Regadring InDesign 2025 version

The preflight panel can show the overset text frames and also report how many characters are overset. That is a character count and not a word count. 

You can also click inside a text frame to show how many overset words there are in the info panel but that’s one frame at a time. 

There’s a plugin here

https://rorohiko.com/wordpress/indesign-downloads/framereporter-for-indesign/

I’ve been playing with a script development for this for a while. I found a few online but didn’t do everything required.

It might not be the best idea in the world but hey if it’s fine for me I don’t really make other considerations. 

The information is there in InDesign I just put it at the top of the frame in a non-printing layer. 

#target "InDesign"
#targetengine "OversetWordCount"
//DESCRIPTION:Count overset words, locate their frames, and show nonprinting counters.

/* Overset Word Count v2.0 | 2026-09-19 | Adobe InDesign ExtendScript
   Run with a document open. Refresh after editing text; Close leaves counters in place.
   Uncheck the counter option to remove them. Each document operation is one Undo step.
   Counts use InDesign Word objects, including words partly beyond the visible boundary.
   Shares v1's palette key and badge label so switching versions replaces existing counters.
*/
(function () {
    // 1. SETTINGS & SESSION: keep editable values together and only one palette open.
    var SETTINGS = {
        windowKey: "oversetWordCountWindow", badgeLabel: "OversetWordCountBadgeV1",
        layerName: "Overset Word Counters", colorName: "Overset Counter Red",
        width: 82, height: 15, gap: 2, pointSize: 8, leading: 10, rgb: [220, 40, 40]
    };
    if (!app.documents.length) {
        alert("Open an InDesign document, then run OversetWordCount_v2.jsx again.");
        return;
    }
    try { if ($.global[SETTINGS.windowKey]) $.global[SETTINGS.windowKey].close(); }
    catch (ignoreOldWindow) {}
    var doc = app.activeDocument, results = [];

    // 2. PALETTE: retain the familiar controls; layout is calculated only at startup.
    var win = new Window("palette", "Overset Word Count v2", undefined, { resizeable: true });
    $.global[SETTINGS.windowKey] = win;
    win.orientation = "column";
    win.alignChildren = ["fill", "top"];
    win.spacing = 8;
    win.margins = 12;
    var summary = win.add("statictext", undefined, "Scanning document...");
    var list = win.add("listbox", undefined, [], {
        multiselect: false, numberOfColumns: 3, showHeaders: true,
        columnTitles: ["Page", "Story", "Overset words"], columnWidths: [90, 180, 110]
    });
    list.preferredSize = [420, 230];
    list.alignment = ["fill", "fill"];
    win.add("statictext", undefined, "Double-click a result, or select it and choose Go to frame.");
    var showBadges = win.add("checkbox", undefined, "Show nonprinting counters above overset frames");
    showBadges.value = true;
    var buttons = win.add("group");
    buttons.alignment = ["right", "top"];
    var refresh = buttons.add("button", undefined, "Refresh");
    var go = buttons.add("button", undefined, "Go to frame");
    var close = buttons.add("button", undefined, "Close");
    go.enabled = false;

    // 3. HELPERS: shared wording, safe page lookup, and one named Undo step per action.
    function quantity(count, singular, plural) {
        return count + " " + (count === 1 ? singular : (plural || singular + "s"));
    }
    function pageOf(item) {
        try { if (item.parentPage && item.parentPage.isValid) return item.parentPage; }
        catch (ignorePage) {}
        return null;
    }
    function storyName(story, number) {
        var name = "Story " + number;
        try { name += " (ID " + story.id + ")"; } catch (ignoreID) {}
        return name;
    }
    function singleUndo(action, name) {
        app.doScript(action, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, name);
    }
    function spreadOf(item) {
        var page = pageOf(item), owner;
        if (page) return page.parent;
        try {
            for (owner = item.parent; owner && owner.isValid; owner = owner.parent) {
                if (/^(Spread|MasterSpread)$/.test(owner.constructor.name)) return owner;
            }
        } catch (ignoreOwner) {}
        return null;
    }

    // 4. WORD COUNT: walk backwards and stop at the first entirely visible word.
    // The final container's last insertion point marks the visible/overset boundary.
    function oversetWords(story, boundary) {
        var words = story.words, count = 0, end;
        for (var i = words.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
            try { end = words[i].insertionPoints[-1].index; }
            catch (ignoreWord) { continue; }
            if (end <= boundary) break;
            count++;
        }
        return count;
    }

    // 5. COUNTERS: remove only script-labelled items; build red, nonprinting badges.
    function removeBadges() {
        if (!doc.isValid) return;
        var items = doc.allPageItems;
        for (var i = items.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
            try { if (items[i].label === SETTINGS.badgeLabel) items[i].remove(); }
            catch (ignoreRemoval) {}
        }
    }
    function createBadge(result, layer, color, none, paper) {
        var badge = null, spread = spreadOf(result.container);
        if (!spread) return false;
        try {
            var bounds = result.container.geometricBounds, top = Number(bounds[0]), right = Number(bounds[3]);
            badge = spread.textFrames.add(layer);
            badge.label = SETTINGS.badgeLabel;
            badge.nonprinting = true;
            badge.properties = {
                geometricBounds: [top - SETTINGS.height - SETTINGS.gap, right - SETTINGS.width,
                    top - SETTINGS.gap, right],
                contents: quantity(result.wordCount, "overset word"), fillColor: color, strokeColor: none
            };
            badge.textFramePreferences.properties = {
                insetSpacing: [1, 3, 1, 3], verticalJustification: VerticalJustification.CENTER_ALIGN
            };
            badge.texts[0].properties = {
                fillColor: paper, pointSize: SETTINGS.pointSize, leading: SETTINGS.leading,
                justification: Justification.CENTER_ALIGN
            };
            return true;
        } catch (badgeError) {
            // Do not leave an unfinished text frame if a formatting operation fails.
            try { if (badge && badge.isValid) badge.remove(); } catch (ignoreCleanup) {}
            return false;
        }
    }
    function createBadges() {
        if (!results.length) return 0;
        var oldUnit = app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit, oldLayer = doc.activeLayer, count = 0;
        try {
            // Set units and resolve shared resources once for the whole batch.
            app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit = MeasurementUnits.POINTS;
            var layer = doc.layers.itemByName(SETTINGS.layerName);
            if (!layer.isValid) layer = doc.layers.add({ name: SETTINGS.layerName });
            layer.properties = { visible: true, locked: false, printable: false };
            var color = doc.colors.itemByName(SETTINGS.colorName);
            if (!color.isValid) color = doc.colors.add({
                name: SETTINGS.colorName, model: ColorModel.PROCESS,
                space: ColorSpace.RGB, colorValue: SETTINGS.rgb
            });
            var none = doc.swatches.itemByName("[None]"), paper = doc.swatches.itemByName("[Paper]");
            for (var i = 0; i < results.length; i++) {
                if (createBadge(results[i], layer, color, none, paper)) count++;
            }
        } finally {
            app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit = oldUnit;
            if (oldLayer.isValid) doc.activeLayer = oldLayer;
        }
        return count;
    }

    // 6. SCAN & REPORT: remove badge stories before taking a snapshot of real stories.
    function scan() {
        results = [];
        list.removeAll();
        go.enabled = false;
        if (!doc.isValid) {
            summary.text = "The document used for this report is no longer open.";
            return;
        }
        removeBadges();
        var stories = doc.stories.everyItem().getElements(), total = 0;
        for (var i = 0; i < stories.length; i++) {
            var story = stories[i];
            if (!story.isValid || !story.overflows) continue;
            var containers = story.textContainers;
            if (!containers.length) continue;
            var frame = containers[containers.length - 1], boundary;
            try { boundary = frame.insertionPoints[-1].index; }
            catch (ignoreContainer) { continue; }
            var count = oversetWords(story, boundary), page = pageOf(frame);
            results.push({ container: frame, wordCount: count });
            total += count;
            var row = list.add("item", page ? page.name : "Pasteboard");
            row.subItems[0].text = storyName(story, i + 1);
            row.subItems[1].text = String(count);
            row.resultIndex = results.length - 1;
        }
        var badges = showBadges.value ? createBadges() : 0;
        summary.text = results.length ?
            quantity(results.length, "overset story", "overset stories") + ", " +
            quantity(total, "overset word") + ". " + quantity(badges, "layout counter") + "." :
            "No overset stories found.";
    }

    // 7. NAVIGATION: use the report's original document, even if another is active.
    function goToFrame() {
        if (!list.selection) return;
        var result = results[list.selection.resultIndex];
        if (!result || !result.container || !result.container.isValid) {
            alert("That text frame is no longer available. Choose Refresh to scan again.");
            return;
        }
        try {
            if (!doc.layoutWindows.length) {
                alert("The document has no open layout window.");
                return;
            }
            var view = doc.layoutWindows[0], page = pageOf(result.container);
            view.bringToFront();
            if (page) view.activePage = page;
            view.select(result.container);
            try { view.zoom(page ? ZoomOptions.FIT_PAGE : ZoomOptions.SHOW_PASTEBOARD); }
            catch (ignoreZoom) {}
        } catch (navigationError) {
            alert("InDesign could not select that text frame.\r" + navigationError);
        }
    }

    // 8. EVENTS & STARTUP: callbacks share the undo helper; resizing avoids a full relayout.
    list.onChange = function () { go.enabled = list.selection !== null; };
    list.onDoubleClick = go.onClick = goToFrame;
    refresh.onClick = function () { singleUndo(scan, "Refresh Overset Word Counters"); };
    showBadges.onClick = function () {
        if (showBadges.value) { refresh.onClick(); return; }
        singleUndo(removeBadges, "Remove Overset Word Counters");
        summary.text = results.length ?
            quantity(results.length, "overset story", "overset stories") + ". Layout counters hidden." :
            "No overset stories found.";
    };
    close.onClick = function () { win.close(); };
    win.onResizing = win.onResize = function () { this.layout.resize(); };
    win.onClose = function () { $.global[SETTINGS.windowKey] = null; };
    singleUndo(scan, "Create Overset Word Counters");
    // Full relayout after showing can hide the button row on some Windows configurations.
    win.layout.layout(true);
    win.center();
    win.show();
})();

Just in case, in addition to all other advice: As you probably know anyway, nothing will be added to InDesign 2025 anymore. Any new features will be added to the current InDesign version only (InDesign 2026 now and up further).

Hi SIDDALINGAYYA ,

When I use the Info panel, and have a Type tool inserted in text, it reports characters, words, lines, and paragraphs. Does it not work this way for you?

Hi ​@Siddalingayya, feature requests are better made at https://indesign.uservoice.com/. Check if something exists then upvote it. More the number of upvotes more would be the chances of the InDesign engineering team to pick it up.