Thread Numbering Formatter
Number a thread, and do the arithmetic the counter costs.
- 100% success
Tool input
Overview
About this tool
Takes a thread that is already in pieces and applies 1/12, 1/, (1/12), 1. or keycap-emoji numbering — stripping whatever numbering is there first, showing the character count per post, and flagging the ones the counter just pushed over the limit.
Instructions
How to use it
Separate the posts with a blank line — or with a line of three dashes, if a post has its own line breaks in it. Any numbering already on them is removed before the new numbering goes on, so running this twice is safe.
Why this is not find-and-replace
Two reasons. A counter spends characters: adding “12/17” to seventeen posts is up to six each, and the post that was sitting at 279 is now over. And “1/17” cannot be written until the last post exists, so inserting one post in the middle means renumbering every post after it by hand.
Where the number goes
A leading number is easier to follow. A trailing one keeps the hook first — which matters most on the opening post, the only one the timeline shows. “Leave the first post unnumbered” is the version most good threads use.
Questions
Frequently asked
Should I number my thread at all?
Numbering tells a reader how much is left, which keeps them reading. The cost is characters and a slightly formal feel. Threads under about four posts rarely need it.
Why does it say a post is over the limit now?
Because the counter is characters too. A post at 277 becomes 282 once “12/17 ” is in front of it — which is the whole reason this does the arithmetic rather than leaving it to you.
Can I renumber a thread I have already numbered?
Yes. Existing numbering is stripped before the new numbering is applied, so pasting an edited thread back in gives you a clean renumber rather than “2/9 1/9”.
What is the 🧵 for?
It is the convention that tells a reader in the timeline that there is more below. Optional, and it costs two characters on the post where characters are worth the most.
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