Website Word Counter
Count the words on any web page, or in text you paste. For a URL, only the page's main content is counted by default, so menus, footers and sidebars don't inflate the total.
How the words are counted
A word is any run of letters or numbers. Words joined by an apostrophe, a hyphen or a decimal point count once, so "don't", "e-mail" and "3.5" are one word each. Most word processors count the same way, though they can differ slightly on symbols and numbers.
For a URL, the counter reads the page's HTML as it is served and counts the main content: the <main> element, a single <article>, or the body with its navigation, header, footer, sidebars and forms removed. Tick Count the whole page to include everything a visitor can read. Text that only appears after JavaScript runs isn't counted.
| Measure | How it's worked out |
|---|---|
| Sentences | Text ending in ., ! or ?, without splitting on abbreviations like "e.g." or "Dr.". A heading or list item without punctuation counts as one sentence. |
| Paragraphs | Separate blocks of text: paragraphs, headings, list items and table cells on a page, or separate lines in pasted text. |
| Reading time | Words divided by 238 per minute, a typical silent reading speed for adults. |
| Speaking time | Words divided by 150 per minute, a comfortable pace for a talk or a video script. |
| Flesch Reading Ease | 206.835 − 1.015 × words per sentence − 84.6 × syllables per word. Syllables are estimated, so treat the score as a guide. |
How long should a page be?
Google doesn't have a preferred word count. Its own guidance on helpful content asks whether you're "writing to a particular word count because you've heard or read that Google has a preferred word count", and answers: "No, we don't." A page should be as long as it needs to be to answer the question fully, and no longer.
That said, different kinds of page tend to need different amounts of text. These ranges are rough guides, not targets:
| Page type | What it usually needs |
|---|---|
| Product page | Enough to describe what it is, who it's for, the details that decide a purchase and the specifications. Often a few hundred words, plus a specs table. |
| Category page | A short introduction above the products. A long block of text at the bottom rarely helps anyone. |
| Service or landing page | What you do, for whom, how it works, proof and a clear next step. Long enough to answer the questions a buyer would ask on a call. |
| Blog post or guide | Whatever it takes to answer the question completely. Look at the pages that rank for your topic to see how much depth searchers expect. |
| News article | The facts first, then context. Length follows the story. |
Use the counter to compare: count your page and the pages ranking above it. If they cover subtopics you don't, that gap matters far more than the word count itself. The Keyword Density Checker shows which terms each page uses most.
Questions
How do I count the words on a website?
Paste the page's URL above and press Count words. The counter reads the page and counts its main content, with the option to include the whole page. To count a whole site, run the pages you care about one at a time.
How many words should a blog post be for SEO?
There's no fixed number, and Google says it has no preferred word count. Write enough to answer the searcher's question completely and well. For a quick question that might be 300 words; for a detailed guide it might be 2,000 or more.
Why is my count different from another word counter?
Counters differ on what they include from a page (menus, footers, cookie notices) and on how they treat numbers, hyphenated words and symbols. Use the same tool when you compare pages.
Does it count text loaded by JavaScript?
No. It counts the HTML the server sends, which is what search engines read first. If your content is rendered by JavaScript, the count may be low or zero; Google renders JavaScript later, but text in the HTML is the safer choice.
Is my pasted text stored?
No. Pasted text is counted in your browser and never sent anywhere.