Updated for 2026 · Reviewed by LikeProvider Social Media Team
Quick Answer: The Twitter character limit is 280 characters per tweet. The X character limit is the same: 280 characters. Links, hashtags, and @mentions all count toward the limit. For more Twitter tips, see our how to use Twitter and Twitter bio generator.
Twitter Character Limit – How Many Characters Can You Use? (2026)
Current Twitter and X character limit per tweet, what counts toward the limit, and how to stay within it
Learn the current Twitter character limit, how many characters you can use in a tweet, and what counts toward the limit. This 2026 guide covers the tweet character limit, X character limit, and twitter character count. Pair with our how to use Twitter, Twitter bio generator, and Linktree alternative.
How Many Characters Can You Use in a Tweet?
280 characters. The Twitter and X character limit is 280 characters per tweet.
You can use up to 280 characters in a single tweet on Twitter and X (formerly Twitter). This tweet length limit applies to the whole tweet: letters, numbers, spaces, punctuation, links, hashtags, and @mentions all count. The app shows a twitter character count as you type so you can stay within the limit. For more on Twitter, see our how to use Twitter and Instagram caption generator (for cross-posting tips).
What Counts Toward the Twitter Character Limit?
What counts toward the limit? Everything in your tweet counts: letters, numbers, spaces, punctuation, links, hashtags, and @mentions. So your twitter character count is the total of all of these. On X (Twitter), most URLs are shortened to a fixed length (e.g. 23 characters) for display and for the limit—so a long link does not use hundreds of characters. Hashtags and @mentions count as one character per character (e.g. #hello = 6 characters, @username = length of username + 1). For captions on other platforms, see our Instagram caption generator and Instagram Reels caption generator.
X (Twitter) Character Limit – Is It the Same?
Yes. The X character limit is the same as the Twitter character limit: 280 characters per tweet. When Twitter was rebranded to X, the tweet length limit did not change. So whether you say twitter character limit or x character limit, the answer is 280 characters. The old Twitter limit was 140 characters (until 2017). For more platform limits, see our how many hashtags on Instagram and Instagram Reel length.
Quick Reference: Twitter Character Limit (2026)
Use this table for twitter character limit and tweet character limit at a glance:
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Characters per tweet | 280 |
| X (formerly Twitter) | Same: 280 |
| Do links count? | Yes (often shortened to ~23 chars) |
| Do hashtags count? | Yes, every character |
| Do @mentions count? | Yes, every character |
| Old limit (before 2017) | 140 characters |
This is the complete tweet length limit and how many characters on twitter for 2026. For more tools, see our how to use Twitter, Twitter bio generator, and Linktree alternative.
FAQ: Twitter Character Limit
How many characters can you use in a tweet?
280 characters. The Twitter and X character limit is 280 characters per tweet for most languages, including English.
What is the X character limit?
280 characters. X (formerly Twitter) uses the same 280-character limit per tweet.
Do links count toward the Twitter character limit?
Yes. Links count toward the limit. On Twitter/X, most URLs are displayed as a fixed length (e.g. 23 characters) in the count, but they still use part of your 280 characters.
Do hashtags and @mentions count toward the Twitter character limit?
Yes. Hashtags and @mentions each count as one character per character. So #hello is 6 characters and @username counts as the full length of the username plus the @ symbol.
Is the Twitter character limit the same as the X character limit?
Yes. X (formerly Twitter) kept the 280-character limit per tweet. The limit did not change when Twitter became X.
What was the old Twitter character limit?
140 characters. Twitter increased the limit from 140 to 280 characters in 2017 for most languages.