1. Open Word Count
In your document, go to Tools and choose Word count.
Google Docs Guide
How to Show Word Count in Google Docs
Learn how to check your word count, keep it visible while writing, and find character counts in Google Docs on desktop and mobile.
Quick Answer
On a computer, open your Google Docs document, choose Tools, then select Word count.
If you want to see your word count while writing, enable Display word count while typing in the Word count window.
Open Free Word CounterHow to Check Word Count in Google Docs on a Computer
Google Docs includes a built-in word-count tool that can show the number of pages, words, characters, and characters without spaces in your document.
Step 1: Open Your Google Docs Document
Open the document you want to check in Google Docs.
Step 2: Open the Tools Menu
At the top of the Google Docs editor, click Tools.
Step 3: Select Word Count
Choose Word count from the Tools menu.
Step 4: Review Your Statistics
Google Docs will display information about your document, including its word and character counts.
How to Show Word Count While Typing
You can keep a word-count indicator visible while working on shorter documents such as essays.
2. Enable Live Display
Check the option labeled “Display word count while typing.”
3. View the Counter
The word-count box appears near the bottom-left of the document while you work.
What Does Google Docs Word Count Show?
When you open the Word count feature on a computer, Google Docs can show several document statistics.
Pages
Shows the number of pages in the document when page information is available.
Words
Displays the total number of words counted in the document or selected text.
Characters
Displays the total number of text characters.
Characters Without Spaces
Shows a second character total with spaces excluded.
How to Check the Word Count of Selected Text
If you only want to check part of a document, select the section of text first and then open the Word count tool.
This is useful when an assignment, article, essay, or application has separate word limits for different sections.
What Is Not Included in the Full Document Count?
Google Docs does not count every document element in the same way.
Headers
Header text is not included in the normal whole-document word count.
Footers
Footer text is excluded from the normal whole-document count.
Footnotes
Footnotes are also excluded from the standard full-document count.
How to Check Word Count in Google Docs on Android
You can also check word count from the Google Docs mobile app.
Step 1
Open the Google Docs app on your Android phone or tablet.
Step 2
Open the document you want to check.
Step 3
Tap the More menu.
Step 4
Tap Word count.
The app can display words, characters, and characters excluding spaces.
How to Check Word Count on iPhone or iPad
The process is similar in the Google Docs app for iOS and iPadOS.
Open Google Docs
Launch the Google Docs app and open your document.
Tap More
Open the More menu inside the document.
Choose Word Count
Tap Word count to view words and character statistics.
Google Docs Word Count vs. an Online Word Counter
Google Docs is useful when your writing is already inside a document. An online word counter can be more convenient when you want to quickly paste text without opening or creating a document.
Our word counter shows words, characters, characters without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, estimated reading time, and a customizable word-limit tracker.
The text-counting functionality runs directly in your browser.
Try the Word CounterWhen Should You Check Your Word Count?
Word counting is useful whenever your writing has a target or maximum length.
School Essays
Track assignment length while drafting and editing your essay.
College Applications
Check application essays and personal statements against required word limits.
Articles & Blog Posts
Monitor content length while writing articles, guides, and blog posts.
Google Docs Word Count FAQs
Quick answers to common Google Docs word-count questions.
Where is word count in Google Docs?
On a computer, open the Tools menu and choose Word count.
Can Google Docs show word count while I type?
Yes. Open Tools, choose Word count, and enable the option to display word count while typing.
Does Google Docs count characters?
Yes. Google Docs can display both total characters and characters excluding spaces.
Can I count only part of a Google Doc?
Yes. Select the text you want to check before opening the Word count feature.
Does Google Docs count headers and footers?
The normal whole-document word count excludes headers, footers, and footnotes.
Can I check word count on Android?
Yes. Open a document in the Google Docs app, open the More menu, and choose Word count.
Can I check word count on iPhone?
Yes. In the Google Docs app, open your document, tap More, and select Word count.
Is Google Docs word count available in Google Sheets?
Google's built-in Docs word-count feature is designed for Google Docs and is not available as the same feature in Google Sheets or Google Slides.
Official Google Docs Instructions
Google's help covers word counts on a computer, Android, and iPhone and iPad. The live display described above is a desktop option.
If Word count is unavailable in a mobile document, check whether you opened an Office file in compatibility mode. Google lists that mode as unsupported for this feature.