Word Count
Real-time word, character, sentence, and paragraph counter you can embed in Notion.
About this widget
The Olivtwig Word Count widget gives you a real-time count of words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs as you type or paste text. Embed the URL into a Notion page and you have a permanent counter for drafting against word-count targets — blog posts, essays, social-media drafts, presentation scripts. The text you type into the widget isn't saved (use Notion for the draft itself); the widget is purely a measuring instrument. No signup, no extension, no install.
Why a separate word-count widget when Notion has one
Notion's per-block selection word count is buried — you have to highlight text and read the bottom-bar count, and it disappears the moment you click elsewhere. The Word Count widget gives you a persistent live readout while you draft: paste in what you have so far, watch the numbers update, and you always know where you stand against a target. Handy when you're writing toward a specific length and need the count visible without re-selecting every time.
How the counts are calculated
Words are sequences separated by whitespace. Characters include spaces by default. Sentences are counted by terminating punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation), so partial sentences and abbreviations may affect the count slightly. Paragraphs are separated by blank lines. The counts update on every keystroke with no debouncing, so the readout reflects exactly what's currently in the editor.
Where it earns its place
Word Count plays a supporting role wherever drafting against a length target is the activity.
- Blog and essay drafts
- Drop into a writing page and paste each draft to check against a 1,000- or 2,000-word target.
- Social media
- Useful for measuring tweet-length, thread parts, or LinkedIn posts before publishing.
- Application essays
- Many applications cap responses at a strict character or word count — paste in to verify.
- Speech and presentation scripts
- A 1-minute talk is roughly 130–150 words — measure your script to estimate runtime.
Use cases
Blog and essay drafts
Drop into a writing page and paste each draft to track against a 1,000- or 2,000-word target.
Social media
Useful for measuring tweet-length, thread parts, or LinkedIn posts before publishing.
Application essays
Many applications cap responses at a strict word or character count — paste in to verify.
Presentation scripts
A 1-minute talk is roughly 130–150 words — measure your script to estimate runtime.
How to embed in Notion
- 01
Type /embed in Notion
Open any Notion page, type /embed, and select the Embed block from the menu.
- 02
Paste the widget URL
Copy the URL from any widget page and paste it into the embed dialog.
- 03
Widget appears instantly
The widget is now live in your Notion page. Resize it by dragging the edges.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Word Count widget free?
Yes. Every Olivtwig widget — including Word Count — is free to use, with no signup or login required.
Is the text I type saved?
No. The widget is intentionally not a draft tool — text exists only in the current session. Keep the actual draft in Notion and use the widget purely as a measuring instrument.
Do character counts include spaces?
Yes, by default characters include spaces and punctuation — matching most platform character limits (Twitter, etc.). If you need without-spaces, that's not currently exposed in the readout.
How are sentences detected?
Sentences are split by terminating punctuation (. ? !). Abbreviations and unusual punctuation may shift the count slightly — for strict accuracy, treat the sentence count as approximate.
Does it work for Korean text?
Yes. Word splitting treats whitespace-separated tokens as words, which matches typical Korean writing. Character and paragraph counts work identically across languages.