Free Online Word Counter

What this word counter does

I made this because I kept opening yet another tab just to see if a meta description was getting too long, honestly annoying.

Annoying.

So yeah, the counter shows words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs. Plus it tells you the reading and speaking time too, which is kinda nice honestly.

It sits with the other free SEO tools on SerpVip, in case you need more than a counter. The part I use most is the limits panel. It lines your text up against a page title, a meta description, an X post and a single text message.

Honestly, yeah, this totally beats trying to do the math in my head. Like, for real.

Everything runs in your browser. So it just stays there, in the browser.

I never see your text, and it is not sent anywhere. It is not going off to some server or whatever.

How to use it

1. Click the text box and type, or paste your draft. That is basically it.
2. Read the live numbers beside the box. Words are the big one.
3. Check the limits panel for wherever your text is going, like, just to be sure.
4. Set a word goal if you are writing to a target, or if you need that little push. It helps. Sometimes.
5. Use Copy text, Download or Clear when you are done. Basically whatever you need at the end.

I would paste the full draft first and trim afterwards. That's usually easier, honestly, even if it feels kinda backwards.

Counting small pieces one at a time sort of hides the bigger picture. Like you think you are fine and then nope.

If the number looks off after pasting from a Word file, try Clean spaces, because weird spacing sneaks in. It's annoying but yeah, it happens.

The limits I check most

Rough guides, all of them. The pixel figures are estimates.

Google trims titles and descriptions by pixel width, so yeah, even a short title that has a bunch of wide letters can still get cut.

And platforms change their limits now and then. Worth a quick look before you hit publish. Like, just take a second.

Tips for cleaner drafts

Look at the keyword panel on your second pass, not your first. First pass is kinda for getting the words out, you know. Then you can go back and check the keyword panel after.

A word that repeats a lot is a prompt to reread that paragraph, nothing more. I don't chase a percentage, and I'd skip any tool that promises a perfect one.

Still choosing topics? My keyword research guides are a better place to start than the counter.

And once a post is live, an SEO audit tool will show what the counter can't.

Got a question this page doesn't cover? The SerpVip FAQ is the next stop.

Frequently asked questions

Does this word counter save my text?

No. It all happens in your browser. Nothing gets sent to a server, which means I can't read what you type.

Characters with spaces or without, what is the difference?

The first number is everything, spaces and line breaks too. The second strips out all the whitespace. For a form with a strict limit, it's usually that first one that really matters. Like, that's the one people notice.

How long should a meta description be?

I usually aim for about 160. Give or take. It is not exact, because Google trims by width rather than by count. So I put the main point up front and let the end take the hit if it has to.

How long should an SEO title be?

I would stay near 60 characters. Wide letters such as W and M take more room, so a title right at the limit can still be cut off. So yeah, whatever you do, put the important words first.

How is reading time worked out?

My numbers are 200 words a minute for reading and 130 for speaking. But yeah, everyone reads at their own pace, you know, so just take it as a rough estimate. Not an exact science or anything.

Does it count numbers and hyphenated words?

Yes to both. Digits count as a word, and something like well-known counts as one word, not two.

Can I count text in other languages?

Yes, letters and numbers from many writing systems are counted. Languages written without spaces, such as Chinese or Japanese, are better judged by the character count than the word count.

Why does my text show as sending in two messages?

Past about 160 characters, a text gets split into parts. Each part holds a little less than 160, and emoji or special characters shrink that further. That is why you see two messages.

What does the keyword panel show?

It shows the words or phrases you repeat most, with a count and a percentage. Little connecting words are skipped. I would not chase a target number here. Just use it to spot repetition.

Can I upload a file?

Yes, for plain text files like .txt, .md and .csv. It is read right in your browser and goes nowhere. Word documents? Copy it from the document, then paste it into the box. Just grab it and drop it in there. It is pretty simple, kinda.