X post character limit and how X counts emoji and links

X's counting page sets the limit at 280 characters. Most characters count as 1, but some count as 2. That group includes all emoji, which count as 2 regardless of how complex they are, along with Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters. The same page lists other Unicode characters as 2 by default.

A link has its own rule. The page says, "All URLs are wrapped with t.co shortener and count as 23 characters, regardless of the original length." A link takes 23 characters on X, whether it's a short address or a long one. Media attached through official clients counts as 0 characters.

By default, the counter counts visible characters. An emoji counts as one, even a complex one like a person with a skin tone, and a link counts at its real length. The example post shows the first gap: its emoji is one character in the counter and 2 on X.

To bring the counter's total closer to X's, make these changes: - Keep the counter in its default visible character mode. - Add 1 for each emoji, including complex ones. - For each link, subtract its real length and add 23. - Add 1 for each Chinese, Japanese or Korean character.

Here's one worked case. Take a post with 270 ordinary characters (letters, spaces, and punctuation) and 6 emoji. The counter would show 276, which looks like room to spare. X counts the 6 emoji as 12, so the post comes to 282 and is over the limit by 2.

Code point mode works against the emoji step. In that mode, a complex emoji can count as several parts, so its total already includes extra counts, and adding 1 on top overshoots. A post in Chinese, Japanese or Korean can also reach 280 on X long before the counter's total gets close. The counter can't tell which characters X weights, so the steps above only cover the weights you can spot in your own text.