Token Counter FAQs

Question 1

What is a token in the context of LLMs?

Accepted Answer

A token is a unit of text that an LLM processes. It can be a word, part of a word, or even a single character, depending on the model's tokenization method. For example, 'hello' might be one token, while 'unconventional' might be split into multiple tokens.

Question 2

Why is token counting important?

Accepted Answer

Token counting is crucial for managing API costs, estimating processing time, and ensuring inputs don't exceed model limits. Many LLM providers charge based on token usage, and models have maximum token limits for inputs and outputs.

Question 3

How accurate is this token counting tool?

Accepted Answer

For OpenAI models, the tool uses their exact recommended tiktoken library, making accuracy incredibly high. For Anthropic models, they currently use an older method as Anthropic has not yet provided updated tokenization information for their latest models.

Question 4

Does it support multiple languages?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the tool supports multiple languages. While the interface is in English, the tokenization process works the same way for all languages, and users can input text in any language for accurate tokenization according to the selected model's method.

Question 5

Can I use this tool in my own applications or APIs?

Accepted Answer

Currently, they don't offer an API for direct integration. Users interested in using the token counter in their applications are encouraged to submit feedback through their feedback form.

Question 6

Does the tool offer visualization of the tokenization process?

Accepted Answer

Currently, they don't offer visualization, but it's on their roadmap. They plan to introduce a feature that shows how text is split into tokens for better understanding.

Token Counter Howto

More Information

How to Use Token Counter