How to Check Word Count in Notion

Notion does have a built-in word count — but it's hidden by default. Here's exactly how to find it, why it's limited, and a faster way to check your word count when Notion's tool isn't enough.

Does Notion have a word count?

Yes. Notion added a word count feature, but it only appears when you select text. It doesn't show anywhere on screen until you highlight something — which is why so many people assume it doesn't exist.

How to check word count in Notion (step by step)

1
Open your Notion page Navigate to the page whose word count you want to check.
2
Select all text — Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A on Mac) Click inside the page body first, then press Ctrl+A to select all text on the page.
3
Look at the toolbar that appears A floating toolbar appears at the top of your selection. It shows the word count and character count for the selected text.
4
For a partial count — select only the text you want Highlight any section of your page to see the word count for just that selection.

Notion word count not showing? Make sure you've clicked inside the page body before pressing Ctrl+A. If you click on the page title or a heading block, the selection may not include the full body text.

Limitations of Notion's built-in word count

Faster alternative: paste into FastWordCount

If you need more than a basic word count — reading time, sentence count, paragraph count, character count with and without spaces, or keyword frequency — copy your Notion text and paste it into FastWordCount.

Get your full word count in seconds

Copy your Notion text, paste it below, and see word count, character count, sentences, paragraphs and reading time instantly.

Open FastWordCount →

Notion word count on mobile

On the Notion mobile app (iOS and Android), word count works the same way — select text and the count appears in the formatting toolbar. However, selecting all text on a long page can be unreliable on mobile. The easiest workaround is to copy the page text and paste it into a word counter tool like FastWordCount, which works on any mobile browser.

Notion character count

When you select text in Notion, the toolbar shows both word count and character count. The character count includes spaces. If you need a character count without spaces — useful for translation estimates or certain platform limits — use the character counter on FastWordCount, which shows both figures side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Notion has a built-in word count, but it only appears when you select text on a page. Select all with Ctrl+A (Cmd+A on Mac) and look at the floating toolbar that appears.
Click inside your Notion page, press Ctrl+A (Cmd+A on Mac) to select all text, then look at the toolbar that appears at the top of the selection. It will show the word count for the selected text.
Notion word count only appears when text is selected. If you see no word count, make sure you've clicked inside the page body first before pressing Ctrl+A. The word count won't show on an empty selection or if you've clicked on the page title.
Yes. When you select text in Notion, the toolbar shows both word count and character count. For a character count without spaces, paste your text into the FastWordCount character counter.
Several browser extensions add persistent word count displays to Notion. Alternatively, copy your text and paste it into FastWordCount for an instant count without installing anything.

Last updated: June 17, 2026  ·  FastWordCount  ·  Word Counter  ·  Character Counter