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You choose which sites count. The extension ships with writing sites already on, and everything else waits for you to add it.
Where to find it: 4thewords icon → My sites in the footer
The My sites view showing the current site as counting, a Counting on these sites list with six writing sites, a Not counted list, and a note that 4thewords.com is always skipped

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How word counting works

The extension counts words as you type in any text field, input boxes, textareas, contenteditable areas, and canvas-based editors like Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Word on the web. It works the same as writing in the 4thewords editor: your word count deals damage, feeds your streak, and counts toward daily challenges.
  • Every word counts once. CJK characters (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) count as one word each.
  • Pasted text counts too, unless you turn off Count pasted text in Settings.
  • Sensitive fields are always skipped. Passwords, credit card numbers, OTP codes, and similar fields are never counted, no matter which site you’re on.
  • Code editors are skipped. Embedded code editors are excluded, so scripting in a browser IDE doesn’t inflate your word count.
Word counting only runs on sites in My sites. An unlisted site never counts, even if you’re actively typing.

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Writing sites count from day one

The extension ships with a starter list of writing-first sites already turned on: Google Docs, Notion, Substack, Medium, WordPress, Archive of Our Own, Overleaf, Evernote, Coda, 750words, Reedsy, Novlr, NovelPad, Campfire Writing, Ellipsus, World Anvil, and Word on the web. Type on any of them and your words count immediately, no setup needed. Starter entries match subdomains too, so a Substack entry covers your own publication at yourname.substack.com. Google is scoped to Google Docs specifically, which means Gmail and Search never count just because Docs does. Email, social media, and AI chat sites are deliberately left off the starter list. They only count if you add them yourself.

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Choosing which sites count (My sites)

1

Open My sites

Click the 4thewords icon in your toolbar (or open the side panel), then click My sites in the footer.
2

Add the site you're on

The This site row at the top shows the site in your current tab. Click Count next to it and confirm, and it starts counting right away. No reload needed.
3

Add a site by name

Type a domain into the add field (for example notion.so) and click Add.
4

Remove a site

Find it under Counting on these sites and remove it. New words there stop counting immediately, and you can add it back any time.
Never want to be asked about a site? The Not counted list in My sites is a permanent no. Add a domain there and it stays excluded. Your 4thewords editor is always excluded automatically, so writing in the app never gets double-counted.

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Words by site and session stats

Where to find it: 4thewords icon → Stats in the footer
Open Stats from the footer to see where your words went. Two tabs sit at the top:
The Stats view with By site turned on, showing 20,980 words across 6 sites broken down by domain with percentage shares, below the period and sort filters
  • Words written. Your totals by site, with each site’s share of the whole. Filter by Today, Week, Month, Year, or All time, and sort by most words or most recent.
  • Stats. Your writing-session breakdown: time spent actively writing, pauses, and words typed versus pasted versus deleted.

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The “By site” toggle

Per-site and per-document detail is off by default, controlled by the By site toggle in the Stats header.
  • Off (default): your synced data is numbers only. Site names and document names never leave your device.
  • On: the extension includes where you wrote with your synced word counts, so the breakdown above shows real sites instead of blanks.
With By site on, three pieces of location data are sent along with your word counts: the domain (like “docs.google.com”), the document’s title on supported editors (like a Google Doc’s name), and a scrambled document identifier. The identifier is one-way hashed on your device with a random per-install key before it leaves, so 4thewords can tell “same document” from “different document” but can never recover the actual document address.The full URL and the text you wrote are never sent, on or off. Turn the toggle off and this stops immediately. See Permissions & Privacy.

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Count pasted text

A toggle in Settings → Tracking controls whether pasted text counts toward your word total. It’s on by default. Turn it off if you want typed words only, useful if you frequently paste in text you didn’t personally write.

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Writing offline

Sync to 4thewords in Settings is on by default. Turn it off and the extension keeps counting your words locally without sending anything to your account. A banner reminds you that your progress isn’t being sent. Turn it back on to resume syncing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Check the counting toggle at the top of the popup or side panel first, a gray toolbar icon means counting is paused. Then check My sites: if the site isn’t on your counted list, add it from the This site row or by typing the domain. Also check that Sync to 4thewords is on in Settings if the count looks right in the extension but not on your account.
Not by default. Email, social media, and AI chat sites are left off the starter list on purpose. Add your email domain in My sites and it counts like any other site.
No. It produces counts, never content. Your actual text is never read, stored, or sent anywhere.
Neither counts words. Adding a site to Not counted also silences its prompts, so you’re never asked about it again.
Yes, by default. If you don’t want pasted text to count, turn off Count pasted text in Settings → Tracking.
No. Password fields are excluded at several independent layers. Credit card, CVV, OTP and verification codes, SSN, bank routing and account numbers, API keys, and recovery codes are excluded the same way, as are plain number fields, regardless of your site settings.
The By site toggle in the Stats header is off, which is the default. It has to be on for the extension to record which sites your words came from. Data captured while it was off stays anonymous, so turning it on now won’t fill in the past.
Where your words go next

Battles, Streaks & Quests Sync

See how your typed words flow into your active battle, streak, and Questbook.

Permissions & Privacy

What the extension can access, why, and what it never reads.