Document word counter guide
How a document word counter reads PDFs and Word files
In short
Drop a PDF, DOCX, DOC, ODT, RTF, HTML, Markdown or text file onto the counter. It reads the file inside your browser, counts the words, characters, sentences and paragraphs, and shows you the exact text it read so you can check nothing was missed. For Word files you choose whether footnotes, headers and footers, and text boxes are included. The file never leaves your device.
- Formats
- PDF, DOCX, DOC, ODT, RTF, HTML, MD, TXT
- Largest file
- 10 MB
- Word file options
- Footnotes, headers, text boxes
- Where your file goes
- Nowhere. Read in your browser
How to count words in a PDF or Word file
Drag the file onto the drop area, or click to choose it. One file at a time, up to 10 MB.
For a DOC or DOCX file, decide which extra parts to include: Footnotes and endnotes, Headers and footers, and Text boxes. They're all off by default, so you get the body text only.
Most files take a few seconds. You can cancel at any time.
Read the totals on the Overview tab, then open Text preview to see exactly what was counted. Copy report copies the results, and Download report saves them as a text file.
How to get a word count for a PDF
Adobe Acrobat doesn't have a built-in word count; Adobe's own advice is to convert the PDF to Word and count it there. This counter reads the PDF's text layer directly, reports the page count, and counts the words without converting anything.
Two things to watch for. First, a scanned PDF is just pictures of pages, with no text inside, so it has nothing to count until it's been through OCR (optical character recognition). If the counter finds no selectable text, it tells you. Second, PDFs don't store text in reading order. Columns, tables, headers and footnotes can come out in an unexpected sequence, which doesn't change the word count but can look odd in the preview.
Word count for Word documents: footnotes, headers and text boxes
Microsoft Word's word count has a checkbox for “Include textboxes, footnotes and endnotes”, and it doesn't count headers and footers at all. That's why a total from an online counter often doesn't match Word: they include different parts of the file.
Here you choose. The body is always counted. Footnotes and endnotes, headers and footers, and text boxes each have their own switch, and the Extraction tab lists what was counted and what was left out. Text boxes are taken out of the body before counting, so nothing is counted twice.
If a DOCX still has tracked changes, deleted text that hasn't been accepted is included in the count. Accept or reject all changes first for a clean total.
Which file types can you count?
| Format | What gets counted | Left out |
|---|---|---|
| The selectable text layer, plus the page count | Scanned images without OCR | |
| DOCX | Body text; optional footnotes, headers and text boxes | Parts you switch off |
| DOC (Word 97–2003) | Body text; the same optional parts as DOCX | Parts you switch off |
| ODT | Paragraphs and headings | Layout and images |
| RTF | The text, with special characters decoded | Formatting codes |
| HTML | Visible text | Scripts, styles and embedded media |
| Markdown | The source text, symbols included | Nothing is rendered first |
| TXT | Everything | Nothing |
Password-protected files can't be opened. Page counts are only reported for PDFs, because a Word or ODT file doesn't have fixed pages until it's laid out on a particular screen or printer.
Why nothing is uploaded
Many online PDF word counters upload your file to their server, count it there and promise to delete it later. This one doesn't upload it at all. The file is opened by code running in your browser, which matters when the document is a contract, a thesis or anything confidential.
You can check it yourself: open your browser's developer tools, go to the Network tab and count a file. No request carries the document.
Common questions
How do I count the words in a PDF?
Drop the PDF onto the document word counter. It reads the text layer in your browser and shows the word count, character count and number of pages. Nothing is uploaded.
Does Adobe Acrobat have a word count?
No, not directly. Adobe suggests converting the PDF to Word and using Word's count. A document word counter can read the PDF as it is.
Why does my PDF show 0 words?
It's almost certainly a scanned PDF, which contains images of pages rather than text. Run it through OCR first so the words become selectable, then count it again.
Does Word count footnotes?
Only if “Include textboxes, footnotes and endnotes” is ticked in Word's Word Count box. Headers and footers aren't counted by Word either way. Here, each of those parts has its own switch.
Why is my count different from Microsoft Word?
Usually because the two include different parts of the file, such as footnotes, text boxes or headers, or because tracked deletions are still in the document. Match the switches to Word's settings and accept tracked changes first.
Is my document uploaded?
No. The file is read by your browser on your device. It isn't sent to Words Calculator or anyone else.
What's the largest file I can count?
10 MB, one file at a time. A file that produces more than 2 million characters of text is rejected with a message.
Can I count words in a Google Doc?
Google Docs has its own count under Tools, then Word count. To use this counter instead, download the Doc as DOCX or PDF and drop the file in.
Does it count the words in images or charts?
No. Only real text is counted. Words that are part of a picture, a scanned page or a chart image aren't readable without OCR.
Can I see what was counted?
Yes. The Text preview tab shows the first 8,000 characters of the extracted text, which you can copy or download. The totals always use all of the text.
Sources
- How to count words in a PDFAdobe
- Show word countMicrosoft Support
- Word count including text boxes, footnotes and endnotesMicrosoft Q&A
- Check word count in Google DocsGoogle Docs Editors Help