Frequently Asked Questions

TypeCount is a free online tool I built because I was tired of juggling multiple tabs while writing content. As someone who writes a lot for social media, blogs, and SEO, I needed one place to check word counts, character limits, and readability scores. Most word counters I found were either too basic (just word count) or bloated with features I didn't need. TypeCount is the middle ground - everything you actually need, nothing you don't.

Yep, 100% free. No hidden fees, no premium tiers, no "pay to unlock" features. Everything you see is what you get. I keep it free because I built it as a tool I wanted to use myself, and running a simple web app doesn't cost that much. The site has some ads to cover hosting costs, but that's it. No subscriptions, no accounts needed.

Nope! Just open the site and start typing or pasting your text. I specifically designed it to be zero-friction - no sign-ups, no email verification, no passwords to remember. Your text is processed right in your browser, so there's literally no reason for me to need your account info. Just use it.

The counter splits your text by whitespace (spaces, tabs, line breaks) and counts each chunk as a word. It's smarter than just counting spaces though - it handles multiple spaces correctly, ignores empty lines, and deals with punctuation properly. The result matches what you'd get in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. I've tested it extensively to make sure the counts are accurate.

Yes, and this is actually trickier than most people realize. TypeCount uses proper Unicode segmentation, which means complex emojis like 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 (family emoji) count as ONE character, not four. This matches how platforms like Twitter count them. Regular emojis like 😀 are one character each. Special symbols, accented letters, and characters from non-Latin alphabets all work correctly too. I put a lot of work into getting this right because incorrect emoji counting was a pet peeve of mine with other tools.

The Flesch Reading Ease score measures how easy your text is to read on a scale of 0-100. Higher scores mean easier reading. Here's what the ranges mean: 90-100 is 5th grade level (very easy), 60-70 is 8th-9th grade (plain English, good for most content), 30-50 is college level, and below 30 is professional/academic. For most web content, you want to aim for 60-70. Even if your audience is highly educated, simpler writing is usually more effective. People skim online - don't make them work harder than necessary.

I use 200 words per minute as the base reading speed, which is the average for adult readers of English text. It's a conservative estimate - some people read faster, but 200 WPM ensures your estimate isn't too optimistic. The calculation is simple: total words divided by 200, rounded up to the nearest minute. For a 1,500-word blog post, that's about 8 minutes. Keep in mind this is just for reading - if your content includes code examples, complex diagrams, or requires thinking time, the actual time will be longer.

Yep! You can export in three formats: TXT (plain text summary), JSON (structured data if you're a developer), and CSV (opens nicely in Excel or Google Sheets). Look for the Export button in the actions bar. This is handy if you're tracking word counts over time or need to include stats in a report. The export includes everything - word count, character count, readability scores, platform limit status, the whole deal.

Pretty much all the major ones: Twitter/X (280 characters, or 25,000 for Premium), Instagram captions (2,200), LinkedIn posts (3,000), Facebook, TikTok, YouTube descriptions, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, Discord, Reddit, WhatsApp status, Snapchat... I keep adding more as people request them. Each platform card shows your current character count, the limit, and a visual progress bar. You'll get a warning when you're approaching the limit and an error state if you exceed it.

Because nothing kills engagement like a truncated post. If you exceed Twitter's limit, you simply can't post. If your Instagram caption is too long, it gets cut off with a "...more" that most people won't tap. Meta descriptions over 160 characters get truncated in search results. Each platform has its quirks, and respecting their limits ensures your message comes across as intended. Plus, constraints often lead to better writing - knowing you have 280 characters forces you to be concise.

Absolutely! Click the "Custom" option in the platform selector and enter any number you need. This is useful for essay word limits (just convert to characters), custom platform requirements, or internal content guidelines. Once set, it works just like the preset limits - progress bar, warnings, the whole thing. I added this because I kept needing to check against specific limits that weren't covered by the presets.

Your text never leaves your browser. Seriously. All the counting and analysis happens using JavaScript running on your device. Nothing gets sent to my server, nothing is stored in a database, nothing is logged. When you close the tab, it's gone. I built it this way on purpose because I use TypeCount for client work and sensitive content myself. I'd never build something that could leak confidential text.

Minimal cookies only - just for remembering your cookie consent preference and basic analytics (page views, that kind of thing). I don't use tracking cookies, don't sell data to third parties, and don't build advertising profiles. The ads you see are generic, not personalized. I could probably make more money with aggressive tracking, but that's not how I want to build things.

Yes, as safe as it gets for a web tool. Since everything runs locally in your browser and nothing is transmitted to any server, your text is never exposed. That said, standard security advice applies: make sure your own computer isn't compromised, use HTTPS (which TypeCount does), and be aware of browser extensions that might capture your input. But from TypeCount's side? Your text stays with you.

Three main ones: Keyword Density Checker (analyzes how often keywords appear in your text), Meta Tag Checker (validates your title and description lengths for Google), and Heading Analyzer (checks your H1-H6 structure). These complement the main word counter - you can write your content, check the word count, then run it through SEO analysis, all in one place. I built these because I was constantly switching between different tools while writing blog posts.

Google typically displays 150-160 characters of your meta description in search results. Go shorter and you're leaving free advertising space on the table. Go longer and your description gets truncated with "..." which looks unprofessional and might cut off important information. I recommend writing to around 155 characters - that gives you a small buffer while maximizing your space. Our Meta Checker tool shows you exactly where you stand.

For your primary keyword, aim for 1-2% density. That means if you write 1,000 words, your main keyword should appear 10-20 times. Go much higher than 2.5-3% and search engines might see it as keyword stuffing, which can hurt your rankings. But don't obsess over exact numbers - focus on writing naturally and check the density afterward. If it's way off, adjust. If it's in the ballpark, you're fine. Our Keyword Density Checker makes this easy to verify.