Character count in Word

Windows

1. Look at the status bar at the bottom of the Word window. It shows the number of words, for example "312 words".
2. Click that word count. The Word Count box opens.
3. Read the characters lines. Word lists characters without spaces and characters with spaces, plus pages, words, paragraphs and lines.
4. To count part of the document, select the text first, then click the count. The box then shows the figures for your selection.

If there's no word count in the status bar, right-click the status bar and tick Word Count.

Mac

1. Click the word count in the status bar at the bottom of the window. The Word Count box opens with characters, paragraphs and lines.
2. Unless you've selected text, Word counts the whole document.
3. To count only part of it, select the text, then choose Tools > Word Count.

Word for the web

Word for the web counts while you type and shows the count at the bottom of the window. If you don't see it, make sure you're in Editing view. Then go to Review > Word Count and tick Show Word Count. Click the count to see characters.

Which character count should you use?

Most limits mean characters with spaces. That's how application forms, social networks and meta descriptions count, and it's the number to use unless you're told otherwise. A few translation and publishing rates are set per character without spaces, so check the brief.

Word's count and a website's count don't always agree. Emoji, symbols and line breaks are where they most often differ, because every app decides for itself how to count them. Word can also include or leave out text boxes, footnotes and endnotes, while a form only sees the text you paste into it.

So if a form has a strict limit, paste the final text into the counter on this page as well. It counts emoji the way phones show them and includes line breaks, and it checks the text against limits such as an Instagram bio, a post on X or an SMS.

Put the character count in the document

Some forms ask you to print the count on the page. Word can insert it as a field:

1. Click where the number should go.
2. Go to Insert > Quick Parts > Field.
3. Choose the count you need from Field names. Microsoft's help describes NumWords for words; the same list includes NumChars for characters.
4. Click OK.

The number doesn't update by itself. Right-click it and choose Update Field after you edit. To refresh it each time you print, go to File > Options > Display and tick Update fields before printing.

Counting characters in a single paragraph or cell

Select just that paragraph and open the Word Count box. For a table cell, select the text inside the cell rather than the whole cell, so the cell marker isn't included. To check several separate pieces, such as answers to different questions on an application, count each one on its own. Word adds up everything you select, even if the selection jumps between parts of the document.

When Word isn't the right place to count

If your text will end up on a website, in an email or in an app, the count that matters is the one that app uses. Draft in Word if you like, then paste the final text into the counter above and choose the platform. You'll see how many characters you've used, how many are left, and whether a link or an emoji is taking more room than you expected.