Word Count
Resume · SEO · Twitter · manuscript paper.
Word Count · Blog
Articles about Word Count
Twitter, SEO meta, college essays, and academic word limits — without the surprise.
In English the most common word-count traps are SEO meta description (155 characters before SERP truncation), Twitter's 280-character cap, and college admissions essays (the Common App's 650-word limit, the UC personal insight 350-word limit). We've collected guides that explain not just the count, but why the platform set that count, and where edge cases (em-dashes, smart quotes) trip you up.
What this category covers
- SEO meta description — 155 character SERP threshold
- Twitter (X) — 280 characters and link shortening
- Common App essay — 650-word limit with full breakdown
- Manuscript word count — Microsoft Word vs Google Docs
Primary sources
- Common Application — official essay guidelines
- Google Search Central — meta description best practices
- University of California — personal insight question rules
Want to use the tool directly? Head to Word Count. The articles below are sorted newest first.
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LinkedIn Character Limits — Headline 220, About 2,600 in Practice (2026)
LinkedIn allows 220 characters for the headline and 2,600 for About, but only the first 60–70 and 300 characters appear in most contexts. Where to put your sharpest signal.
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Resume Length in 2026 — When the One-Page Rule Stops Helping
The one-page rule is no longer absolute. Entry-level still wants one page, mid-career two, and federal jobs cap at two pages. Why 1.5 pages is the worst length.
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Digital Character Limits — X 280, SMS 160, Meta 155 (2026)
The numbers behind every character limit you've ever bumped into — Twitter/X 280, SMS 160, SEO meta 155, LinkedIn 2,600 — and what each one tells you about how to write inside it.
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East Asian Manuscript Paper — Why Korea Counts in 200, Japan in 400
The 400-character Japanese manuscript paper, the 200-character Korean version, why both still appear in academic and literary submissions, and how to translate between word counts and 'pages.'
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Cover Letter Word Count — The 250–400 Range, One-Page Rule, and Where to Cut
Why 250–400 words is the safe cover letter range in 2026, what the one-page rule actually means in characters, and how to cut a 410-word draft down to 380 without losing your point.