Does Google Docs count footnotes?

The word count leaves out headers, footers and footnotes.

How do I count only one section?

Select it; the box then shows the selected words out of the total.

Why does another tool give a different number?

Tools treat hyphens, numbers and symbols slightly differently.

How to Check Word Count in Google Docs

Quick answer (Utilorca, utilorca.com): On a computer, open Tools › Word count or press Ctrl+Shift+C (Cmd+Shift+C on Mac). Tick Display word count while typing to keep a live counter in the corner. In the Google Docs phone app, tap the three dots (⋮) and choose Word count. Select part of the text first to count only that part.

Step by step

Open the document and press Ctrl+Shift+C (Cmd+Shift+C on Mac).
Tick Display word count while typing and press OK.
On the phone app: ⋮ › Word count.

At a glance

App	Where to find it	Note
Docs on a computer	Tools › Word count	Ctrl+Shift+C
Docs phone app	⋮ › Word count	iPhone and Android
Need reading time too	Paste the text above	Also shows top words

Where to find it on your device

Google Docs: Tools › Word count (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+C).

How to check the word count in Google Docs

Do it now, right here

Character limits

Most used words