Markdown word counter
Paste a Markdown file or open a .md file, and see how many words a reader reads, about how long it takes to read, and how many characters, paragraphs and headings it has. It is free and runs in your browser.
Your file stays on your computer. The conversion runs in this browser tab. Nothing is uploaded, stored or logged.
Report
Counting…
A Markdown word count counts the words a reader sees, not the marks that format them, such as the # before a heading or the ** around bold text.
How to count the words in a Markdown file
- Paste your Markdown in the box, or choose Open a .md file, or drop the file on the box.
- Read the count line under the buttons: how many words the file has and about how long it takes to read.
- Read the report for characters, paragraphs, headings and the code that was left out of the count.
- Choose Copy report to copy the count and the report as plain text.
Join the Sashmark waitlist
Sashmark is a Markdown reader in development for files your AI agents write. It is planned to let you read and edit .md files like this one on your desktop.
Questions
Is my file uploaded?
No. The conversion runs in your browser on your own computer. The page sends nothing about your file anywhere, and nothing is stored or logged.
Is the word counter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no limit on how many files you count.
What does it count?
Words in headings, paragraphs, lists and quotes. The text of a link counts, but a web address typed out in full or in angle brackets does not. Code blocks, inline code, HTML and images are not in the word total. The report counts code blocks and inline code on lines of their own.
Why is my count lower than another counter gives?
Many counters count the marks that format Markdown, such as # and *, and the words inside code. This counter reads the file as Markdown, so it counts only what a reader reads.
How is the reading time worked out?
The word count is divided by 230 words a minute and rounded up to the next whole minute.
Does it count languages that do not put spaces between words?
Yes, when your browser can split that language into words. Otherwise it counts the text between spaces as words.
Is there a size limit?
Yes. A file over 5 MB is refused, and a file that takes more than two seconds to count shows a message instead of a count.
What is Sashmark?
Sashmark is a Markdown reader in development for people whose AI agents write Markdown. It is planned to let you read and edit .md files like yours on your desktop.