Keyboard shortcut: Press Ctrl + Shift + C on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command + Shift + C on Mac.
How to Check Character Count in Google Docs
- Open the document you want to check.
Click Tools in the top menu. Select Word count. - Read Characters for the count including spaces, or Characters excluding spaces for the count without spaces.
You can leave the window open for reference or click Close when you are finished.
What the Word Count Window Shows
The Word count window lists:
- Pages
- Words
- Characters, including spaces
- Characters, excluding spaces
Select Display word count while typing if you want Google Docs to show a live word count near the bottom of the document. Hover over that count to see the character total.
To count only part of a document, highlight the text before opening Tools > Word count. Google Docs will show statistics for the selected text.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google Docs count characters with spaces?
Yes. The Word count window shows both characters including spaces and characters excluding spaces.
Is character count the same as word count?
No. Word count measures words, while character count measures individual letters, numbers, punctuation marks and, depending on the value you use, spaces.
What is the shortcut for character count in Google Docs?
Use Ctrl + Shift + C on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command + Shift + C on Mac, to open the Word count window.
Can I check only part of a Google Doc?
Yes. Select the text first, then open Word count to see statistics for the selected text.
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