Create Word Counter App using Django

Last Updated : 8 Apr, 2026

Our task is to build a simple Django application that counts the number of words in a given text. This is a great beginner project if you have some basic knowledge of Django.

Refer to the below article to know about basics of Django.
Django Basics
How to Create a Basic Project using MVT in Django ?

Step 1: Create the Word Counting Logic in Views

First, we create a function called counter in views.py which will handle the logic for counting words:

Explanation:

When the user submits text via POST, we check if the input is not empty.
We then split the text by spaces and count the resulting words.
If successful, we pass the word count and original text back to the template.
On GET requests or empty input, we simply render the form without results.

Step 2: Configure URL Patterns

In your app's urls.py, map the URL /counter to your counter view:

Then include your app URLs in the main project urls.py:

Step 3: Create the HTML Template

Create a file called counter.html inside your app’s templates folder and add the following code:

Notes:

The {% csrf_token %} tag is essential for POST requests to pass Django’s CSRF protection.
We conditionally display the word count only when the counting process has succeeded (i is true).
{{ word|pluralize }} adds an “s” when the word count is more than one for proper grammar.