Free tool

Tweet Shortener

Get under 280 without gutting the idea.

Quick answer

Shortening a post is about cutting words, not meaning. Delete filler like just, really, and in order to, replace long phrases with short ones, and drop any sentence that is not doing work. Below are copy ready swaps that trim a post fast. Remember that every link counts as 23 characters on X, so a post with a link has 257 characters of real room.

How to shorten a post

  1. 1
    Delete the filler
    Cut words like just, really, very, and that. Most posts lose nothing when they go.
  2. 2
    Swap long for short
    Trade in order to for to, and utilize for use. Short words read faster on a phone.
  3. 3
    Drop a whole sentence
    If two sentences make the same point, keep the stronger one and delete the other.
Links cost 23 characters
A link always counts as 23 characters on X, whatever its length. If you are close to the limit, that link is often the reason. Consider dropping it into a reply instead.

Copy ready shortening swaps

  • in order to becomes to
  • due to the fact that becomes because
  • at this point in time becomes now
  • a large number of becomes many
  • has the ability to becomes can
  • in the event that becomes if
  • for the purpose of becomes for or to
  • I personally think that becomes I think, or just cut it
  • really, very, and just usually add nothing, so delete them
  • start with the point and delete any warm up sentence before it
  • turn a two sentence claim into one clause with a comma
  • move a link or a source into the first reply to reclaim 23 characters
Shorten in your own voice
TweetX can trim a draft to fit while keeping your voice inside the app, and you can confirm the count in the Tweet Character Counter.

Use cases

Getting a post under 280

When a draft is a few characters over, a couple of swaps usually fix it without a rewrite.

Tightening a bio

The same swaps trim a bio where space is tight and every word competes.

Making room for a link

Free up the 23 characters a link needs by cutting filler elsewhere in the post.

FAQ

Delete filler words, swap long phrases for short ones, and cut any sentence that repeats a point. If it still will not fit, it may want to be a thread.

Related tools and guides

Tweet Character Counter

A free tweet character counter for X. Paste your post to see the character count, the 280 limit, and where it will get cut off.

Tweet Length Checker

A free tweet length checker for X. Paste a post to see if it fits the 280 character limit and where it would be cut off.

Tweet Rewriter

A free guide to rewriting your tweets for X, with copy ready before and after patterns that make a flat post sharper and easier to read.

Grow on X without the guesswork

TweetX writes in your voice, schedules straight to X, and turns your real analytics into a plain do more of this and do less of this.

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