Mastodon Character Counter
Mastodon allows 500 characters per post by default, and each server can set its own limit. Links count as 23, and a mention of someone on another server counts only its @user part.
500 unless your server set its own.
Mastodon counts it toward the same limit as the post.
500 remaining
How Mastodon Counts Characters
- 23Every link that starts with
http://orhttps://, however long. A link without it counts as written. - @A mention of someone on another server, like
@alice@mastodon.social, counts only the@alicepart. - ×1Every other character a reader sees, including each emoji, flag and Chinese, Japanese or Korean character.
- CWA content warning counts toward the same limit as the post.
How it works
Simple and instant
Set Your Server's Limit
The counter starts at Mastodon's default of 500. If your server allows more, enter its limit and the count, ring and bar follow it.
Paste or Type Your Post
Enter your text, and your content warning if the post has one, because Mastodon counts the warning toward the same limit. The count updates as you type.
Trim, Copy or Split
The ring and bar turn amber near the limit and red past it. Hit Copy to grab the text for Mastodon, or split a long post into a thread with the Mastodon Post Preview.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What Is the Mastodon Character Limit?
500 characters per post on a default Mastodon server. Each server can set its own limit. If yours allows more, enter that number in the counter to count against it.
How Do I Find My Server's Character Limit?
Open https://your.server/api/v2/instance in your browser, with your server's address in place of your.server, and look for max_characters under configuration and statuses. Mastodon's API docs describe it as the maximum number of characters allowed per post, and the page is public, so you don't need to sign in.
How Do Links Count on Mastodon?
Every link that starts with http:// or https:// counts as 23 characters, however long it is. Mastodon's own guide says there is no need for a link shortener to save characters. A link written without http:// or https:// is plain text to Mastodon, so it counts every character.
How Do Mentions Count on Mastodon?
A mention of someone on your own server, like @alice, counts as written. A mention of someone on another server, like @alice@mastodon.social, counts only the @alice part, because Mastodon does not count the server's domain.
Does the Content Warning Count Toward the Limit?
Yes. Mastodon's source code adds the content warning to the post text and checks the total against the server's limit. Type the warning in the Content warning field and the counter includes it.
How Do Emoji Count on Mastodon?
Every emoji counts as 1, including combined ones like the family 👨👩👧, flags and skin tones, because Mastodon counts graphemes, the characters a reader sees. A custom emoji is written as a shortcode, like :blobcat:, and every character of the shortcode counts.
Is This Counter Free?
Yes. No account, no sign-up and no credit card. The counter runs entirely in your browser.
Sources, checked on October 27, 2026: Mastodon docs: Posting to your profile, Mastodon docs: Instance, Mastodon docs: instance API methods and Mastodon source: StatusLengthValidator.
Write for Mastodon, Then Schedule It
Postopus publishes to Mastodon and Bluesky as well as LinkedIn and X, with threads, up to 4 images with alt text, a first comment posted as a reply, and scheduling. Each Mastodon post is checked against your server's own limit, 500 by default.
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