 2,200 | Most emoji count as two |
 YouTube | 5,000 | Bytes: most emoji count as four |
 LinkedIn | 3,000 | Most emoji count as two |
 X | 280 | Emoji and CJK count as two, links as 23 |
 Pinterest | 800 | Unicode characters; a flag counts as two |
 Bluesky | 300 | Every character you see counts as one |
| Mastodon This page | 500 | Links count as 23 |
 Telegram | 1,024 | Most emoji count as two |
 Google Business Profile | 1,500 | Unicode characters; a flag counts as two |
 WordPress | No limit | Unicode characters; a flag counts as two |
 Discord | 2,000 | Most emoji count as two |
 Tumblr | No limit | Unicode characters; a flag counts as two |
 Slack | 4,000 | & counts as five, < and > as four |
 Pixelfed | 500 | Unicode characters; a flag counts as two |
 DEV | 819,200 | Bytes: most emoji count as four |
Questions and answers.
What is the Mastodon character limit?
500 characters, unless your server sets its own limit. Every link counts as 23, and a mention like @name@server counts only its @name part.
Do links count toward the limit?
Every link counts as 23 characters, however long it is.
Does the server part of a mention count?
No. In @name@server only @name counts, so mentioning someone on another server costs no more than on yours.
Do emoji count as one character?
Yes. Mastodon counts every character you see as one, emoji included.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. The counter runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to Refract or stored.
Related
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Write it once, native everywhere.
Write the point once in Refract and get a version for every network, each one within its limits. You approve, Refract schedules.