PeoplePerHour Proposal Character Counter

WHAT IT DOES This userscript adds a live character counter to your PeoplePerHour proposal page. It reads the proposal text input in real-time, counts characters and words, and displays a color-coded counter showing the current count and remaining characters. The color indicator changes from green (within limit) to yellow (approaching limit) to red (exceeded limit). A progress bar shows how much of the character limit has been used. The counter also displays the estimated reading time and word count. A one-click "Optimize Proposal Length" button automatically shortens your proposal while preserving key content, helping you stay within character limits without losing important information. This is invaluable for freelancers, writers, and service providers who need to craft concise, effective proposals while adhering to character restrictions. WHERE IT RUNS The script runs on all PeoplePerHour web application pages at *.peopleperhour.com/*, with automatic detection of proposal pages, project offer pages, and any page containing a proposal text input. It works across all PeoplePerHour interfaces by using multiple selector strategies to find proposal textareas, including by name, ID, class, and data-testid attributes. The script detects dynamic content loading and re-applies the counter when the proposal page updates. It runs across the entire PeoplePerHour domain, ensuring coverage whether you're submitting a proposal, responding to a project, or sending an offer. HOW TO USE Install the script via the BotGentz extension and navigate to any PeoplePerHour proposal page. The character counter will appear below the proposal text area automatically. As you type, the counter updates in real-time showing character count, remaining characters, word count, and estimated reading time. The color of the counter indicator changes based on how close you are to the limit. Use the "Optimize Proposal Length" button to automatically shorten your proposal if it exceeds the character limit. The optimization preserves the key content while reducing length. Use the panel controls to customize your experience: toggle the character counter on or off, adjust the character limit (default 5000), show or hide reading time, enable or disable word count, or turn on auto-optimize to automatically shorten proposals when they exceed the limit. The "Copy proposal stats" button exports the current proposal statistics to your clipboard. THE MECHANISM - REAL-TIME TEXT ANALYSIS AND SMART OPTIMIZATION This script identifies the proposal input by scanning the page for known PeoplePerHour textareas using a cascading selector strategy. It listens to input and paste events on the textarea, updating the counter in real-time with debouncing to avoid performance issues. Character count is calculated by counting all characters in the input. Word count is calculated by splitting the text on whitespace. Reading time is estimated using the average reading speed of 200 words per minute. The color indicator is determined by the character count relative to the limit: green (100%). The optimization algorithm removes extra whitespace and intelligently truncates the text by prioritizing complete sentences when possible, and falling back to word-level truncation with an ellipsis when necessary. The progress bar is rendered as a CSS element with width proportional to the character count percentage. THE PANEL The control panel appears as a floating, draggable element that you can position anywhere on the PeoplePerHour page. Drag by the header to reposition it, and the position is saved per site using GM_setValue so it stays where you left it across sessions. Release the panel near any edge and it snaps into place, keeping your workspace organized. Click the panel header to collapse it into a small bubble showing only the magnifying glass emoji (🔍), minimizing distraction while keeping controls accessible. Drag from the bubble to restore the full panel. The panel automatically resizes to fit its content and includes all setting toggles, limit controls, and action buttons. Press the Escape key to quickly collapse the panel to its minimized state. The panel remains visible across page navigation within PeoplePerHour, with the character counter updating automatically as you move between proposal pages. PLEASE NOTE This script requires the free BotGentz extension to function. It is designed for PeoplePerHour freelancers who need to manage proposal length and stay within character limits. The script reads only the proposal text input from the DOM—it does not access PeoplePerHour's API, your account credentials, or any sensitive information. All settings (counter visibility, character limit, reading time toggle, word count toggle, auto-optimize toggle, and panel position) are stored locally using GM_setValue and never leave your browser. The script does not modify your PeoplePerHour data—it only enhances the visual presentation of the proposal input. The auto-optimize feature modifies your proposal text; use it with caution and review the changes before submitting. The character limit defaults to 5000 but can be adjusted to match the actual limit for your specific proposal type. If PeoplePerHour updates its website structure, the script may need to be updated to match new selectors.