Word limits vs. character limits
Cover letters and college application essays are usually given a word limit (e.g. "650 words or fewer"), while social platforms and some forms use a character limit instead. Always check which one the form you're filling out actually asks for before you trim your text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this count every letter, number, and symbol as one character?
Yes. Each character (by Unicode code point) counts as one. Some special characters like emoji may display differently than they are counted.
Is anything I type saved anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated entirely in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.