How to Add and Set Up the Character Counter Widget on Your Form

Jotform makes it easy to control response length in your form with the Character Counter widget, which lets you set a maximum character limit and shows users how many characters they have left as they type. You can also configure warnings to notify users when they are close to the limit, helping prevent incomplete or invalid responses.

Here are a few ways to use it:

• Limit the number of characters users can enter.
• Show a live countdown of remaining characters.
• Prevent overly long or incomplete responses.
• Improve the overall form-filling experience.

Whether you’re starting fresh or updating a form, adding and setting up the Character Counter widget takes only a few steps. Here’s a quick how-to:

1. In Form Builder, click on Add Element on the left side of the page.

2. Now, in the Form Elements menu, under the Widgets tab, search for Character Counter and click on it. Or, just drag and drop it to where you want it to be on your form.

3. Next, in the Widget Settings menu that opens on the right side of the page, under the General tab, you’ll see this list of settings you can configure:
   • Total Characters — Set the maximum number of characters allowed in the field.
   • Warning At — Set the character limit where a warning will appear to let users know they’re getting close to the maximum.
4. Once everything’s set, click on Update.

That’s it. You’ve successfully added and set up the Character Counter widget on your form. Wondering how it looks in action? Check out this demo form.