ACF Character Count WP Registry grade A. No security issues foundWP RegistryNo security issues foundOpen the reportA

A lightweight WordPress plugin that adds live character counters to Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) text-based fields in the admin dashboard. Helps content editors stay within recommended character limits without leaving the edit screen.

Features

• Live character counting on text, textarea, and WYSIWYG (visual editor) fields
• Works inside repeaters, groups, and flexible content at any nesting depth — counters appear automatically on dynamically added rows
• Per-field character limits using ACF's built-in maxlength setting or a simple [maxchars:N] tag in field instructions
• Visual warning when the character count exceeds the limit (counter turns red)
• Configurable display — choose to show counters on all fields or only on fields with a limit set
• Tidy placement — the counter sits to the right of the field's instruction (or label), above the input, keeping the area below the field clear
• Automatic updates — your WordPress sites are notified when a new version is released
• French translation included, with support for additional languages

Requirements

• WordPress 6.0 or higher
• PHP 8.1 or higher
• Advanced Custom Fields (Pro or Free)

Installation

1. Download the latest release zip from the Releases page
2. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
3. Choose the downloaded zip file and click Install Now
4. Activate the plugin

That's it — character counters will appear on your ACF fields immediately with no additional setup required.

Configuration

Settings Page

Go to Settings > ACF Character Count to configure the plugin:

• Default Character Limits — Set default maximum character counts for each field type (text, textarea, WYSIWYG). These apply when no per-field limit is set. Use 0 for no limit.
• Counter Display — Choose between:
  • Always — show counters on all supported fields
  • Configured only — show counters only on fields that have a character limit set

Per-Field Limits

You can set character limits on individual fields in two ways:

1. ACF's maxlength setting — In your field group editor, set the "Character Limit" option on a text or textarea field. The counter picks this up automatically.

2. Instructions tag — Add [maxchars:N] anywhere in a field's instruction text (where N is the limit). This works for all field types including WYSIWYG, which doesn't have a built-in maxlength setting.

   Example: Setting a field's instructions to Keep this under 280 characters [maxchars:280] will display a counter with a 280-character limit.

Per-field limits take priority over the defaults set in the settings page.

Automatic Updates

This plugin checks for new releases automatically. When a new version is published, you'll see the standard "update available" notice on the Plugins page in your WordPress admin — just click Update Now like any other plugin.

Translation

The plugin is fully translatable. A French (fr_FR) translation is included.

To add your own translation:

1. Use a tool like Poedit to open languages/acf-charcount.pot
2. Translate the strings and save as acf-charcount-{locale}.po (e.g., acf-charcount-de_DE.po)
3. Compile to .mo format and place both files in the languages/ directory

License

This plugin is licensed under the GPL v2 or later.